Ported intake exhaust manifold gaskets for L6

ericbauer · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:24 pm

Hi all

I thought I had seen some large ported intake / exhaust manifold gaskets for Nissan L6 a while back on the net but can't find them now... I checked the US distributors for Kameari - turned up nothing.

Anyone remember seeing anything like this?

FYI 240Z stock intake port hole in the paper / metal gaskets is 36mm - I need to get to 40mm
I was messing around with one stock one today, and opening it up on a spindle sander but I have mixed feelings about the results...

Thoughts?
Thanks,

-e

Crazy Backyard Builder · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2012 1:46 am

Doesnt a 280Z have a larger factory port size, I know it will have the injector notch in the port but you might want to check one.

Just a thought.

kev · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2012 4:03 am

FWIW, I get mine from here: http://www.swmotorsport.com.au/index.php

He has a process where he stamps out the larger hole by hand. The website lists L4 big bore gaskets for $31, and doesn't list an L6 one, but I'm sure they can get one in, and enlarge them for you to 40mm.

jncr · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:40 am

Your Nissan dealership can order the thicker paper nismo gaskets from Japan. At least mine did. $40 out the door. I still had to open them up a bit more though.

ericbauer · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:56 am

Paper only is better than paper/metal stock sandwich?

I'm going to have another go with moding stock gasket today...

Don't want to run stock z gasket (btw did look at 280 and there was mininal difference if any)

Not super exciting alternative, but I could temporarily re-use old gasket with a bunch of copper sealant around the ports...

Need to find an equivalent of Kevin's Australian vendor locally

ericbauer · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 9:45 am

FYI

Nissan Motorsports P/N 99996-E1044

Plenty available in Tennessee at Nissan Motorsports warehouse

$11.95 retail
$7.25 wholesale

But apparently FedEx OVERNIGHT is $95 ?!?!?!??! from Tennessee to California ????!?!
WTF!

The local dealership called me, cause even they were surprised...
I know shipping prices have gone up, but this is ridiculous... no?

ericbauer · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:59 pm

More news...

Sennavsprost called Dave Rebello and Dave doesn't use gaskets at all - just rtv

I talked to a guy here at work who used to race SCCA Sports2000 and DSR and he too used only rtv between manifolds and heads...

I've always used gaskets up until now...
Might try something new I guess...

Anyone else on here that uses rtv only?

-e

2000gtx · **Posted:** Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:34 am

back when i used to solo 1 a 240z with a good freind that passed away...we had a built l28...we decked the manifolds and ran copper rtv worked great...most guys on the street scared for whatever reason...ahh the days of working on l series....

ericbauer · **Posted:** Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:41 am

you're the third person to advise to run without gaskets ...

first dave rebello
then a guy i work with who used to campaign sports 2000 and then dsr
and now you

nissan motorsport gasket shows up today
depending on what it looks like, i'll either try it or run rtv only like all you guys are saying...

thanks!

-e

2000gtx · **Posted:** Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:45 am

you got a straight edge handy....check the head and manifolds....if you got some warpage then use the nismo gasket...

ericbauer · **Posted:** Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:00 am

i cleaned up the header flange last night - just in case the gasket didn't show up today...
so i'm ready if it comes to that...

we'll see...

thx

ericbauer · **Posted:** Fri Jun 29, 2012 7:36 am

So I got the Nissan Motorsports intake / exhaust gasket on Wednesday and I was disappointed by it...

It's still a metal / paper sandwich like the OEM one - although the construction is slight different.
The Nismo one has the metal layer in the middle of two paper layers.
The OEM one has the exposed metal on the exhaust side, in addition to the embedded metal layer

But that's not the worst part...
The Nissan Motorsports intake / exhaust gasket has the exact same intake and exhaust port sizes as the OEM 240Z one.
So it doesn't solve my problem at all...

I called the local distributor of Kameari parts, and while it isn't listed on their website, I asked them to check with Japan as to the existence of a big bore gasket... and lo & behold they DO exist at Kameari... $40 though + nominal shipping direct from Japan to your door... They were able to confirm that those are in fact 41mm diameter at intake port...

If I'm not mistaken, that cherry blossom stamp in the gasket is what Kameari uses to mark their products... which would confirm that this is what was originally used on my engine...

So I thought I'd do what was advised on here, and by a former SCCA DSR champion / co-worker, and by Dave Rebello:

A thin layer of RTV high temp, and then use a q-tip to back off the silicone sealant about 1/8" from the port, so that when you tighten down the header and intake manifolds, the rtv doesn't splooge into the path of the air / fuel

kev · **Posted:** Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:10 am

Hmm...I wonder what's the advantage of the Nismo gasket...IMHO the stock one is really nicely made.

jncr · **Posted:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:06 am

kev wrote:

Hmm...I wonder what's the advantage of the Nismo gasket...IMHO the stock one is really nicely made.

The two outside paper layers seal way better than the OEM gaskets. Opening up the ports of the gaskets is not a big deal. My gaskets get port matched to my head. Not the other way around.

ericbauer · **Posted:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:03 pm

Hey jncr

How did you get a crisp clean edge when you matched your gaskets to your head?

I made myself a 40mm die and tried to stamp out the right size holes on my hydraulic press but wasn't stoked with results

I tried opening them up on a spindle sander but that wasn't great either

Advice?

jncr · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2012 9:51 am

I used a dremel tool and opened it up larger than the ports. A tiny bit of rtv on the edges if desired. As long as the opening is larger.

Ported intake exhaust manifold gaskets for L6

Who is online