QUESTION
Amongst the boxes of parts that came with my Elan S4, there was a Payen copper head gasket. Its coated in some type of clear lacquer.
Have you come across these gaskets, are they any good?
I'm using a composite gasket on the current build but was curious about the copper gasket.
C.B. - St. Leonards, NSW
ANSWER
These older designed gaskets manufactured by Payen (steel-copper laminate) are OK to use but there are superior alternatives
Today its best to install a composite gasket (mono-torque) on the Lotus twin cam engine
Over the last twenty years gasket materials have changed from the traditional copper-asbestos-steel laminated construction
to graphite and Aramid-fibre composites and then to the current steel shim type.
What is often not understood that each type of gasket design requires a different cylinder head and block surface-finish.
The cylinder head and block surface finishes are critical for a gas and water-tight seal that guarantees longevity.
This is frequently overlooked as older vehicle workshop manuals fail to supply this information.
If you are installing a composite head gasket then it is not necessary to re-torque the fasteners after the engine has been temperature cycled
Copyright © 2026 Lotus Marques
Amongst the boxes of parts that came with my Elan S4, there was a Payen copper head gasket. Its coated in some type of clear lacquer.
Have you come across these gaskets, are they any good?
I'm using a composite gasket on the current build but was curious about the copper gasket.
C.B. - St. Leonards, NSW
ANSWER
These older designed gaskets manufactured by Payen (steel-copper laminate) are OK to use but there are superior alternatives
Today its best to install a composite gasket (mono-torque) on the Lotus twin cam engine
Over the last twenty years gasket materials have changed from the traditional copper-asbestos-steel laminated construction
to graphite and Aramid-fibre composites and then to the current steel shim type.
What is often not understood that each type of gasket design requires a different cylinder head and block surface-finish.
The cylinder head and block surface finishes are critical for a gas and water-tight seal that guarantees longevity.
This is frequently overlooked as older vehicle workshop manuals fail to supply this information.
If you are installing a composite head gasket then it is not necessary to re-torque the fasteners after the engine has been temperature cycled
Copyright © 2026 Lotus Marques