Has any one else ran this combo? The 94mm Athena jug and the Cometic head gasket (IMO) don't line up real well at the water jacket holes. I would varify this if I knew where I put the old Athena head gasket at. I want to know who has in the past or currently ran or is running this combo and has your motors over heated or blew?

Apperantly no site sponsers viewed my topic about who sells the Athena head gaskets.

I went threw 2 cometic head gaskets before I bought an athena gasket. (both failed and leaked) On the first gasket, I just wrote it off as bad torquing on my part. Then I noticed that it doesnt line up very well as you said. I wont buy another cometic gasket for my athena, thats for damn sure.

See that's what I think too. I put one together here and after 1 day (actually sometime during the first day) it starting leaking coolant out the gasket seal on the exhaust side with the Cometic. Never leaked inside as the oil and water never mixed. I checked the fitment of a Cometic head gasket with this other Athena jug I have and the fitment is less then desirable. I thought as you, that it was bad torquing on my part, but I have done quiet a few and still think it is the Cometic head gasket not lining up as the fault, not something I did that caused the failure.

I still would like to see a site sponser with some replacement Athena gasket kits for sale

I think rocky mountain atv sells them. granted, they arent a site sponsor. but, they wont leak either!

Terse, that's all I run in the Athenas I have - Cometic 95mm gaskets. Haven't had a problem with them yet, as far as leaking or sealing. They've been good.

RMATVonline is 2 weeks out before they get any in.

I might try this 2nd Cometic I got with the new Craftsman TQ wrench I bought.

Maybe there was a bad batch or something.. Where do you order your gaskets from Tersejr?

Have you tried applying two coats of "permatex, high temp copper, spray-a-gasket" and let it sit over night b4 you install it. Consider this as standard prebuild preperation. Works very well.

The one that leaked was sent with the piston, which is generally where I get them. Who ever I get the piston from I ask for them to send a gasket kit as well.

I have some copper spray, but have never had to use it.... and never heard of it being used on a head gasket before.

So a light coat on both side and let it sit for a day before installing it? Maybe I'll try that.

like normalz, i have never had any problems with the cometic gasket kits in my motors.

however i can get you the athena gasket kits. problem is they are 3x as much as the cometic and it comes with both the ltz and drz gaskets which you don't really need. anyway they are $80 plus shipping and there are 3 kits in stock. i would blame the compression you are running for most likely blowing your gaskets out along with a possible head warp. the copper spray may be just the ticket you need to help keep it together.

good luck

I run the Wiseco head gaskets on my sleeved 440 which I believe to be cometic. Blew one, but it appeared to be my fault. Never noticed any misallignment.

Not athena, but figured I would throw in my .02

Why do you mention the compression I am running as a fault? I never mentioned what compression this motor is. It is not the motor in my sig. FYI.

How soon could I get an Athena kit from you by chance? I live in 80916 Colorado.

Thanks.

Go with two light coats on each side and let it sit overnight. Works very well, I believe you'll be satisfied with the results.
Some have even re-used a head gasket with this process. Not sayiong that's the way to go, just what I've read around.

i bunch of guys over at thumper talk was having problems with their head gasket, on their big bore & stroked suzk 400 motors, that copper permatex stuff seems to be doing the trick for them.

thay are putting 2 or 3 light coats on then letting the gasket sit for a couple days before puting it togetor

I just let it get tacky like it says on the can. Never had a problem even when I reuse gaskets.

Woody

i thought we were talking about the dvx in your sig. anyhow, i could have the kit to you by end of next week and probably sooner if i had it drop shipped to you.
let me know

I will let you know for sure! How much for each gasket kit and then for 2 gasket kits, shipped of coarse to 80916??

Thanks

Never mind. I just orderd 2 from MotoSport.com

When I put my Athena BB kit on my 250F it leaked so I took the head back off and put clear silicone on it and have never had any problems. When I build race motors for cars with copper head gaskets I always use the clear silicone and apply it with a caulk gun. You don't need the high temp stuff since the engine is water cooled and will stay under 240F.

That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I have seen my yfz450 get over 250* motor temp, and I know the exhaust side of the head gets way hotter then 240*. The exhaust pipe straight out of the head see 1100* or more so I am sure "silicone" caulk near there will melt.

I am glad this practice works for you, but IMO (which ain't nothing) that is stupid.

Your car race motors... Honda? Anyways.... are they pushing 12.1, 13.1, 14.1, 15.1 compression?? I seriously doubt they are over 11.1. Not to mention piston to cylinder clearences and squish factors.

Maybe I sound harsh but I don't want to read or fix any new peoples problems when they read they can use straight silicone on their motors and then they have problems.

It works great on head gaskets not exhaust gaskets! This is good info if you don't believe me look it up on the internet or go to the local drag strip and talk to the racers. My race car is an 1986 Mustang not a "rice burner" with a 4" stroked 351 now 408 cid and it makes around 675 hp at 6900 rpm. Solid roller cam installed on a 104 ICL .720 lift at the valve, 14.8.1 compression TFSR heads 2.08 and 1.60 valves ported, Super Victor Intake ported, 1050 Holley carb, 5500 rpm converter. The best it has ran with no NOS is 9.36 at 145 in the quarter mile. Racers with copper head gaskets use standard silicone, copper spray on sealer or silver paint it all works!

It works great on head gaskets not exhaust gaskets! This is good info if you don't believe me look it up on the internet or go to the local drag strip and talk to the racers. My race car is an 1986 Mustang not a "rice burner" with a 4" stroked 351 now 408 cid and it makes around 675 hp at 6900 rpm. Solid roller cam installed on a 104 ICL .720 lift at the valve, 14.8.1 compression TFSR heads 2.08 and 1.60 valves ported, Super Victor Intake ported, 1050 Holley carb, 5500 rpm converter. The best it has ran with no NOS is 9.36 at 145 in the quarter mile. Racers with copper head gaskets use standard silicone, copper spray on sealer or silver paint it all works!

I use to use black spray paint on gaskets before I found the copper stuff.

Woody

I wasn't meaning the exhaust gasket, just that the temp at the exhaust side of the head gasket area will always be hotter then the intake side of the head gasket area. For not other reason then heat soak and radiant heat transfer.

Sounds like you have a nice mustang. I buddy of mine in Denver races his 5.0 and is on the crew for a 57 Chevy nitro dragster.

You'll have to pardon my hardheadedness on this, but I still think it to be ridiculous to use silicone. And anyone that says it's true look it up on the internet, well.... then it must be true.

Ok, I got the Athena gasket in and there is some coolant port differences between the Cometic and their gasket.

Here is the side by side comparison. Athena left... Cometic on the right. Looks like the Cometic has larger holes for the coolant to pass through, but when on the Athena jug those larger holes are half way blocked off. Also note how the close the Cometic coolant holes are very close to the 1st crush bead next to the piston opening. To close for me.



Here is the Athena jug.



Here is the Athena jug with the Athena gasket on top. Kinda hard to see in the picture, but only the left side coolant holes are partially blocked. IMO not bad at all. :)




Here is the Athena jug with the Cometic gasket on top. All of the passages are 1/2 blocked, and in my opinion does not line up well at all. I am sure it will seal off well, but I question whether the cooling abilities are compromised.



*Those are not my hands Those belong to my lovely assistant who is also another member here *

must be littlemissE's hands. great pics terse. looks like the athena gaskets are the way to go, if you have an athena cylinder.

Yes, those are my hands!!

Great info and pics Eric!

Anyone object to why this thread should be pinned? If we get some more input and/or pics in here I'll pin it....and maybe clean up the thread a little bit if no one minds.

Oh...and nice hands Vanna.

I think the information is great. Its great for anyone that is wondering about Cometic head Gasket with the Athena Jug. If its pinned then nobody else that wants then info will have to stumble along trying to find the info. So I think you should pin it, N.J.C.

Thanks for noticing my hands.

I don't mind if it gets pinned, and I can post up a couple pics of the blown Cometic that I did use. I installed the Athena head gasket in the pic's with a coat of copper spray on both sides on this Athena motor, and the first ride will be this week end. It will be a dune trip and lots of dragging, so I can report how it held up too.

Here is the old Cometic I had on this Athena motor. You can see where it blew "outward" and it was leaking coolant out of the mating surface. It never blew inward just outward, so it never mixed coolant with oil or coolant into the combustion chamber. The black stuff on the gasket did melt and got on the piston, and part of the gasket around the piston area snapped off and broke about 75% of the way around, and could have broken completly off and into the cylinder destroying the jug, piston and valves.

Top side: facing the valves.




Bottom side: Facing the piston.



And where the gasket broke off.



No marks were on the piston and there is no way the piston hit the gasket. The Cometic gasket is alot wider in that area then the piston is wide. I personally think the gasket was faulty, but have no real way to prove it.

I'm sold! Pinned!

This is exactly how my cometic gaskets looked after they were blown. broke the same way, and the blow through was also very similar.

No kidding! Hmmm..... You got me thinking now.

Terse, what's the exact bore diameter of this specific blown Cometic gasket?

94.86mm


Also, we all just came back from a hard dune trip, and the Athena brand head gasket with coper spray did not leak, blow, spew, over heat or anything, and is holding up perfect. Yes it is in a 14.25 motor.


**this is Tersejr... forgot to log LittleMissE out first**

Little addition to this story. I had a 96mm Cometic gasket that I modified for my Athena. I did one layer at a time and started with the steel spacer.




Woody

Thanks nator187.

This Z motor is still currently kicking azz with the stock Athena head gasket. No leaks, no over heating.

I have modified a Cometic head gasket for my personal Athena 480 yfz like nator did. Although I did all 3 layers together with a fine grain dremel stone. Took lots of time to not have burred edges. It has held up for 3 dune/ drag trips, but still holding my reservations on it.