New Gaskets, What do you look for ?

Crackerjack · Feb 28, 2015

Long time lurker and first time poster,

I've been reading some recent posts about gaskets (various kinds, mainly head gaskets) and i'm just wondering what most guru's on here gravitate towards ?
Brand ?
Material ?
Country of Origin ?
Price ?
Availability ?

I just thought I would stretch my feelers out and see what people think of their gasket preferences.

FBH44 · Feb 28, 2015

I go the dealer, fairly cheap, keeps them in the parts business, which we all need, get to see all the new trctors, take a road trip, get lunch, it's all good.

Texasmark1 · Feb 28, 2015

I like Fel-pro, a product of Federal-Mogul who make bearing seals
and other quality products. I don't think country of origin is all
that important when you stay with a brand name. They have specs
and the manufacturer's have to march to the drum beat. China and
India get bashed a lot of times, but everything they make is not
junk by any means.

Mark

J. Schwiebert · Feb 28, 2015

The 2 major American brands are Victor and Fel-Pro. They are also each others largest customers. For slow moving items it is cheaper to buy a gasket from your competitor than tool up for yourself.

Jason S. · Feb 28, 2015

(quoted from post at 09:45:50 02/28/15) Long time lurker and first time poster,

I've been reading some recent posts about gaskets (various kinds, mainly head gaskets) and i'm just wondering what most guru's on here gravitate towards ?
Brand ?
Material ?
Country of Origin ?
Price ?
Availability ?

I just thought I would stretch my feelers out and see what people think of their gasket preferences.

Generally you can't go wrong with gaskets from the dealer as long as they are selling you genuine CNH,Deere,Agco,etc... gaskets and not aftermarket gaskets. Between Fel Pro and Victor/Reinz gaskets. I prefer Victor gaskets. This is coming not only from building tractors but also from the many years before when I built drag cars and big off road 4x4's. Fel Pro is still a decent gasket but they have gotten cheaper over the past 10 years or so. For example if you look at a Fel Pro head gasket for a small block Ford and then look at a Victor gasket for a small block Ford, you will see that the Victor is a better made gasket although it does cost more. Victor is also a huge OEM supplier for gaskets. I recently bought a NOS Massey Ferguson head gasket for a Z120 Continental engine and it was made by Victor. I'm building a wrecked 2012 Chevy traverse for somebody and the manifold gaskets on it are stamped VR. Sometimes I also look around for NOS McCord gaskets. Those were very good if you can find them. For tractors, main thing is stay away from Tisco gaskets unless you have no other choice.

Mike (WA) · Feb 28, 2015

I'm a Hudson guy, and the big 6 cylinder engines have trouble holding a head gasket, especially if using the high compression aluminum head (or a shaved head, either cast iron or aluminum). All the engine gurus swear by Best head gaskets. Don't know if they make any for tractors- I think just cars.

Goose · Feb 28, 2015

Fel-Pro, or OEM.

M-MAN · Feb 28, 2015

Fel Pro, OEM, Victor - in that order.

Texasmark1 · Feb 28, 2015

Another comment: Years ago I bought a '98 Tahoe, 350 V8 used
that developed a coolant leak at the intake manifold. Won't go
through the whole repair fiasco, but when I got the intake
manifold off the heads and suspended overhead so I could work,
I found that OEM GM "gasket" was nothing more than squirted
in, blue RTV with no containment.

My Fel-Pro after market gasket set was a pair of aluminum
frames with channels cut in both sides. The channels had blue
silicon poured in and molded to the frame such that it formed a
half O ring on both sides. The alum frame bore the brunt of the
installation and set the proper gap while the silicon sealed the
fluids. Was duly impressed.

Mark

Cas · Feb 28, 2015

I used Fel-pro on John Deeres. One guy wanted an original John Deere gasket. I got one and it was made by Fel-pro. Same numbers on the gasket.
Same thing with all John Deere engine parts like bearings, piston sleeve assemblies. Can buy from Federal Mogul, Clevite, Mahle, etc for 1/3 to 1/2 Deere's price.

New Gaskets, What do you look for ?

Crackerjack

Member

FBH44

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

J. Schwiebert

Well-known Member

Jason S.

Well-known Member

Mike (WA)

Well-known Member

Goose

Well-known Member

M-MAN

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Cas

Well-known Member

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