Reinforced cylinder head gasket Toyota 2GR-FE V6 3.5L

The Toyota, Lexus and Lotus engines covered

The Toyota 2GR-FE petrol engine, a V6 of 3.5 litres, powers several Toyota models (Alphard, Avalon, Camry, Highlander, RAV4, Sienna), the Lexus ES and RX and the Lotus Evora and Exige detailed below. It has two cylinder heads: one gasket is needed per cylinder bank, two per engine, one right and one left.

The original gasket carries the part number 11115-0P020. Toyota publishes neither its bore, nor its thickness, nor its construction. It is sized for the standard pressure: when pressure rises, the clamping load drops, the head lifts and coolant reaches a cylinder.

Reinforced cylinder head gaskets

The head gasket is not the only thing that seals: the fasteners that clamp the head to the block matter just as much. A composite gasket settles for good beyond 100 N/mm²; the 301 stainless steel of MLS gaskets withstands 517 N/mm², 5 times more, and recovers its shape at every combustion.

This page gathers the part numbers of Cometic, an American maker of competition gaskets, in a single construction: MLS, multilayer steel. The gaskets come in a 94.5 mm bore, in two versions, one per cylinder bank, and in 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 and covers one cylinder bank only: order one for the right bank and one for the left bank.

Technical specifications

Gasket volume is the space left open above each cylinder. It adds to the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio in proportion. Compare only gaskets of the same bore.

Preparation and fitting

Before fitting, check with a straightedge that the gasket faces of the head and the block are flat, and have the one that needs it resurfaced. Add no sealant: Cometic gaskets are delivered already coated.

Technical guide

The construction offered

MLS Cometic Several stamped stainless steel sheets joined by rivets. The outer sheets carry active beads around each cylinder and each fluid passage. Moderate clamping is enough to seal and the bore distorts very little. A versatile construction, from the tuned naturally aspirated engine to moderate forced induction.

Choosing bore and thickness

Gasket bore. The Cometic MLS is offered in 94.5 mm for the right bank (C4581) and for the left bank (C4582).

Thickness. Toyota publishes no thickness for the original gasket of this engine. A thicker gasket enlarges the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; a thinner one reduces it and raises the ratio.

With a thickness below the standard one, first measure with a dial gauge how far the pistons stand above the block face: it sets the clearance left between piston and head.

The brand

Cometic Gasket, Inc. is an American company based in Concord, Ohio, since 1989. It designs gaskets and sealing solutions for engines and made its name with the made-to-measure gasket, supplied at the bore and thickness required. All production stays in the United States, with 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 bore size of the original gasket, a figure Toyota does not release 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: 11115-0P020.

Important: the part numbers on this page match the Toyota 2GR-FE engine listed above: note your vehicle's engine code, then identify the cylinder bank concerned before ordering.

Why switch to a reinforced gasket?

When the standard gasket reaches its limit, the reinforced gasket takes over: at higher combustion pressure, it keeps its shape instead of settling.

With a turbo, a supercharger or a raised compression ratio, the cylinder head works harder and the gasket becomes the most fragile part of the top end. The reinforced gasket prevents a gas or coolant leak, and the head removal that follows, with the car off the road.