[dsg03svt]

Damn that sux. Anyone know how long it's taking Elite to get these out?

 

[dsg03svt]

well i have my new gaskets. and i took a few picture to illustrate the entire point of my quality issues.

picture 1 is the gasket placed over the header of the unmodified sikky flange. my finger is holding the gasket in a "centered" location on the header. although center on the flange does not make it center for all the holes. when pressed flat, the areas circled in red have a very slim area of contact on the "raised-surface-that-is-there-for-a-reason". this area of contact is approximately 1/16" in size. that is about as thick as a toothpick. and factually the whole left half of the left header tube has a very, very thin area of contact as well.

picture 2 is the gasket still held in a "centered" location on the flange. the area circled in red, actually contacts the lip of the weld when pressed flat, so this means no seal on the "raised-surface-that-is-there-for-a-reason" in this location.

picture 3 is an example of the extreme. if the header gasket shifts during install for some reason, or is not lined up 100% perfectly. the area in red has no seal what-so-ever. and a very large gap is present when the gasket is pressed flat. also note the holes in the raised weld in this picture. very shady...

some might argue that the gaskets will conform to the surface they are sealing. well, maybe a little, but not that much. after all, these gaskets are 4 layers of very thin METAL. they will only get so tight, and the areas with gaps will probably not be sealed because they areas that are sealed cannot get any tighter.

anyhoo, this perfectly demonstrates why a flat face would be a much better option at this juncture. nothing anyone says is going to alter my feelings. i hope this is a step towards better quality parts from the manufacturer.

on a side note. the ports look to be much smaller then the gasket holes, which would lead me to believe they are smaller then the exhaust ports on the engine block. which would then lead me to believe that there is excess restriction upon entering the headers. which means these can be improved. end quote.

So it seems you have one side still unmodified and one side that you've changed. Why not install them as they are now and see which one, if any leaks?

It seems as though you are trying to save face by providing images and more follow-up to the flack you've been receiving thus far. Why not go ahead and do a full inspection by installing the unmodified Sikky section on the one half and your custom piece on the other and see if either, one, or both leak so we can all know which is truly better. I don't see you being able to convince anyone your way is better unless you can actually PROVE on a functioning car and after putting some miles on it that your way doesn't leak and SIKKY's does or does not...

I'm not saying you have anything to prove. It's your car and your money that you spent on this modification. You can do what you want with it. However, it does seem that you care about your reputation. I'm speaking as someone in the crowd watching this thread, I don't feel like anyone is going to respect your work until you can back up your claims with actual road testing, rather than picture taking and untested claims...