Reinforced head gasket Toyota 4E-FE 4E-FTE 5E-FE 5E-FHE

The Toyota engines covered

The 4E-FE, 4E-FTE, 5E-FE and 5E-FHE are Toyota four-cylinder petrol engines: the 4E-FE and the 4E-FTE (turbo) displace 1.3 litres, the 5E-FE and the 5E-FHE 1.5 litres. They power the Toyota Corolla, Corsa, Tercel, Starlet, Paseo, Sprinter, Caribe, Caldina, Raum and Sera models in the compatibility table below, and each takes a single cylinder head gasket.

The original gasket of these engines carries part number 11115-11070. Toyota does not publish its bore, thickness or construction. It is calibrated for the standard combustion pressure: as soon as it rises, the clamping load weakens, the head lifts and coolant seeps into a cylinder.

Reinforced cylinder head gaskets

The gasket does not seal alone: the fasteners that clamp the head onto the block contribute just as much. Beyond 100 N/mm² of stress a composite gasket is crushed for good; the 301 stainless steel of MLS gaskets withstands up to 517 N/mm², 5 times more, and regains its shape with every combustion.

This page groups 15 MLS part numbers from two competition makers, Cometic (United States) and Athena (Italy), all in multi-layer steel construction. Cometic offers bores of 74.5, 75 and 76 mm and Athena a bore of 75.5 mm, in thicknesses from 0.69 to 1.91 mm, enough to set the compression ratio to suit the build. The engine takes a single gasket: order one part number, according to the bore and thickness you want.

Technical specifications

A gasket's volume is the free space it leaves above each piston: it adds to the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio. Only gaskets with the same bore can be compared, and the bores vary here between the Cometic and Athena part numbers.

Preparation and fitting

Before fitting, check the flatness of the head and the block with a straightedge and have any distorted surface resurfaced. Cometic and Athena supply their gaskets already coated: add no sealing paste.

Technical guide

The two constructions offered

Athena MLS Athena MLS Two to five AISI 301 stainless steel layers, laser cut, stamped and riveted, form a stack. A folded layer wraps each cylinder: this Gas Stopper carries the clamping load onto the combustion chamber, while beads isolate the water and oil circuits. Both outer faces are coated: one coat withstands high temperatures and fills small flaws in the block and head, a silicone coat stops the gasket sticking at removal. It is Athena's all-steel solution, from the tuned naturally aspirated engine to moderate forced induction.

Cometic MLS Stainless steel sheets, stamped, stacked and riveted. The outer sheets carry active beads around every cylinder and every fluid passage. A moderate clamping load is enough to seal and the bore distorts little: a versatile construction, from the tuned naturally aspirated engine to moderate forced induction.

Choosing bore and thickness

Gasket bore. The Cometic MLS comes in 74.5 mm (C14062-051), in 75 mm (C4602, from 0.69 to 1.91 mm) and in 76 mm (C4603-040); the Athena MLS comes in 75.5 mm (338007R, 338011R, 338259R and 338374R).

Thickness. Toyota quotes no thickness figure for the gasket fitted as standard. A thicker gasket enlarges the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; a thinner one reduces it and raises the ratio.

As no original thickness is published, use a dial gauge to measure how far the pistons stand above the block deck, particularly if you are aiming for a thinner gasket than the removed one: it sets the real clearance between piston and head.

The two brands

	Athena S.p.A., an Italian maker of gaskets and engine parts, has its head office and main plant in Alonte, in the Veneto; the group also has sites in Spain, the United States, Brazil and India. Several car makers fit its multi-layer gaskets as original equipment, and the whole competition range is designed and made in Italy.
	Founded in 1989 in Concord, Ohio, Cometic Gasket, Inc. is an American company producing gaskets and sealing solutions for engines. It is known for made-to-order gaskets, cut to the bore and thickness requested and made entirely in the United States from American raw materials.

Advantages over the original gasket

When a reinforced gasket becomes necessary

• Adding forced induction, or raising boost on an already turbocharged engine
• Cylinder rebored beyond what the 74.5, 75, 75.5 and 76 mm bores of the gaskets offered covers
• Looking for a compression ratio different from standard, higher or lower
• Engine that has already lost its gasket, or is consuming coolant
• Competition use, where the gasket goes through repeated temperature rises

Vehicle compatibility

OEM part number: 11115-11070.

Important: these part numbers are for the 4E-FE, 4E-FTE, 5E-FE and 5E-FHE engines: check your vehicle's engine code before ordering, then choose the bore and thickness you want.

Why switch to a reinforced gasket?

When the original gasket reaches its limits, the reinforced gasket replaces it: under a higher combustion pressure it does not crush and keeps its shape.

With a turbo, a supercharger or a raised compression ratio, the head gasket is the first part of the top end to give way. A reinforced gasket prevents the leak and the head removal that follows, a far costlier job, so it pays to choose the gasket before the build, not after the first failure.