# vrT head setup.. gasket spacer gasket?



## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

Trying to figure the order of the head gasket or gaskets when putting a 8:5:1 spacer on my mrk3 12v vrT.. does it go gasket, spacer ,gasket, head ..or gasket, spacer, head?? the 1st one makes sense to me but i wana make shure if anyone can give me a shout on whts the proper way to get it done:laugh:thanx


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## ade007 (Jun 12, 2007)

gasket, spacer ,gasket


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

ade007 said:


> gasket, spacer ,gasket


 what you recomend using? steel or composite gaskets.. i was told i can take the mk4 12v steel gasket pop the rivers out and use the one gasket as 2.. whts best


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## rjones1214 (Apr 24, 2009)

For correct compression ratio I believe you have to disassemble a stock head gasket and use the rubber pieces on each side of spacer, basically making an extra thick stock-like gasket. 

If you use 2 stock head gaskets your compression but be dropped even more. Some people have simplt stacked 2 head gaskets together to drop compression before head spacers were being made and/or were popular. So if your stock compression is 10:1, spacer would drop it to 9:1 and 2 head gaskets would drop it another point to 8:1. I'm not saying this is 100% correct but just an example. 

Someone who has actually ran stacked gaskets might have more insight into this subject.


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

what youre saying totally makes sense tho.. thanks for the advicee


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

any one else got any ideas?:screwy:


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## tim00 jti (Feb 1, 2008)

I split one OEM one and threw away the middle piece. The oem is 3 layers, I essentially took my SS headspacer and replaced the middle OEM layer.


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## SMG8vT (Oct 8, 2004)

Call the company who made the spacer. They will know how to use the spacer correctly.


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## dasbeast3.0 (Aug 15, 2007)

Use a mk4 gasket, knock off the rivets, throw the middle away, and use the top and bottom on either side of the spacer. Use a light coat of copper gasket spray for a good seal.:thumbup:


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

dasbeast3.0 said:


> Use a mk4 gasket, knock off the rivets, throw the middle away, and use the top and bottom on either side of the spacer. Use a light coat of copper gasket spray for a good seal.:thumbup:


 that sounds proper..appreciate the help


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

SMG8vT said:


> Call the company who made the spacer. They will know how to use the spacer correctly.


 thats what i was thinkin about doing tomorow.haha.thanx


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## Flipdriver80 (Jul 17, 2004)

wow, some of you guys really should not be allowed near a motor. stick to airbags and $2k wheels :screwy:


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## FaelinGL (Nov 28, 2004)

If you have a C2 spacer, to get the true 8.5 ratio you need to use 2 headgaskets. A split gasket will get you more towards 8.7 to 8.8. I don't know about other spacer manufacturers.

Mike


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## rhussjr (Aug 7, 2000)

If running a single gasket, the gasket (which is three layers) is taken apart and two layers go on top and one under the spacer. The top and bottom layers are what you see of the factory Mk4 gasket. The middle layer of the Mk4 I always place on the top side of the spacer. If running two gaskets, one on top and one on bottom. Torque to the specified specs of the hardware being used (factory or ARP).


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

rhussjr said:


> If running a single gasket, the gasket (which is three layers) is taken apart and two layers go on top and one under the spacer. The top and bottom layers are what you see of the factory Mk4 gasket. The middle layer of the Mk4 I always place on the top side of the spacer. If running two gaskets, one on top and one on bottom. Torque to the specified specs of the hardware being used (factory or ARP).


so, basically youre sayin this is the order you recommend.. bottom prt of mk4 gasket, 8:5:1 c2 spacer, middle of mk4 gasket, then the top prt of mk4 gasket, then ofcourse the head.. either that or just go with 2 mk4 gaskets in between the spacer correct?


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

FaelinGL said:


> If you have a C2 spacer, to get the true 8.5 ratio you need to use 2 headgaskets. A split gasket will get you more towards 8.7 to 8.8. I don't know about other spacer manufacturers.
> 
> Mike


yes im running a c2 spacer and im guessing you recomend the 2 individual mk4 gaskets over the 1 split gasket.. correct? i am using apr hardware aswell


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

I APPRECIATE EVERYONES ADVICE AND HELP, REALLY DO:thumbup:


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## mr.candid (Sep 11, 2008)

my headgasket was measured 4mm in thickness and it seems like its made with 3 layers. Does anyone know what this will drop my 24v vr6 too ?


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

still need a definate answer :banghead:.lol some say go with the 2 individual mk4 gaskets, and some say just to split the mk4 gasket in the 3 layers.. please if anyones got a 110% shure answer plzz lmk


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## mr.candid (Sep 11, 2008)

Best thing to do is call up spturbo.com (bill schimmel) or c2 motorsports, there on top of there stuff. Great vr6 parts....


just pick up a gasket from them


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## zwogti (Jan 11, 2004)

order a C-2 9:1 mk3 head gasket, cheap out and it may cost you a motor rebuild


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## Project Mayhem (Jun 12, 2007)

i was in the same boat the other day, i ordered a replacement gasket, which is 3 rivited together. i emailed c2 and asked them they said to take the rivits out and use the two gaskets around my spacer:thumbup:


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

zwogti said:


> order a C-2 9:1 mk3 head gasket, cheap out and it may cost you a motor rebuild


thing is i already got a c2 8:5:1


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

Project Mayhem said:


> i was in the same boat the other day, i ordered a replacement gasket, which is 3 rivited together. i emailed c2 and asked them they said to take the rivits out and use the two gaskets around my spacer:thumbup:


and you have a 8:5:1 spacer?


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## Project Mayhem (Jun 12, 2007)

your inbox is full..
amd yes 8.5:1


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

Project Mayhem said:


> your inbox is full..
> amd yes 8.5:1


you used the bottom part under the spacer, and then spacer.. middle then top part of gasket? or u just used 2 layers?.. sorry , jst cleared the inbox


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## Corsten (Sep 26, 2005)

so... is there a definite answer to the quiestion? 
is it: 
1. mk 4 headgasket, spacer mk 4 headgasket 
2. split mk4 headgasket, bottom part of HG, spacer, top of HG 
3. split mk4 headgasket, bottom part of HG, spacer, middle, top of HG 

which one is it then? 

I'm also wondering about this: 
stock headgasket (mk 3 12v) is 1.6mm in thickness. 

I have a 2mm headspacer + when I add only bottom and top layer of the mk IV headgasket I gain something like .25mm, so what is the point of installing a spacer if I get almost stock like compression (gasket thickness including spacer = 2.4mm)? I won't be able to run high boost anyway, what do you guys think?


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## JRaptor (Dec 13, 2006)

Mk4 Headgasket > Spacer > Mk4 Headgasket 

Just installed mine last night.


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

JRaptor said:


> Mk4 Headgasket > Spacer > Mk4 Headgasket
> 
> Just installed mine last night.


 what compression spacer you runing?


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

Corsten said:


> so... is there a definite answer to the quiestion?
> is it:
> 1. mk 4 headgasket, spacer mk 4 headgasket
> 2. split mk4 headgasket, bottom part of HG, spacer, top of HG
> ...


 i think 1 mk4, then spacer, and another mk4 is the way to go..


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## Corsten (Sep 26, 2005)

I'm thinking the same thing.... 
but I'm a little pissed at myself, If I new better before, I would have bought a 1.5mm spacer and two standard 1.6mm headgaskets and saved up like $50 - actually even more ,because a thinner HG is cheaper too...


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

Corsten said:


> I'm thinking the same thing....
> but I'm a little pissed at myself, If I new better before, I would have bought a 1.5mm spacer and two standard 1.6mm headgaskets and saved up like $50 - actually even more ,because a thinner HG is cheaper too...


 y youre heads together already?


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## Corsten (Sep 26, 2005)

nope, went to order another MK 4 head gasket and they didn't have any. so I made a quick calculation and ordered an old (fiber) 1.6 mm thick MK 3 gasket. This should give me (along with the spacer) around 4.2mm thickness. (MK III gasket - 1.6mm, spacer 2mm, MK 4 gasket 0.6mm, ). Since my head was decked @ around .2mm the total comes out to 4mm. 
Is this around 8.0:1? 

I might consider removing the middle of the MK 4 gasket to bump it up a notch. 
Do I have to spray every mating surface with copper spray? or spacer only?


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## TBT-Syncro (Apr 28, 2001)

main, i cant believe how much bad info is in this thread.

1/2 mk4 gasket
spacer
other half of mk4 gasket

you should not be using fiber gaskets (you'll need two, your compression will be super low, and they dont last).


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

TBT-Syncro said:


> main, i cant believe how much bad info is in this thread.
> 
> 1/2 mk4 gasket
> spacer
> ...


so youre saying only 1 gasket is needed, and that the middle of the mk4 gasket does not get used? using a 8:5:1 spacer .. s**t is driving me nuts everyones bouncing from one to the other.lol:banghead:


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## TBT-Syncro (Apr 28, 2001)

vr6inside98 said:


> so youre saying only 1 gasket is needed, and that the middle of the mk4 gasket does not get used?


this is correct. the spacer essentially replaces the center section of the mk4 gasket.

i highly recommend using copper gasket spray on the mating surfaces as well.


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

thank you for youre advice.. using just the top and bottom with the spacer in between will give me a true 8:5:1 correct? i was told there should be a difference in setting up the gasket n spacer depending on what youre hp goal is. that true?


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## TBT-Syncro (Apr 28, 2001)

vr6inside98 said:


> thank you for youre advice.. using just the top and bottom with the spacer in between will give me a true 8:5:1 correct? i was told there should be a difference in setting up the gasket n spacer depending on what youre hp goal is. that true?


basically the more boost you run, the lower the compression you'll want to run. 8.5:1 or 9:1 is the norm these days (gas quality comes in to play as well).


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

ill be running the 8:5:1 boosting between 8-15.. the setup you recomend with using the one mk4 will do the job?


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## Project Mayhem (Jun 12, 2007)

i talked to the guys at c2 after i ordered my replacement gaskets from their site.
i recieved a gasket it had 3 peices rivited together, i wasnt sure what to do so i emailed them, and they said to split the rivits and use the top and bottom peices of the gasket to go around my spacer.


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## vr6inside98 (Nov 8, 2008)

Project Mayhem said:


> i talked to the guys at c2 after i ordered my replacement gaskets from their site.
> i recieved a gasket it had 3 peices rivited together, i wasnt sure what to do so i emailed them, and they said to split the rivits and use the top and bottom peices of the gasket to go around my spacer.


thats what TBT-Syncro recomended along with a few others.. its a mk4 12v gasket youre talking about, and i think this is the way i am finally gona put my motor back together for the second time


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