PRODUCT DETAILS
Cometic 87.5mm MLS Head Gasket - K20A2/K20A3/K20Z1/K24A1 (C14039)
Whether you're freshening up a K-series after a head job, building for boost, or just bored your K20 out and need the right gasket to match, this is the one. Cometic's 87.5mm MLS gasket is built for the K20A2, K20A3, K20Z1, and K24A1, and it's stacked stainless steel from front to back, so it handles boost, high RPM, and years of heat cycles a lot better than the factory composite gasket ever could. Whatever you're doing under the valve cover, this is the gasket that's going to hold up to it.
Here's How A Tired Gasket Tells You It's Done
The factory gasket works fine if you're keeping things stock, but it doesn't leave much room for anything more. Add boost, push the RPM higher, or just rack up the miles on a K-series that's been run hard, and that factory gasket starts running out of margin. You'll notice it as a coolant leak you can't pin down, white smoke out the back, coolant showing up in your oil, or the temp gauge creeping for no reason you can find. Once you're seeing that, you're probably not just replacing a gasket, you're looking at a warped head too. Get ahead of it with an MLS gasket now, especially if you've already turned the engine up, and you skip that bigger bill entirely.
Stacked Stainless, Built To Take Whatever You Throw At It
You're getting three layers of stainless steel here, stacked for strength and rebound a single-layer gasket can't touch, plus real resistance to corrosion over the years. The outer layers are embossed and coated with Viton, rated to 482°F, so it keeps sealing through hard heat cycles instead of cooking and giving up. It's built for aluminum heads on aluminum or cast iron blocks, and it handles the shearing forces between those materials without any sealant at all. And here's the part that matters most if you're building for power: this gasket is designed to work on naturally aspirated and boosted K-series builds alike. Bolt it on, whether you're staying NA or strapping on a turbo, and it does its job.
No Re-Torque, One Less Thing To Remember
Cometic tunes the embossing so the clamp load spreads evenly across the sealing surface the moment you torque it down. You're not coming back in a few hundred miles to re-torque the head bolts like some gaskets make you do, and you're not risking a warped head from uneven clamping either. Torque it once to spec and you're done. If you're already deep into a head job or chasing a leak, that's one less thing to track down the road.
Three Thicknesses, So Pick The Right One
This gasket comes in .030, .040, and .051 inch thicknesses, all in the 87.5mm bore. Which one's yours depends on your deck height and whether you've milled the head. Running stock deck height with no head work? The .030 is your starting point. Milled the head, or running a different piston combo that changes your compression? You'll want a thicker option to bring things back in line, that's exactly what the .040 and .051 are there for. The 87.5mm bore itself covers stock-bore K24s and a common K20 overbore size, so make sure 87.5mm actually matches your block before you order, and pick the thickness that matches your build, not just your engine code.
Fits These Engines
This gasket is built for the K20A2, K20A3, K20Z1, and K24A1, covering the 2002-2006 Acura RSX Base and Type S, the 2002-2005 Honda Civic Si, and the 2002-2006 Honda CR-V. If you're already pulling the head, it's worth thinking about head studs too. Stock head bolts stretch once you're making real power, and studs keep your clamping consistent for the long haul. Do both at once and you've got a gasket setup that can take a lot more than stock without a second thought.
What You Get
- Cometic MLS head gasket for the K20A2, K20A3, K20Z1, and K24A1
- 87.5mm bore, available in .030 (C14039-030), .040 (C14039-040), and .051 (C14039-051) inch thickness
- 3 layers of stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance
- Viton coating on outer layers, heat resistant to 482°F
- Even clamp load embossing, no re-torque needed after install
- Built for aluminum head to aluminum or cast iron block applications
- Works for naturally aspirated and boosted K-series builds
- No additional sealant required
Fits These Cars
- 2002-2006 Acura RSX Base (K20A3)
- 2002-2006 Acura RSX Type S (K20A2/K20Z1)
- 2002-2005 Honda Civic Si (K20A3)
- 2002-2006 Honda CR-V (K24A1)
Note: Cometic MLS head gasket for the K20A2, K20A3, K20Z1, and K24A1, 87.5mm bore, available in .030 (C14039-030), .040 (C14039-040), and .051 (C14039-051) inch compressed thickness, for the 2002-2006 Acura RSX Base and Type S, 2002-2005 Honda Civic Si, and 2002-2006 Honda CR-V. Built from 3 layers of stainless steel with outer layers embossed and coated in Viton, heat resistant to 482°F, for strength, corrosion resistance, and a seal that holds through repeated heat cycles. Designed for aluminum head to aluminum or cast iron block applications, requires no additional sealant, and is suitable for both naturally aspirated and boosted applications. The embossing design distributes clamp load evenly across the sealing surface, so no re-torque is needed after installation. The 87.5mm bore matches stock K24A1 dimensions and a common K20 overbore, confirm your bore size and select the thickness that matches your deck height and any head milling before ordering. One head gasket per order.