Iain's 20XE Trackday Nova

[8valve-craig]

I would use a steel head gasket too, from a zlet.

Zlet are open deck, so not a great idea to use their gasket on a closed deck XE. Just stick with a std one or upgrade to the right Cometic.

[burgo]

Zlet are open deck, so not a great idea to use their gasket on a closed deck XE. Just stick with a std one or upgrade to the right Cometic.

You talk wet!

Almost all high powered zlets run a clet or xe block and still use a zlet head gasket. Using a zlet gasket on anew xe is almost as common these days as using the 8v baffle plate

[8valve-craig]

You talk wet!

Almost all high powered zlets run a clet or xe block and still use a zlet head gasket. Using a zlet gasket on anew xe is almost as common these days as using the 8v baffle plate

I have seen how they can rapidly cause an XE head to corrode, so no thanks.

Use a gasket which matches the alloy heads waterways Ian, just as Vauxhall intended.

[Iain]

Any witness marks on the valves or head?

I've not cleaned them up to check for damage yet, however at least one of the exhaust valves is bent (probably more). It's also on it's last skim and is warped so I'm building a new head, and using my good bits in a new bottom end also.

I have a thicker Cometic for when I found my head was below tolerance, but I'm happy with a standard gasket for now. Going to build a relatively standard engine back up.

[Benn]

How do you know it's warped?

[Iain]

Steel rule over the head and look for light, head gasket has blown between #2 and #3 and I can see why.

[burgo]

I have seen how they can rapidly cause an XE head to corrode, so no thanks.

Use a gasket which matches the alloy heads waterways Ian, just as Vauxhall intended.

If you use anti freeze mixed to the correct ratio it doesn't corrode!

[8valve-craig]

You may be right, but not everyone has just a £50 cylinder head, so for the sake of a few extra pounds lets just use the right gasket shall we.

[Harvey]

I would have to agree with Craig on this one as I run an N/A 220bhp XE and having had the head off a few times with a stock OE gasket installed I've been able to slap it all back together with no corrosion of the water ways at all and the gasket left no residue. I much prefer a £30 gasket to blow than the head get damaged as I know it would cost me around £1K to get the head to the same spec as I have now. Just to add I run the pink longlife coolant which is not recommend for older engines such as the XE but after a flush when it last had a full rebuild in 2008 it's been fine with no coolant related issues.

Anyway back over to Iain as this is his build diary...updates please sir as we all like pretty pictures?

[Iain]

Only update is it's all apart



Head is being replaced (updates on that when it arrives) and rebuilt with the good bits from my current head (valve springs, lifters, cams).

Bottom end is being replaced with an OE 86mm one (just leave the pistons/rings well alone and hope they're OK), probably with my current balanced crank/new shells/lightened flywheel in & my ZLET pump swapped over.