416 kit - Head Gasket?

[Crowdog]

I got my kit from Marcum's and told them I wanted a XR400 head gasket. The shop doing the install called today and said that the gasket was every bit as thick as stock (I had told him I was going with the thinner XR400 gasket). I then called Marcum's and they told me that the XR400 gasket is the same thickness.

Now I'm lost. From what I have read here, I thought that I wanted to go with the XR400 gasket because it was thinner that the 400EX gasket.

What is the real deal?

I just got my kit from Marcums a few days ago and installed it. They sent me Cometic gaskets, and the head gasket was definately thinner. I remember that the gasket set was marked for the 400EX and the XR400. I chucked the stock gasket already or I would measure it for you, but I do remember it being pretty thick by comparison. I dunno if this helps, but that's what I got.

[Leo]

Did he send you the Honda gaskets or the cometic kit..?

The stock Honda headgasket is 3 layers thick, while the XR gasket is only 2 layers thick...

I believe the cometic fiber gaskets are available in several diffrent thickness..

When you talked to Marcums did you talk to Terry..? If not I'd give them a call back and get the real scoop from the boss ;)

Leo

[patrick delao]

I ran into the same problem with my 440. Here is the scoop the Honda or cometic head gasket it .047 thick and the Cometic XR gasket it .025 so its alot thinner. I ordered the XR gasket from cometic them selves and they were great over there. When you get the gasket from Cometic it says it on the package .025. Hope this helps Pat

[Adams44]

Cometic has two gaskets for the 400 honda motor. Fiber is .045" thick and the three plate steel is .023" thick. I am using the steel. I verified this last week through Cometic. I do not of a different XR gasket, this post is the first I have heard of a two plate, which may make it about .015" thick.

[Crowdog]

OK, I just talked to Terry at Marcum's. Here is the skinny:

The Cometic gasket that he always sends with the 416 kit is .043 which is slightly thinner than stock once crushed. He said that he does not carry any thinner gaskets, and would recommend against using them unless you want to bump your compression over 11:1 and run race gas.

He said with the 416 kit at 10.8:1, you can run 93 octane, but he recommends running a mix of race & premium to bump it up to about 100 octane.

I am going to go with his recommendation.

Crowdog