Head Gaskets

[alpenmac]

Diagnosed as HGF, so I am having to bite the bullet and have the heads off this winter. Preparing to buy new gaskets I have seen various types including "Payen". What does this mean?
Alex

[kevin p]

Hi Alex

Others more knowledgeable will be along soon, but I think Payen are / were a manufacturer of quality gaskets for the stag and they include all the right coolant waterway holes which some apparently don't.

Cheers Kevin

[StagJonno]

Alex,

There's another thread currently running which might be helpful http://socforum.com/forum/showthread...What-to-Choose . I can't give any kind of definitive answer to your question, but I do understand that Payen are generally regarded as the dog's dingle-dangles, but are not easily available. The SOCTF (Stag Owners Club Tooling Fund) have supported the re-manufacture of quality new gaskets by Abinger Hammer. Also LD Part have a couple of offerings (both unskimmed and skimmed heads) and they have a good reputation for only supplying quality parts.

Hopefully, others will add to this.

Good luck

Jonno

[KOY 23]

It means you are payen for good ones, no longer available. Beware of rip offs, I was sold a set of genuine ones by a well known Stag supplier and they were not Payen, BGA are supposedly good and available in thick versions. Standard thickness have been commissioned by SOCTFL and I believe are available from Abinger Hammer. However I would talk to Peter at LD Parts who knows all about this and sells good parts.

[StagJonno]

It means you are payen for good ones, no longer available. Beware of rip offs, I was sold a set of genuine ones by a well known Stag supplier and they were not Payen, BGA are supposedly good and available in thick versions. Standard thickness have been commissioned by SOCTFL and I believe are available from Abinger Hammer. However I would talk to Peter at LD Parts who knows all about this and sells good parts.

Am expecting delivery of a set of Payens - how best to confirm that they actually are? If ever I need to take the heads off, I'd like to be using quality replacements.

Thanks

Jonno

[new to this]

Am expecting delivery of a set of Payens - how best to confirm that they actually are? If ever I need to take the heads off, I'd like to be using quality replacements.

Thanks

Jonno

i dont think you can get payens any more,unless some one has old stock hanging around,the BGA are the one they sell now,there available in standard or thick,and the only other head gasket available is the Tony Harts ones,but dont have any feed back on those yet

dave

[DJT]

,

It means you are payen for good ones, no longer available. Beware of rip offs, I was sold a set of genuine ones by a well known Stag supplier and they were not Payen, BGA are supposedly good and available in thick versions. Standard thickness have been commissioned by SOCTFL and I believe are available from Abinger Hammer. However I would talk to Peter at LD Parts who knows all about this and sells good parts.

Peter now sells the standard ones by BGA that were supported by SOCTFL/Abinger Hammer: http://www.ldparts.co.uk/shop/shop.p...6860d6260ea912

as well as the extra thick BGA ones which are what I fitted getting on for two years ago now:

http://www.ldparts.co.uk/shop/shop.php?c=viewproduct&pid=742&cat=22&maincat=1&start=12&sid=sid8b19953e85f4ac27a56860d6260ea912

[mole42]

I used the SOCTFL ones bought from Abinger Hammer, they are expensive but fitted well and haven't leaked. So far.
Dunno if they'd work as well with skimmed heads, but I don't know if mine have ever been skimmed....

[davidf]

I used the SOCTFL ones bought from Abinger Hammer, they are expensive but fitted well and haven't leaked. So far.
Dunno if they'd work as well with skimmed heads, but I don't know if mine have ever been skimmed....

Ditto, but I know my heads have never been skimmed.

[Lawrence Croft]

Help please whilst this thread is open. How do I know whether to fit standard or thick gaskets, not knowing the engine history? Is the "safe" approach to fit thick in all cases, or is there a measurement to take when the heads are off? Presumably if the heads require skimming then thick gaskets are a must?
Guru advice please.

[DJT]

Help please whilst this thread is open. How do I know whether to fit standard or thick gaskets, not knowing the engine history? Is the "safe" approach to fit thick in all cases, or is there a measurement to take when the heads are off? Presumably if the heads require skimming then thick gaskets are a must?
Guru advice please.

http://socforum.com/forum/showthread.php?16410-Calculation-of-head-gasket-thickness&highlight=Head+thickness

http://socforum.com/forum/showthread.php?28396-Minimum-Head-Thickness&highlight=Head+thickness

[Lingen]

Lawrence. I'm no guru, but I think it is pretty unlikely that the heads on your car have never been faced, and as most of us would like to use standard unleaded fuel if possible, the thicker gaskets are the ones I would go for. They will certainly fit, and the resulting slightly lower compression ratio seems to have no adverse effect on engine performance. The BGH ones of both thicknesses are of good quality.
Mike.

[Lawrence Croft]

Thanks folks, that was the conclusion I had come to. This winters jobs identified!

[PhilB]

My heads were well skimmed down so I used Stainless Steel shims and BGA Thick - with both I used Wellseal
The new studs I treated to a thin coat of ceramic high temp grease as used on Mercedes engines
So far so good - but only done about 1500 summer miles last two years since top end rebuilt

[alpenmac]

Many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. Much thought will go into the decision making. With regard to non-availability of Payen gaskets, Paddocks seem to stock them. under GEG1223ETBGAPAY.
Not looking forward to November when the heads come off!!
Alex