If you using Cometic HGs please read.

[V6 Beast]

Yesterday when I drained my oil, I found a little half moon piece of metal attached to my magnetic drainplug. I studied the piece when can be seen here and here until I came to the conclusion that it was a piece that surrounds the rivet off of my cometic HGs which explains why it is black on one side and metal on the other. This got me worried as I began to think if the rivet came off as well. So today I took off my intake and found this (only 1 part of 3 left) and on the opposite side this (top layer missing). This is what it should look like.

Anyone else have a problem with this or am I again the first at something other than going fast.

Sully

 

[LikeMy6]

Sully,
Thats strange! How many miles have you put on them? Are you using Head bolts or studs? IMO those brass rivets arent to strong. You should be fine tho, Those rivets are just there to keep them together and lined up when not installed.Now that their torqued down They arent going anywhere. I would be concerned in where the other pieces are tho.


HTH

Frank

 

[buickboy]

Those gaskets are spring steel stainless. I have run them for almost a year with no problems. I just put 26 lb boost through my motor with no ill effects on HG's. Sorry you had a problem, but I dought it had anything to do with the quality of the Cometics.
Mitch

 

[V6 Beast]

I have about 800 miles on them or so and I have head studs. I not worried so much about not having the rivets as I am about where those two rivets are.

ummm Mitch... I'm not saying it is a problem with the gasket but I don't think the rivet fairy came in and took the rivets and there isn't anything that could contact them so I don't know what else it could be. Do you have any ideas or since yours are good, should I absolutely rule out even looking for problem with the gasket??? Did you already pull your intake to make sure yours are still there? If I didn't have a magnetic drain plug, it is very likely the pieces would have drained out with oil change and I would never be the wiser. It didn't hurt performance at all as I went 102 mph in 1/8th the day before. I know for a fact that they were not damaged during install.

I think from now on I will cut off the rivets on the intake side.

Sully

 

[turbosam6]

I was just thinking that Sully. I'm having cometics put on my new motor with GN1's, so I'll probably cut off the rivets when I get it. I wonder why they came off? What are those for anyway? Is it like a 14 bolt gasket or something? Maybe vibration with no clamping force on that area caused it?

 

[V6 Beast]

From talking with Cometic before putting them on, they certainly can be put on with no rivets. I think I would leave the outside ones on just to make it easier to in stall, but the ones that could break off inside the engine have to go I think.

Sully

 

[LikeMy6]

rivets

Youll be fine removing them on the inside. They are only there to make sure some bonehead doesnt install them incorrectly and to make installation easier.

Frank

 

[Intercooler]

I think I would contact Cometic and send those pictures to them. That getting loose in your oil system or motor could open up a bad can of problems. It could actually save some other TR owner and most of the time the company likes to hear it. I did just this early on with PTE and their upper concerning the vacuum lines. They then started including two spacers instead of one until the design was changed. My .002.

 

[TrboHead]

Cometics on mine with no problems. I have a magnetic drain plug but have not found anything after 4000 miles and 3 oil changes. I'm not going to pull the intake off but will probably think of taking the rivets off next time I have the intake off, if ever.
Do you think harmonics would be cutting the rivets off or breaking off the tabs? If the gasket moves around that much and does not blow under boost then I'm very impressed with them.
Do the rivets on the outside of the motor look fine? Shouldn't they do the same thing?

Larry

 

[BUICKTR]

I just installed a set of these Cometics on my car last week. Hopefully I don't have this problem. Don't need nothing going in my motor.

 

[LikeMy6]

The rivets themselves are only brass so they will not be as magnetically attracted like steel or iron. Brass is a relatively soft metal and would be chewed up if caught in the chain or on rotating assembly without causing damage, in the rotating assembly(ie between the bearings) however it would cause damage. Thats why I have my oil bypass plugged. So things like this doesnt get in there.

Frank

 

[TrboHead]

I'm with you. I have my oil bypass valve blocked off also so it's no big deal. First it would have to get past the pickup screen and then get caught in the filter. I'm not too worried about it.
I would like to know what caused it. Hopefully Cometics may shed some light on it.

Larry

 

[V6 Beast]

Update!

I talked to Cometic and I am the only person this has happened to. I dropped the oil pan today and found the 2 rivets. It's funny that the same rivet broke on both gaskets.

Rivet pic another

Sully

 

[turbosam6]

Just out of curiousity, did they have any ideas why this happened? Did they seem suprised or concerned? It could have been worse, but I guess both parties are lucky.

 

[Scott231]

I just went out to the garage and checked the rivets on my Cometics from the crank-grinder motor...all six rivets are still there.