The cylinder head gasket seals the combustion chambers, coolant galleries, and oil passages where the head meets the block, preventing the enormous cylinder pressures from escaping and keeping coolant and oil isolated from each other and from the combustion process. It is one of the most mechanically demanding seals in the engine because it must maintain integrity across repeated thermal cycles โ each cold start and warm-up expands the aluminium head and cast-iron block at different rates, placing the gasket under constant flex. Failure is unmistakable: coolant enters the combustion chamber and produces white steam from the exhaust, oil takes on a milky appearance when it emulsifies with coolant, or the engine overheats as coolant pressure bleeds into the cooling system and forces air locks. The most common causes are engine overheating (even once), a warped head, or the head bolts not being retorqued after initial running-in on older engines. Victor Reinz and Elring are two leading OEM-tier suppliers whose head gaskets are used by vehicle manufacturers including Peugeot, VW, Ford, and Citroรซn. Because the OE number encodes the combustion bore diameter, thickness, and multi-layer steel construction specific to the engine variant, only an exact match guarantees the correct compression ratio and sealing pressure for your application.
Head gaskets are engine-specific down to the bore size and block deck height, so the OE number from the existing gasket โ visible once the head is lifted โ is the most reliable reference. Alternatively, use the full engine code (found on the block or in your service documentation) alongside the make-model selector on this page to cross-reference the exact part. Even within the same engine family, manufacturers may use different gasket thicknesses for different power outputs, so the OE number prevents fitting the wrong compression ratio.
OEM head gaskets from suppliers such as Victor Reinz and Elring use multi-layer steel with precision-coated beads engineered for a specific engine's bore and torque specification. Quality aftermarket equivalents from established gasket brands match these dimensions and materials closely. Cheaper alternatives may use thinner steel layers or inferior elastomer coatings, which fail under the thermal stress of the first heat cycle after a head rebuild โ exactly when the gasket faces its most demanding conditions.
No. Once compressed during initial torquing, a head gasket's multi-layer steel beads conform to the specific micro-topography of both the block and head surfaces. Removing the head deforms the beads permanently, and refitting the same gasket almost always results in a sealing failure โ often detected only after the engine has been fully reassembled and run. A new gasket, torqued to the manufacturer's specification in the correct sequence, is always required.
The most common early sign is a rising coolant temperature gauge without an obvious external leak โ pressure from the combustion chamber bleeds into the cooling system and reduces its efficiency. White sweet-smelling exhaust smoke, particularly on start-up in warm conditions, indicates coolant burning in the combustion chamber. Finding a milky residue under the oil filler cap, or discovering coolant loss with no visible puddle, are also strong indicators. Any of these symptoms warrants immediate investigation to avoid the far greater cost of a warped or cracked head.
Showing 100 of 11,624 Cylinder head seal OE numbers. Enter the OE on the main OE search to jump to any reference.
