LNF Turbo to Downpipe Copper Gasket
20gauge Copper Gasket for the LNF K04 Turbo to Downpipe.
Why Copper you Ask:
Let’s dig into it because there are applications (perhaps more than you think) for which copper gaskets are the best choice. To be sure, copper has been around for a while and with good reason. Let’s walk through some of the attributes and benefits unique to copper, then we’ll get ready to put them on.
Malleable: Copper is stronger than any composite gasket yet still malleable so it conforms to the sealing surfaces. This strength-malleability combination is, more than any other attribute, the ‘selling point’ of copper as a gasket material over other materials. While the advantages of strength are self evident, the benefits of a malleable gasket body are somewhat more nuanced. Simply put; conformity makes a tighter seal...
Metal-to-Metal: To an engine builder, the words “High Performance” pre-suppose high pressure, high pressure requires a more robust seal and the best seal is metal-to-metal.
Elasticity: Another interesting feature of copper, this benefit comes into play when you’re out of the tuning window far enough to actually damage a gasket. Un-alloyed or pure copper has a 25% coefficient of elasticity; cool term, here’s what it means. In a 4 inch section, a copper gasket will stretch to 5 inches before it ruptures. This gives the user a ‘safety factor’ not available with other gasket materials. Blown, nitrous or turbocharged engines can develop cylinder pressures high enough to push the gasket. The safety factor of elasticity allowed the copper gasket to push but still remain intact so you can either back it down & make the next round or back it down & drive home. If you push a composite gasket, game over.