Cylinder head gasket
The cylinder head gasket includes a gasket layer which presents an inner periphery that surrounds an opening. The gasket layer has a first thickness adjacent the inner periphery. A combustion seal is positioned in the opening and extends circumferentially around an axis. The combustion seal is joined with the inner periphery of the gasket layer. The combustion seal has a height that is greater than the first thickness of the gasket layer. The combustion seal includes at least one seal body which is generally C-shaped as viewed in cross-section and is resiliently flexible for maintaining fluid tight seals with the cylinder head and the engine block. The C-shaped seal body presents a pocket which faces away from the inner periphery of the of the gasket layer for receiving combustion gasses during use to improve the fluid tight seals established with the cylinder head and the engine block.
1. A method of making a cylinder head gasket assembly for establishing a fluid tight seal between an engine block and a cylinder head, comprising the steps of:
preparing a gasket layer including at least one inner periphery which surrounds an opening, the gasket layer having an overall thickness;
bending a length of a strip of metal into a C-shape with a pocket as viewed in cross-section;
bending the C-shaped strip of metal around an axis into a ring and with the pocket facing radially inwardly towards the axis;
joining opposite ends of the C-shaped ring together; and
joining an outer diameter of the C-shaped ring with the inner periphery of the gasket layer such that the C-shaped ring is completely spaced apart from the gasket layer,
wherein the C-shaped ring has an overall thickness greater than the overall thickness of the gasket layer, and the C-shaped ring forms a combustion seal about the opening.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of joining the outer diameter of the C-shaped ring with the inner periphery of the gasket layer is further defined as joining the C-shaped ring with the inner periphery of the gasket layer with at least one of a compliant polymer, welding, an armor ring and swaging.
3. The method as set forth in claim 1 further wherein the step of joining the opposite ends of the C-shaped ring together is further defined as welding the opposite ends of the C-shaped ring together.
4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein as viewed in cross-section, the C-shaped ring has a top portion and a middle portion and a bottom portion, and further comprising the steps of machining a first flat in the top portion or the bottom portion and disposing a high temperature coating on the first flat.
5. The method as set forth in claim 4 further comprising the steps of machining a second flat in the other of the top and bottom portions and disposing the high temperature coating on the second flat.