Homemade gaskets!??!?!?! - Honda Forum / Acura Forum

JoeCivic · 12-26-2003, 01:05 PM

Okay, just turboed the d16z6 with a mitsubishi t25 turbo.. now i've got a few questions. In my "kit" i used an exhaust manifold from an hf crx, and an adaptor plate machined at my local machine shop to connect it to the turbo. We had no gaskets for it... so being impatient we just stuck some of that orange gasket shit on there and hoped for the best. turns out the best was about... 3 days. anyway, we now have a pretty severe leak between the manifold and the adaptor plate and i neeeeeed to make a custom gasket for it. Anyone have experience with homemade gaskets? i need something that will take VERY high heat, and withstand significant pressure. also keep in mind that the surfaces aren't PERFECT. Thank you

flip1199 · 12-26-2003, 02:17 PM

are u sure both surfaces are flat and even?

PM-Performance · 12-26-2003, 02:36 PM

yea, that liquid gasket stuff works great most of the time unless the surfaces arent plane. check em out with a level or something.

TheTurboDan · 12-26-2003, 04:11 PM

go to an autoparts store or an engine rebuilder shop and ask for a gasket material, the material you need is metal, and its got tiny holes in it all over the place, you can usually cut into it with normal sissors, and it works great, ive gone a whole year with the homemade gasket and it seals awesome and holds the heat very well.
best of luck

gob_2k · 12-26-2003, 08:58 PM

You should have the same machine shop do your plate and the manifold. they can machine them to be perfectly flat. And then make a small metal gasket and you should be all set to go.

by the way, how fast is the spool up on that turbo with the engine you have? How is it running, what is your fuel management?

Just curious. Getting a civic soon, and I am planning on doing that to it until I get my b18 built and a turbo kit put together to install it. hehe

JoeCivic · 12-27-2003, 12:30 PM

Thanks for the help. i may try that gasket material... so far all i used was that gasket in a bottle bullshit. it worked for a few days... but i guess the temp and pressure was a bit too much. The surfaces are probably not PERFECT but are very close.

As for spool time: i 'm getting a full 10psi by... somewhere b/t 2000 and 2500 rpm. i was VERY pleased with the outcome of this homemade kit.

if you've got any questions on it let me know.

for fuel management: i used the vafc hack ( apexi vafc and mitsubishi 450cc injectors.

) so far its working very well.

for the record: the head gasket blew immedieately but after we stuck a new one on there (with aviation cement) it held JUST FINE

thx again guys