Cometic MLS Head Gasket for 92-96 Honda Prelude H22A/A2

Cometic MLS Head Gasket - 92-96 Honda Prelude (H22A - H22A2)

An H22 has an aluminum head bolted to an aluminum block, and the two don't stay still. Every time the engine heats up, they expand. Under load, combustion pressure tries to lift the head off the block on every firing stroke, and the head and block shift slightly against each other as they heat and cool. A composite head gasket handles that fine at stock power. Add boost, nitrous, or serious compression, and it starts to lose. Cylinder pressure finds a weak spot, the gasket fire ring lets go, and you're chasing coolant loss, bubbles in the radiator, or a cylinder with no compression.

Cometic's MLS gasket is built for those higher cylinder pressures. It's made from three layers of stainless steel instead of a composite sheet. It clamps evenly and springs back as the head and block move, and it holds its seal where a composite gasket would blow out. If you're building a boosted or high-compression H22, this is the gasket to use. On a stock H22 with a healthy head and block, a quality OEM-style gasket is fine. MLS earns its place once cylinder pressure goes up.

How the Three Layers Work

The two outer layers are embossed stainless. Each one is stamped with a raised bead around every cylinder, coolant passage, and oil passage. When you torque the head down, those beads flatten out like springs and push back against the head and block. That spring-back is what keeps the seal tight as the surfaces move. The outer layers are also coated with Viton, a fluoroelastomer rubber that handles heat up to 482°F (250°C) and fills in tiny surface flaws. The center layer is a plain stainless shim. Cometic changes its thickness to make the gasket in different overall thicknesses. This one is .030in.

Bore Size and Thickness

The gasket bore is 88mm. A stock H22 has an 87mm bore, so this gasket works on a stock block or one bored out up to just under 88mm. The gasket has to be slightly larger than the cylinder so it doesn't hang into the bore. At .030in compressed thickness, it sets how far the head sits above the block. That affects compression ratio and quench, the tight gap between the piston and the head at top dead center that helps the engine resist knock. If you're building to a specific compression ratio, include this thickness in your math.

Install Notes

An MLS gasket only seals if it has flat, smooth surfaces to seal against. Have a machine shop check the head and block for flatness and resurface them if needed, and confirm the surface finish meets Cometic's spec for MLS gaskets. The Viton coating handles small flaws, but it won't fix a warped head. Clean both surfaces down to bare metal and install the gasket dry. Torque the head in the correct sequence. Because an MLS gasket holds its clamp load evenly, it doesn't need to be re-torqued after the first heat cycle. On a boosted build, head studs instead of factory bolts are cheap insurance.

Fitment

• 1992-1996 Honda Prelude - H22A and H22A2
• 88mm gasket bore: for a stock 87mm bore or an overbore under 88mm
• .030in compressed thickness