M20 Head Gasket comparison! Which is best? 

This is a very relevant video, I never thought anything of the quality in the head gaskets. After watching this informative video I am going to purchase a Goetze gasket. Thank you for this video!

I agree, VR is almost pure garbage; They always came back with problems. Cost me so much loss I vowed never to touch another VR gasket for an m20. That old yellow OE/Goetze gasket looks just like the Goetze gaskets I used for turbo builds pre-2015 (great stuff!) but the supply dried up... Never tried Elring, the new BMW ones, or the new Goetze, since I've stopped building e30s for now. FYI The tacky gel coat stuff is gasket sealant used for filling small imperfections in the mating surfaces of the head/block. This video is informative, so thanks for taking the time to make it.

You are 100% correct about victor reinz I put one in my m20 torqued everything to spec and it started to leak after 3 weeks. It’s seeping oil on the side of the engine block. A guy at the shop said he hates victor reinz for headgaskets but it’s ok for other gaskets.

I would use a Athena cooperring gasket if you go Turbo or Compressor. They are rated for 500 and more HP. Little bit thicker than OEM, so good for dropping compression rathio a bit. Many Many Tuners here in Germany use them.

Couldn't find any Goetze branded head gaskets anywhere, so I got an Elring kit and an OE BMW one. The BMW one I got is also Goetze branded but looks drier and like your newer stock OE one, would you recommend I return it and just use the Elring?

That oil feed part scrares me

Solid info thank you

Good on you for pointing this out. To much shit remanufacturing bullshit these days.

Thanks for information. I had mounted elring on my 2L7 and engine reachs 60 000miles at E85, but I would like increase RV arround 12:1 with a thickness cometic, is cometic is good choice?

Haven't checked with my buds, but I'm sticking with GE-tzuh until told otherwise. Is there data available on specific failure points, perhaps between gaskets? That would great to document.

I found 2 thickness OE gasket available (1.75 mm and 2.05 mm). When would you consider using 2.05MM (+0.3) after refinishing the head?

What is the factory flatness tolerance for M20 cylinder head and block deck using OEM composite head gasket?? I searched all over the Bentley manual and internet but cannot find a good answer. I am in the the process of refreshing my head and wondering if I need to resurface my head by the machine shop. I would very appreciate your advice.

Have you ever had any issues with erling hg where the compressed thickness went from 2.05 to 1.8? I removed the hg it was supposed to be 2.05 but after 5k miles it was 1.8.. any comments?

dude i have a 96 infinint and im tryign to figure out if i should buy a fel-pro gasket set or just a cheap one, i mean does it really matter you talking about drag racing and turbos

if its like other german words it would be get-zeh

any opinions on stock cam pulley and stock cam timing mark for a head thats been resurfaced? im using the thicker oem stock head gasket on a pretty much stock m20b25 and always wonder if i need an adjustable cam pulley to dial the engine back to how it was stock.

Can't find "Goats" head gaskets, where do you buy them? Thanks

Great video. You should try to synchronize audio volume between the far shots vs up close stuff. I cranked up the volume for the beginning, then had to turn it way down. Maybe invest in a mic. Very informative otherwise. Looking forward to more!

My go to is always Elring or goetze . VR has always been trash .

Any recommendation for head bolts?

Do you have some contact info I actually have some questions and need help with my e30 turbo build

Hi, I've just discovered this video. It was very interesting ! I'm from France, and I'm working for the first time of my life on a car engine...(I'm not a mechanic) Currently, I'm working on a M20 too, but on a E21. I got mainly my spare part from www.wallothnesch.com/en/. I got from them 2 head gasket. - OE style, manufacturer is Glaser 1.88mm (talking about this so you could know another manufacturer. I'll get you a picture if you want ? Seems legit as Elring) - Elring, 2.08mm (I think I'll set this one cause I don't know how much de machine workshop took off from the head cylinder, and I'm not able to use the tool to measure how high/far the piston :/) I'm looking some information about the tightening torque process for the head cylinder. If somebody could help me :) I've heard that using a "used" head cylinder (but send to a machine whokshop) with the new torx bolt, and the tightening torque process indicated (1st 30nm, 2nd 90° and 3rd 90°). Some people would say that is too strong for a "old" cylinder head. One of the stories says that the head cylinder had cracked 7000km later. It seems not to be the only one. (But I did not heard good stories where everything is fine too haha) Have you ever heard stories like this ? I think I'll go for the 3rd pass at 45°. What do you think about that ? Have you always respected the tightening torque process ? Talking in general and mainly on M20s.

what about mahle brand gaskets.... any good?/

Quality drop is sad, but not surprising given how shitty BMW has become. I'm not saying that they need to start building E30's again, but just stop doing stupid stuff like removing woodruff keys from cranks, making 200 different slight variations of the same boat for laughs while "anti-optimizing" interchangeability, and generally lowering quality like we see here