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BY REFERENCE ATHENA - Reinforced cylinder head gaskets
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BY REFERENCE ATHENA - Reinforced cylinder head gaskets
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Reinforced Athena head gasket, in MLS. Sold individually, one gasket per engine.
The Cosworth Vega petrol engine, a 2.0 litre four-cylinder with sixteen valves and twin overhead camshafts, powers the Chevrolet Vega Cosworth built in 1975 and 1976.
No manufacturer data is published for the original gasket: neither its part number, nor its bore, nor its construction, nor its thickness. It is sized for the standard combustion pressure; as soon as that rises, the clamping load fades, the head lifts and coolant seeps into a cylinder.
Sealing is not down to the gasket alone: the fasteners that clamp the head onto the block contribute just as much. A composite gasket gives up for good beyond 100 N/mm², whereas the 301 stainless steel of an MLS gasket holds 517 N/mm² and regains its shape after every combustion.
This page presents the part number from Athena, an Italian maker of racing gaskets, in one construction only: the MLS, a multilayer stainless steel gasket. Its bore is 91 mm and its thickness 1.00 mm. As a rule, the gasket bore must exceed that of the cylinders by at least 0.5 mm. It is sold individually: a single gasket fits one engine.
| Gasket bore | Thickness | Gasket volume | Gasket type OEM not specified | Brand | Part number |
| 91 mm | 1.00 mm | 6.50 | MLS | Athena | 338425R |
A gasket's volume is the space it leaves free above each cylinder. That space joins the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; only gaskets of the same bore can be compared.
| Fasteners | Engines | Tightening torque |
| Original cylinder head bolts | Cosworth Vega | not published by the manufacturer |
Before fitting, check the flatness of the head and block with a straight edge and have them resurfaced if needed. Athena supplies this gasket ready to fit: apply no sealing paste.
 | Athena MLS Several layers of AISI 301 stainless steel, laser cut, stamped and then riveted together. Around each cylinder, a layer folded over on itself, the Gas Stopper, concentrates the clamping load on the combustion chamber, while beads block the water and oil passages. The outer layers carry a two-coat finish: the first withstands high temperatures and fills small irregularities of the block and head, the second, silicone based, keeps the gasket from sticking at removal. It is Athena's all-steel answer, from the tuned naturally aspirated engine to moderate forced induction. |
Gasket bore. The Athena MLS exists in 91 mm (338425R), with no other bore.
Thickness. The manufacturer supplies no thickness for the original gasket. A thicker gasket enlarges the combustion chamber and lowers the compression ratio; a thinner one reduces it and raises the ratio.
| Your goal | Thickness to choose |
| Keep the original compression ratio | Original thickness not published: measure that of the removed gasket and set it against the only gasket available, 1.00 mm |
| Skimmed cylinder head, make up the lost height | Only one thickness exists, 1.00 mm: set it against that of the removed gasket, plus the material taken off in resurfacing |
| Forced induction build, lower the ratio | 1.00 mm, when the thickness measured on the original gasket at removal is lower |
| Naturally aspirated build, raise the ratio | 1.00 mm, when the thickness measured on the original gasket at removal is higher |
With no known original thickness, use a dial gauge to read how far the pistons rise above the block face, especially if the removed gasket is thicker than 1.00 mm: that figure gives the clearance left between piston and head.
 | Athena S.p.A. is an Italian maker of gaskets and engine components, established in Alonte, in Veneto, where its head office and main plant stand. It also has sites in Spain, the United States, Brazil and India. Several carmakers fit its multilayer gaskets on the assembly line, and its entire racing range is designed and built in Italy. |
| Criterion | Original gasket, part number not published | Reinforced gaskets |
| Construction | Construction not stated by the manufacturer | Multilayer stainless steel (MLS) |
| Gasket bore | not published by the manufacturer | 91 mm |
| Thicknesses available | thickness not published by the manufacturer | 1.00 mm |
| Compression ratio adjustment | None | By gasket thickness (1.00 mm) |
| Resistance to overpressure | Limited to standard output | Designed for forced induction |
| Model | Engine code | Power | Years |
| Chevrolet Vega Cosworth 2.0, hayon 3 portes | Cosworth Vega | 110 hp | 1975-1976 |
OEM part number: not published by the manufacturer.
Important: the part number on this page suits the 2.0 litre Cosworth Vega engine: check that your vehicle is a Vega Cosworth before ordering.
When the original gasket is no longer enough, the reinforced gasket takes over: under higher combustion pressure it keeps its shape instead of being crushed.
Turbo, supercharger or a raised compression ratio: the head gasket is the first part stressed, the weak point of the top end. A reinforced gasket prevents the leak, and the head removal that goes with it costs well above the gasket.
