SEMA 2015: Cometic Shows Off MLX And MLS Gasket Designs

Cometic has long been known as one of the leaders in high-performance and racing engine gaskets, and with its products in everything from NASCAR Sprint Cup cars to NHRA Pro Stock machines, motocross bikes, dirt track cars, and more, the products have certainly proven they can stand up to any amount of abuse.

At this year’s SEMA Show, Cometic is proudly showing off its Multi-Layer Stopper (MLX) head gasket and Multi-Layer Steel (MLS) exhaust gasket technologies.

With the Stopper gasket, the center layer is folded over back onto itself — this creates an additional stack-up right at the bore, and once you tighten everything down, it focuses more clamp-load from the bolts to the bore. – Kevyn Kistner, Cometic

“We’ve really been focusing on the MLX gaskets, because of all of the engines that we make gaskets for, everything is a high-performance application,” says Cometic’s Kevyn Kistner. “With the Stopper gasket, the center layer is folded over back onto itself — this creates an additional stack-up right at the bore, and once you tighten everything down, it focuses more clamp-load from the bolts to the bore. That’s really where the pressure is.”

Cometic has put this design into use in their Subaru, GM LS and conventional small-block Chevrolet, and late-model Hemi engine offerings, among others.

“For anyone out there making serious horsepower, we have an application of that Stopper design,” says Kistner. “We’ve had great results with this, and guys are holding big horsepower with them. Years ago, you had to go with copper and O-ring on everything with big power numbers, but we’ve finally been able to create a product line that totally antiques that old setup.”

The Multi-Layer Stopper cylinder head gasket.

Cometic’s MLS exhaust gaskets, meanwhile, borrow from technology used in the head gaskets, with each layer embossed, so that when everything is compressed, the flange itself is always held under tension.

“With the early small-block, for example, one thing guys always had to do was go in and make sure the bolts were staying tight pass after pass. This not only acts as a very strong gasket seal, but it works like a lock washer to keep load on the bolts and keep them tight.”

Virtually all of Cometic’s exhaust gaskets today use the MLS design, and Kistner says the company is constantly on top of new developments in the industry to deliver MLS gaskets for all popular existing applications, and those that are in development.