Reinforced head gasket Hyundai Kia 2.0 G4KH G4KL

The Hyundai, Kia and Genesis engines covered

The 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engines G4KH and G4KL are fitted to the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis models detailed below, from the i30 N to the Stinger.

This original gasket carries the part number 22311-2GTB0. The manufacturer publishes neither its bore, nor its construction, nor its thickness. It is calibrated for standard combustion pressure: as that pressure rises, the clamping load fades, the cylinder head lifts and coolant gets into a cylinder.

Reinforced cylinder head gaskets

The seal does not rest on the gasket alone: it also depends on the bolts or studs that clamp the cylinder head to the block. With the O-Ring each part has its role: the stainless ring seals the combustion chamber by itself, the body handles the water and oil passages, and the block does not need machining.

This page offers the part number from Athena, an Italian maker of racing gaskets, in a single construction: the O-Ring, a steel sheet faced with aramid fibre and ringed with stainless steel. Its bore is 87 mm and its thickness 1.00 mm. Usual rule: pick a gasket bore at least 0.5 mm larger than the cylinders. The part number is sold individually, one gasket per engine.

Technical specifications

Gasket volume is the space the gasket leaves open above each cylinder. It adds to the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; only gaskets of the same bore can be compared.

Preparation and fitting

Before fitting, run a straight edge over the cylinder head and the block to check their flatness, and have them resurfaced if necessary. Athena supplies the gasket ready to fit: add no sealing paste.

Technical guide

The construction offered

Athena O-Ring A steel sheet coated with asbestos-free aramid fibre, with each cylinder ringed by a stainless steel compression ring. The ring concentrates the clamping load on a narrow band, where the seal is decided, while a silicone bead isolates the water and oil passages. Of the whole range, it is the construction that copes best with high pressures.

Choosing bore and thickness

Gasket bore. The Athena O-Ring is offered in 87 mm (330191R), in that bore only.

Thickness. The thickness of the original gasket is not given by the manufacturer. A thicker gasket enlarges the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; a thinner one reduces it and raises the ratio.

As the original thickness is not published, use a dial gauge to measure how far the pistons stand proud of the block, above all if the removed gasket is thicker than 1.00 mm: that figure sets the clearance left between piston and head.

The brand

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 owns sites in Spain, the United States, Brazil and India. Its multi-layer gaskets equip car makers as original parts, and its whole competition range is designed and built in Italy.

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 mm bore of the gasket 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: 22311-2GTB0.

Important: the part number on this page fits only the G4KH and G4KL engines: check your vehicle's engine code before ordering.

Why switch to a reinforced gasket?

When the standard gasket reaches its limit, the reinforced gasket takes over: under higher combustion pressure it keeps its shape and does not get crushed.

With a larger turbo, a more aggressive tune or a raised compression ratio, the head gasket is the first part of the top end to give way. A reinforced gasket rules out the leak, and the cylinder head removal that would follow, with the labour and the parts to pay for twice.