Astadur head gasket
Posted: March 8th, 2013, 1:12 am
Hello all,
I got a couple of Astadur head gaskets for the Fiat/Lancia TC. Only two are in a sealed package, the rest are opened but unused. There is a sticker on the gasket with a warning to only open the packaging prior to installing to avoid damage to the gasket.
My main question is: Is this to avoid physical damage to the gasket, or the gasket material degrades over time when exposed to air?
Is the Astadur gasket suitable for medium to high performance engines? I know they were very good in their time (10-20 years ago?) but are they now obsolete or not in production because of the asbestos content? Since the Astadur gasket is introduced at the same time as the waisted shank stretch/yield bolts and the setup did not require retorque, is it possible that the modern gaskets are also some kind of thermosetting polymer but without asbestos as they also do not require retorque?
How does the Astadur compare to modern MLS head gaskets?
I intend using a Cometic MLS gasket on a high power turbocharged engine and the Astadur on a mild N/A street engine. Would this be correct or you suggest another option?
Thanks,
Uros
I got a couple of Astadur head gaskets for the Fiat/Lancia TC. Only two are in a sealed package, the rest are opened but unused. There is a sticker on the gasket with a warning to only open the packaging prior to installing to avoid damage to the gasket.
My main question is: Is this to avoid physical damage to the gasket, or the gasket material degrades over time when exposed to air?
Is the Astadur gasket suitable for medium to high performance engines? I know they were very good in their time (10-20 years ago?) but are they now obsolete or not in production because of the asbestos content? Since the Astadur gasket is introduced at the same time as the waisted shank stretch/yield bolts and the setup did not require retorque, is it possible that the modern gaskets are also some kind of thermosetting polymer but without asbestos as they also do not require retorque?
How does the Astadur compare to modern MLS head gaskets?
I intend using a Cometic MLS gasket on a high power turbocharged engine and the Astadur on a mild N/A street engine. Would this be correct or you suggest another option?
Thanks,
Uros