Common Issue?, Cometic Failure + Laskey Racing Motor

I am wondering am I the only person that is ran into this issue? This is what is holding back my entire build, because my car overheated and the headgasket was gone! So no my car will have a OEM F20C engine with my same turbo kit, but I was planning on using my built block.

How many other have had a headgasket failure and had their motor built by Laskey Racing? Also, what steps did you take afterwards?

James D.

Did Laskey build the entire engine or the short block?

I have the same problem in one of my costumer cars is NOT A LASKEY ENGINE but is the same head gasket

Built engine GE Block 87mm Cp pistons ,crower rods and the cometic head gasket and the car fail 3 head gasket

I thing is the machine work or something or I put something worng in the engine or the timing in the tuned nop

Call GE buy a Stock 87 mm head gasket (bore out) and never had a problem in the past 5 years....

Good luck

Sideways i like your signature

Joe Alaniz.....

sounds like the cometic is JUNK.

Yea my block needs to be resleeved... It will use a GE headgasket as well. Until then no built block this summer but an OEM F20c should suffice with my setup. Really angry Laskey used this headgasket if it fails all the time...

Studs or headbolts?

theres no reason to use anything but oem as far as the HG goes if you are on a built block.

Laskey used ARP headstuds, if that helps? That's what I thought when you have a built block a headgasket to lower the compression isn't needed???

I second this

Laskey uses ARP studs in all of his builds. Just use an OEM gasket sprayed with Permatex Copper (make sure you spray it evenly, and do 3 light coats).

John

My Cometic 2mm failed when my engine overheated. Overheating the motor is bad for any headgasket.

Tim

But I'm also wondering why your using anything but an OEM gasket with a built motor ?
Do you not have low compression setup on the built motor ?

Oem gasket, ARP studs on a Laskey built motor

I bet you used a Cometic because your motor was larger than 87mm bore.

Cometic gaskets are not consistent. People may have luck, but I have seen enough Cometic headgasket failures (including on the first 89mm bore Laskey Racing engine circa 2004-mine) that I would not trust one on a build.

There are other options. If you need a new non-Cometic gasket, let me know.
Otherwise, sorry you ran into this issue, it's not fun having to pull the head.

Hopefully resurfacing the cylinderhead is all you will need. I recommend checking the surface properly.
You will also want to check for bent valves. Visually they may appear fine, but they could be out .001-.003". This will effect your compression and leakdown numbers.

Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.

-Asura

This post has been edited by Asura on Jul 20 2009, 08:01 PM

I had my motor built by Laskey 2 years ago and they told me only to use a oem gasket with copper spray

I spoke with Mike personally, and he told me they use OEM gasket and Permatex Copper spray on their builds (OEM bore, at least).

John

Oem is the best.....

This is exactly what I am thinking, but Mike Laskey asked for my goals and what packages I wanted. Then he shipped the motor, was supposed to be simple, but now turned VERY COMPLICATED!

Thats funny because I sent him my entire motor so he could do the Stage II head package and build the bottom end and he still ended up using the Cometic headgasket! WHY ME??? Well I have to live with this shit and won't be able to use the motor until next summer...

Also I am pretty sure I stayed at 87mm bore. Mike told me this would give me an advantage if anything goes wrong because then he can just bore it a little larger.

I just talked to Laskey about this. I think he mentioned that your bore was an 88mm. You should confirm that with him.
Laskey uses the Cometic and OEM headgaskets interchangeably as they have never given him an issue. To each his own.

You should give him a call about this. If you blew your headgasket because of a coolant line leaking, that is not really an issue with the headgasket per se.

Regardless, I would make sure you have all your details confirmed with your engine builder before going any further.

-Asura

This post has been edited by Asura on Jul 21 2009, 05:10 PM

The engine was built with a Cometic gasket and arp head studs. I use both Cometic or OEM with great luck. I have always used Cometic gaskets on my personal engines making over 900hp no problem. Cometic gaskets are used on nascar which is indurance racing as well as 6000hp top fuel drag cars. I can't argue with that! I will never say it was just an issue with Cometic. When I got a call from you, you stated that you were on a highway full throttle. You lost a hose of some sort and had a coolant leak. This would lead to the engine running hot esp. with no coolant/water in the block. With the nature of this, any head gasket would blow! The engine was built to take your 600hp no problem as you saw on the dyno...it made the hp with awesome success! But me nor Cometic can control the fact that you had a leak/crack one a coolant hose. Like I told you when you called, feel free to contact me with any questions and I am always here to help =) Since you did have this issue, maybe try a oem...cant hurt any as they are both great gaskets if you are scared to try another Cometic. Bore size is 88mm. If you need further assistance, feel free to call or email me.

-Mike

Hey Mike I hope you don't think I'm trying to dog you out on the forums. By no means am I trying to do that I just wanted to know if it was a common problem. I will get back to you very soon jusy that Profunction is putting a stock block in so I can enjoy the far for the rest of the summer. I am by no means saying Mike Laskey doesn't know how to build motors because that would be blantantly stupid. Sorry anout spelling/grammar issues typing on my phone. Mike you are more than right that the block handled the power and wouldve ran forever. But I was wondering about everyone that got built by you andgot a Cometic headgasker or a different headgasket and their results.

Just to be clear this post is not to slander Mike Laskey amd his work! Also he has been answering all my quesrions and my tuners quesrions very fast! Big up to Mike Laskey and I hope no offense was taken. Mike should know by know how chicken shit I am about every little thing that happens to my car..

James D.

laskey