Sikky Thermalnator Gasket
 

Here's what the website says:

Thermalnator is a unique high temperature shielding gasket which replaces the stock intake manifold gasket. Thermalnator's cooling properties reduce heat by stopping metal to metal contact between the intake manifold and the engine block. By using a Thermalnator gasket, you will reduce the heat of the air entering your engine, making up to 5% more power. Thermalnator gaskets allow the intake manifold to perform like an intercooler. Because the manifold is no longer heated by the cylinder head, the heat from incoming air can dissipate through the aluminum very rapidly. The basic formula for this is for every 5 degrees F increase in intake air temp, air density is reduced by 1%. The denser the air is, the better the gain in horsepower.

Average testing has shown an 25 degrees F drop and up to 35 degrees in some applications. This is why a Thermalnator gasket is an excellent upgrade for your vehicle if it's stock or modified.

This weekend I will be installing the part and testing with a Digital Thermometer (Raytek MiniTemp).

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1279311017

Stay tuned!

*I'll also be doing a step by step how to*

Ok, here's the results of my drive home on the OEM gasket:

Heat Soak Temp: 144*F

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1279407611

Head Temp: 187*F
Manifold Temp: 148*F (no picture)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1279407611


(Heat soak was measured by popping the hood free of the "catch" and leaving it closed. I aimed the digital thermometer into the engine bay. Not scientific I'm sure, but gives you an idea of underhood temps)

Part Two: Sikky gasket measurements COMING SOON!

lots of honda guys use this same stuff but made by hondata.
its "supposed" to help.
no one knows how well though.

I think a nice efficient intercooler or w/i or e85 would provide results 1000000x better though.


I hope its cheap, cause anything over 40 bux for a gasket of that type is highway robbery

I doubt it, but I am using a plastic one that blocks off the water ports on the head.
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yeah exactly, coolant still flows through IM.

We shall see...I'm curious to see the results.

I will also do a before and after coolant block off/ reroute. When freezing temps come, I'll undo the block off.

...also, Hondata makes one of these for our cars, but when I was shopping around, the Sikky gasket uses a type of plastic that has a higher temp resistance rating. In reading, a lot of people found the hondata gaskets would deform. I don't plan to get that hot, but for the same price as hondata, but higher temp resistance; it was obvious which one to get.

*I can't remember all the techie stuff on the fly...I'll look it up and see if I can find the info that I found.

whatever the case, the IM will always be as hot as the engine bay is.

this is like splitting hairs. .01hp gain

If the head gets hooter than the intake, and you can separate that...wouldn't you think that'd yield a benefit. The engine bay cooler than the head is; at least I would think.

Again, I'm going to be testing and we'll put this to bed along with theories. Either it'll work, or it wont. We'll all see very soon!

The hardest part of this project is getting off my ass to get it done.

Gains are gains in my book. Also, its not just about Hp...cooler air is denser air, so efficiency is at stake as well.

I am Turkish, and "sikky" roughly translates as fucknut. (in Turkish, that is)

:giggle:

not really, air flows fast, IC cools a shit ton.

That's hilarious!! I'll have to tell them, they'll get a kick out of that...

I'm not turbo though, I'm going to be testing this on a stock motor (stock, except for an open air filter).

(doing all my ancillary mods first...)

Well, they are a bunch of buttsexers. One of their cars was at Hyperfest last month.

LOL :jerkit:

What a very informative post...

If you're doing this just to tinker around and document results there's nothing wrong with that.

Please post as much details about your findings as possible.

I certainly will!

...and look at it this way guys, I'm the one that spent the $50 in the name of doing some testing. :-D

Results will be more relevant if you have "before" temps, as well.

Oh of course...that's the plan.

Temps are supposed to be the same this weekend (in the 90's). I am going to do my drive home (20 minutes) and take a temperature. Its a digital thermometer with a laser, so I can just crack the hood open and put the red dot on the manifold to allow for the heat soak. Then I'll open the hood and let the heat escape and measure again.

After the gasket, I will replicate my same drive home, and do the exact same measurements.

If anyone has any better ideas on how to get the temps while my stock gasket is on, post it up. Tomorrow afternoon I'm doing the job...

Ive checked these out a few times and I am interested in the results.

Ok, here's the results of my drive home on the OEM gasket:

Heat Soak Temp: 144*F

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1279407611

Head Temp: 187*F
Manifold Temp: 148*F (no picture)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1279407611


(Heat soak was measured by popping the hood free of the "catch" and leaving it closed. I aimed the digital thermometer into the engine bay. Not scientific I'm sure, but gives you an idea of underhood temps)

Part Two: Sikky gasket measurements COMING SOON!

Not gonna lie, I am not looking forward to taking off the intake manifold tomorrow. Its going to be hot and I'm already feeling lazy.

Speaking from experience?

Obviously I need to explain to you noobs that buttsexing = drifting.
I wasn't talking about the other kind. Not yet anyway, you sexthy beathsts.:giggle:

Possibly relevant questions:
What type of commute is used for the testing? Highway cruising, or sitting in stop & go traffic? Is the plastic undertray still on the car? How long did you have to let it sit with the hood unlatched before it stabilized at your "heat soak" temp?

Ah, not familiar with that term...

My commute is highway (lots of stop and go), then residential ~30mph to my house. all of the plastics are in place, with no additional cooling panels, or anything removed. When I say "stock" I mean it. As far as the hood unlatching time, as long as it took for me to get into my parking spot, pop the hood and walk to the front of my car. Like I said, not scientific, but the results should be similar since I'll do the exact same thing once the gasket is installed.

I still haven't installed it yet, its just too damn hot outside. I nearly sweated to death just putting my hardtop side latches on...

Welp, ran out of time over the weekend. It was just too hot on Saturday, and my whole Sunday was property of the children and wife.

No, I really have no idea how to do that. All I have is a measurement of the manifold, and the head itself.

well that's a shame.

Tell me how to do it and I'll see if I can get it done. I just cant think of any way...I'd love to get all the hard data I can.

Where? I see no such provision on the flange on my 02 IM :dunno:

I know some flows through the TB, but that doesn't flow through the entire IM....



http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...G/IMG_6286.jpg

by im I think he meant tb

tb :ne: im

no, on the 1.6L IM and IIRC the 94-95. Coolant flows from between #1 and #2 to a port on #1. there's also a place where coolant sits against the falnge between #3 & #4 but does not travel anywhere, i assume to equally heat.

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/PB164944.JPG

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/PB164943.JPG

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/IMG_6333.JPG

Ahh.... been awhile since I've messed with that stuff.

Welp...I learned something today lol

Bump.

Sooooo there never was a conclusion to this? :p I just found out this even existed because I'm gonna need to order an intake gasket. They also have a video about it now.


I call bullshit. It seems to me what people have said before. Intercooler is going to cool down the air a lot. The air is only going to be in the (slightly warmer maybe) manifold for a very short time before combustion. Besides, unlike an intercooler, the manifold has as little as possible inner surface area to transfer heat to the air. Is there anyone to tell me I should get a mls one or this? :p

I would to add that for me the primary benefit of a non metallic gasket is when you port the head/manifold, this material is perfect for reshaping to get the the transition that you need. Worth the money if your doing port work.