Gasket set confusion

[steve8090]

I've not long been off the phone from head office at GSF discussing the Victor Reinz gasket sets they supply and the "so called" better quality Elring sets, basically the question to them was can you stock the "so called" better quality Elring kits in place of the Victor Reinz ones.
They went back to their technical supplier and this is their answer, this is the technical at the factory not GSF.

Quote " The Victor Reinz kits and the Elring kits are made by the same factory, in the same moulds using the same materials, we have had lots of conplaints about both sets of gaskets but under investigation is was found that a too high torque setting was placed on the heads, a lot of mechanics using the Autodata information will find that it incorrectly specifies the head torque thus causing failure, the correct torque for the heads is 50nm and no more"

So from that you can make up your own mind.

[highlander]

never had any problems with both makes.... i use the victor reinz on type4 and the elring on type1 and always found both to be of good quality.... i use my bible for torque settings "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen Air-cooled Engine " by Tom Wilson covers type 1 to Type 4 available here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebuild-Your-Vo ... 0895862255" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Never use no name brazilian gasket sets!!! they are compressed used toilet paper

[steve8090]

Point being is the fallicy about quality in the trade, one set is about £60 the other over £100 for the same set, its bollox, I've built loads of motors and used the Reinz kit without any issues.

[highlander]

Point being is the fallicy about quality in the trade, one set is about £60 the other over £100 for the same set, its bollox, I've built loads of motors and used the Reinz kit without any issues.

Are you serious??? £40 difference?? that is shocking!!! i know the elring is about £5 more expensive for the type 1 and its worth the extra money but that is shocking... i will stick with reinz

[kevtherev]

interesting stuff.
As I am about to get said set, so I shall get the Reinz, and not worry.

thanks Steve

[mrhutch]

highlander...

that book is a godsend!! I got mine a few years ago MINT on ebay for a fiver!! looking pretty scrappy now though!

[highlander]

highlander...

that book is a godsend!! I got mine a few years ago MINT on ebay for a fiver!! looking pretty scrappy now though!

i bought a stock of them on amazon its my bible and gets used so much with oily fingers that i can hardly read them so i always have a new one at hand...

[kevtherev]

Highlander.
would this book be of any use to a WBX 2.1 crank piston and liner replacement?

[mrhutch]

naaah, only really for Aircooled porkers/vw

[mrhutch]

A bentley is your best option IMHO

[kevtherev]

Thanks mrhutch

[steve8090]

Kev

Talk about thread hijacking, only kidding, if you need the Bentley I have it on cd if you want a copy.

[Simon Baxter]

Autodata does specify 50nm.
10nm, 25nm then 50nm.

The last Reinz kits I saw also didn't come with sealant for the jacket seal or sealant for the head studs.

I've always used Elring, never had a problem.
I've seen a few through the workshop that have not long been replaced that are in shreds, they have been Reinz.

You can only base discussion on things like this on experience, in my experience Reinz = bad, Elring = Good.

[steve8090]

All the Reinz gasket sets I have had have had the black sealant for the rubber and the yellow compound for the studs, I wouldn't touch them otherwise, not sure how you can say one is bad and one is good when they are the same, from the horses mouth so to speak.
Yes experience does go a long way, Autodata from 2002 quotes it at 65nm fyi, corrected on the next update, I now have 2004 which specifies it correctly as 50nm, I have always used the Reinz kits and never had a problem, like I said the only problem we had was an over torquing problem which shredded the gasket in a week, I've bought one Elring kit, from Baxter and it was no different.

Like I said make up your own minds and save yourselves some money be it £5 or £40

[Ian Hulley]

The Reinz engine set I got from GSF didn't have sealant of any kind, the Elring I got from Volkspares has at least one type in (if not 2 ... I'll check).

Ian.