Head gaskets

Author
Discussion

Cooperman

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

257 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2009
quotequote all
Anyone know what the latest situation regarding 1275 head gaskets is?
I switched from the BK450 to the AF460 due to the withdrawal from sale of the BK450, but I've just had a call to tell me that a new engine I have just built is losing water and some emulsification in the rocker cover is evident after only 300 miles. I can only think that it's the AF460 which is failing.


guru_1071

2,768 posts

241 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2009
quotequote all
pete

all the recent af460s and bk450s have been faulty. the bk450s cannot be trusted if they dont have 'made in englend' stamped into them, the af460 often have 'front' stamped at the back etc.

payen have made a real mess, which all started when production was moved overseas.

the bk450s seem to start showing problems at 100 miles.

the new batch which they are saying are perfect are just comming on stream now.

Cooperman

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

257 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2009
quotequote all
Thanks Richy.
I'll call you and get you to send me some BK450's tomorrow.
I had thought that the AF460 was OK as an alternative, but now I know that's not the case.

Cooperman

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

257 months

Friday 25th September 2009
quotequote all
So we are looking at the first or second week in Oct for gaskets we can trust again. Payen should be ashamed of themselves.
Thanks for the advice Richy, and for your last decent gasket. I fitted it this morning.

Adcuz

166 posts

190 months

Friday 25th September 2009
quotequote all
Damn! I was hoping to sell my 998 gaskets for a big profit! biggrin

the mini mole

728 posts

201 months

Friday 25th September 2009
quotequote all
Interesting... I just had suspectd HGF on my 998 after approx 500 miles. Although I have not had a chance to get the head off and investigate yet, could this be a dodgy gasket? Purchased from Spares at about the beginning of the year...

guru_1071

2,768 posts

241 months

Saturday 26th September 2009
quotequote all
the mini mole said:
Interesting... I just had suspectd HGF on my 998 after approx 500 miles. Although I have not had a chance to get the head off and investigate yet, could this be a dodgy gasket? Purchased from Spares at about the beginning of the year...
start of the year would be too old i think, if the gasket has 'made in britain' its not a problem, its when production moved to belgium that the trouble started

Cooperman

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

257 months

Saturday 26th September 2009
quotequote all
I just looked at one of the still-packaged gaskets that was part of the batch from which one has just failed. On the actual gasket it's marked 'Made in England', but the label on the packet says 'Made in Belgium'.

Confused from Cambridge! a.k.a Cooperman

the mini mole

728 posts

201 months

Sunday 27th September 2009
quotequote all
Well I've had the head off and had a look- the gasket is stamped "Made in England". There is a chunk missing from between 1 and 2 cylinders and evidence of blowing between all other cylinders. Head skimming is in order I think...

Flat6

592 posts

262 months

Tuesday 29th September 2009
quotequote all
None of them are made in Belgium, that just the European head office so all products will show this address on the labels irrespective of Country of origin..
I'd suggest returning anything which is faulty, as all product should be warranted against manufacturing defect.

Payen are now back on track and still the best, aren't they Rich wink

Cooperman

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

257 months

Wednesday 30th September 2009
quotequote all
Payen certainly used to be the best and i've used them for many years. However, if the quality cannot be confirmed or trusted for stock held by dealers, and Mini Spares eluctance to sell what they have in stock confirms this, and if delivery dates for new ones of the right quality can't be quoted, then we have to seek an alternative.
BGA do a gasket for the 1275 range, part number CH5318. I'm about to order a few to be going on with and i may even fit one to my 1275 just to test it on a high comp engine (11.2:1). If it's OK on my car I reckon it'll be fine on most 1275's.
I'm awaiting a call to confirm that I have the last 2 available from BGA, although other BGA stockists may have some around the country. They are about £6 each.

Cooper1999

323 posts

206 months

Thursday 17th December 2009
quotequote all
Sorry to drag up an old thread, but.....
I'm going to be carrying out a compression test this weekend (the car started running rough, the plug leads were breaking down - don't ask how I know!. New leads didn't sort it, changed coil packs to check sparks, now it won't start at all) as I think th HG may have gone.
My question is - did we ever get an answer as to whether Payen had solved the quality problem? If not, what are people using now?
Cheers,
Graham

Cooperman

Original Poster:

4,428 posts

257 months

Friday 18th December 2009
quotequote all
Apparently all new Payen gaskets are OK again.Just make sure that you are buying new stock. Mini Spares stock is, I'm told, all new so no problems there.
The BK450 is still the gasket of 1st choice for the 1275 engine.