In the process of sourcing, rebuilding and installing a head on my barn find (bought with a broken timing belt) I learned a couple of interesting things about parts.
1st is that when I went to replace the stamped intermediate shaft gear with a sintered gear, they were $35-40 thru the usual online providers & I got one from the dealer for $20.
2nd is that the exhaust manifold to down pipe flange gaskets are hit and miss (this is the triangle gasket). I originally got a VR since it was cheap and it would simply NOT fit over the studs. It seems the hole pattern is a bit too small and being a layered metal gasket there was simply no forgiveness to get it over the threads. The dealer didnt have one in stock so I called my friendly local import parts distributor and he had a couple of Beck Arnleys. Now BA does not make parts so you really do not know until you see it what you are getting, so I stopped by with my manifold.
The 2 BA gaskets with the exact same packaging and PN's were not the same. One was an Elring and it was very well made and fit perfectly. The other was...well...Im guessing but it looked exactly like the VR...and it fit like it or rather I should say it didnt fit just like the other VR. I took the Elring and ordered a 2nd one.
I was not that familiar with Elring til this project but my machinist got me one of their head gaskets and now the exhaust flange. They do not seem to be widely available but they just moved up a few notches on my list.
1st is that when I went to replace the stamped intermediate shaft gear with a sintered gear, they were $35-40 thru the usual online providers & I got one from the dealer for $20.
2nd is that the exhaust manifold to down pipe flange gaskets are hit and miss (this is the triangle gasket). I originally got a VR since it was cheap and it would simply NOT fit over the studs. It seems the hole pattern is a bit too small and being a layered metal gasket there was simply no forgiveness to get it over the threads. The dealer didnt have one in stock so I called my friendly local import parts distributor and he had a couple of Beck Arnleys. Now BA does not make parts so you really do not know until you see it what you are getting, so I stopped by with my manifold.
The 2 BA gaskets with the exact same packaging and PN's were not the same. One was an Elring and it was very well made and fit perfectly. The other was...well...Im guessing but it looked exactly like the VR...and it fit like it or rather I should say it didnt fit just like the other VR. I took the Elring and ordered a 2nd one.
I was not that familiar with Elring til this project but my machinist got me one of their head gaskets and now the exhaust flange. They do not seem to be widely available but they just moved up a few notches on my list.