M O D I F I C A T I O N S: TUNING, Head Gaskets

Head gaskets and their failures..... Loads have been discussed about the frequency and the could-be production fault of these delicate items. I am no expert, so I am not in the position to tell the world about mistakes made during the production of the F.

A fact is that when you are suffering from a head gasket failure, you can be sure that you aren't the only one. There's no reason to blame yourself. It allready happened to a lot of us.
Most of the gaskets are failing on the righthand, front corner of the gasket, the place nearest to the alternator.


The Head Gasket, 'le join-de-culasse' in french and 'de koppaking' in dutch.

What happens when the head gasket is failing. One (or even more) of the vulcanised sealings come lose, isn't fixed anymore to the metal base. This results in a movement of the sealing wich causes the possibility that oil or wather moves to a place where it doesn't belong.

Cooling fluid is going through canals in the engine, cooling the metal down. At the other side, there's oil, the lubricant doing its job. So water can get in the oil, or out of the engine. And oil could get in the cooling mixture.


Faulty Head Gasket, causing a coolant lost above the exhaust manifold
A real shame I haven't got pictures of those clouds of white steam all over the highway.


When one of the sealings is destroyed, cooling liquid could enter the cylinders.

Mike Satur is selling a what they called 'Competition Head Gasket'. The tecnician at my garage fitted one of those on my advice, when a new one was needed. His comment on this item: it definetly looks better and more reliable than the standard item. A nice piece of craftwork. Let's hope it resists the HGF-devil.


Competition Head Gasket, nice piece of engineering provided by Mike Satur

MG Rover has reviewed this part (the head gasket). The new gasket has the combination LVB000230 marked on it and may come with two steel dowels. The older gasket carries the combination LVB100760.
Partnumbers:
* GUG702576HG    old gasket, used with plastic dowels
* GUG702613HG    newer gasket, comes with two steel dowels (and is allready fitted as standard from March 2001 and maybe earlier)


The new design head gasket, with a pair of steel dowels.


The area where modifications to its design are located

NOTE: check with professionals if the gasket can be used on an MPi, VVC, ...

LAST UPDATE (February 2006): Land Rover has deve-loped a new style of gasket that can be used on their K-series equiped Freelanders. They also changed the oil ladder (which is fitted at the underside of the cilinder block).

New headgasket
LVB500190

approx 44 EUR + VAT
approx £29 + VAT

New oil ladder
LCN000140L

approx 52 EUR + VAT
approx £34 +VAT

Pictures and info provided by
'Dr Dave' at mg-rover.org forum (original thread)

The head gasket has lost it's elastomeric beads and now has a laminated type of construction and the lower rail is beefed up - it must have an effect upon the clamping load. Head torque figures remain unchanged. There's also a very thin metal coated shim that is fitted on top of the headgasket.