Reinforced head gasket Opel 2.0 16V C20XE C20LET 20XE

The Opel engines covered

The Opel C20XE is the 2.0-litre 16-valve DOHC inline four-cylinder petrol engine of the Kadett E, Astra F, Vectra A and Calibra; the C20LET is its turbocharged version. This page covers the 20XE, 20XEJ, C20XE, C20NXE and C20LET: these engines take the same reinforced cylinder head gaskets.

The original gasket carries part number 90 409 710, or 90 280 350, 6 07 442 and 6 07 983 depending on the version. Opel publishes neither its construction nor its thickness; its bore is 87.5 mm. It is sized for standard combustion pressure: when that pressure rises, clamping load drops, the cylinder head lifts, and coolant passes into a cylinder.

Reinforced cylinder head gaskets

A cylinder head gasket does not create the seal on its own: it holds because the fasteners clamp the head against the block. A composite gasket is crushed for good beyond 100 N/mm² of admissible stress, whereas the 301 stainless steel of the MLS and MLX gaskets withstands 517 N/mm², 5 times more, and springs back at every combustion.

This page brings together the part numbers from two racing manufacturers, Athena and Cometic, in three constructions: Athena MLS with Gas Stopper, Cometic MLS multi-layer steel and Cometic MLX with a chamber stopper. Gasket bores run from 86.5 to 88.5 mm, covering the standard block as well as the rebored block, and thicknesses from 0.69 to 3.56 mm, enough to adjust the compression ratio without touching the pistons or the cylinder head. As a rule, the gasket bore chosen is at least 0.5 mm larger than the actual cylinder bore. Each part number is sold individually, one gasket per engine.

Technical specifications

Gasket volume: the space the gasket leaves above each cylinder. It enlarges the combustion chamber, and the larger it is, the lower the compression ratio. Values compare with one another at identical gasket bore.

Preparation and fitting

Before fitting, check the flatness of the cylinder head and of the block with a straight edge and have them skimmed if necessary. None of these gaskets requires sealant: Athena and Cometic both supply them already coated.

Technical guide

The three constructions offered

	Athena MLS Two to five layers of AISI 301 stainless steel, laser cut, stamped and riveted. Around each cylinder, a layer folded over on itself, the Gas Stopper, concentrates the clamping load on the combustion chamber, while beads seal the water and oil passages. The outer layers receive a two-coat finish: the first withstands high temperatures and fills small irregularities on the block and cylinder head, the second, silicone based, keeps the gasket from sticking on disassembly. This is Athena's all-steel choice, from a prepared naturally aspirated engine to moderate forced induction.
	Cometic MLS Several stamped and riveted stainless steel layers. The outer layers carry active beads around each cylinder and each fluid passage. Sealing is achieved with a moderate clamping load and limited bore distortion. This is the versatile choice, from a prepared naturally aspirated engine to light forced induction.
	Cometic MLX The same base as the MLS, with a folded centre layer forming a stopper around the combustion chamber and a high-temperature coating. Local clamping increases without adding bore distortion. It is the most resistant of the all-steel gaskets, to be chosen when boost goes beyond what an MLS can hold, in 88 mm.

Choosing bore and thickness

Gasket bore. The Athena MLS comes in 87.5 and 88.5 mm, the Cometic MLS in 86.5 and 88 mm, the Cometic MLX in 88 mm.

Thickness. Opel does not publish the thickness of the original gasket. A thicker gasket enlarges the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; a thinner one reduces it and raises the ratio.

With a thickness finer than that of the removed gasket, measure piston protrusion above the block with a dial gauge: it is what determines the remaining clearance between piston and cylinder head.

The two brands

	Athena S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of engine gaskets and components, with its head office and main plant in Alonte, in the Veneto region. The group also produces in Spain, the United States, Brazil and India. Its multi-layer gaskets are fitted as original equipment by car manufacturers, and its racing range is designed and made entirely in Italy.
	Cometic Gasket, Inc. is an American manufacturer of engine gaskets and sealing solutions, founded in 1989 and based in Concord, Ohio. Its speciality is the made-to-order gasket, in the bore and thickness required. All its products are made in the United States, from American 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 87.5 mm bore of the original gasket 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: 90 409 710, 90 280 350, 6 07 442, 6 07 983.

Important: the 2.0-litre X20XEV, Z20LET and Z20LEH that succeeded them take other cylinder head gaskets: they are not covered by this page.

Why switch to a reinforced gasket?

A reinforced gasket holds where the standard one reaches its limit: at higher combustion pressure it keeps its shape instead of being crushed.

As soon as power goes up, turbo, supercharger or raised compression ratio, the head gasket becomes the weak link of the top end. Switching to a reinforced gasket is then not a comfort but a safeguard: it is what prevents the failure and the head removal that comes with it.