Video: Fel-Pro’s Dean Virgin On 6.0-liter Power Stroke Diesel Gasket

If you’re a Ford 6.0-liter Power Stroke enthusiast, chances are that you realize there are potential issues with the OEM head gaskets that cause failures; these issues are well-documented on the wide variety of Power Stroke web forums and social media groups dedicated to the platform.

So what do you do, if you’re Fel-Pro, one of the leaders in aftermarket sealing solutions? You develop a fix for the problem. In this interview with Fel-Pro’s Master Field Garage Technician John Gurnig and Lead Design Engineer Dean Virgin, the pair discuss some of the sealing advantages to the company’s 6.0-liter multi-layer steel head gaskets, how they identified the issues, and what steps the company took during the development process to fix them.

“These engines generate a great deal of power, heat and combustion pressure and are being run in vehicles seeing heavy use, which can exceed the sealing capabilities of conventional, OE-style MLS head gaskets,” said Jim Daigle, product manager, sealing, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Our engineering team invested thousands of hours in designing and testing these new gaskets to ensure that they meet Fel-Pro standards.”

Diesel combustion pressures are monstrous compared to those seen in a gasoline engine; as much as 2000 psi compared to 800-1000 psi in the gas counterparts. Those sky-high pressures require the gasket to do the same job while under three times the stress load.

The PermaTorque MLS gaskets they’ve designed have revised pushrod holes with soft-metal eyelets to prevent pushrod wear, along with a new embossment design to increase the spring force the gasket provides to help seal the combustion chamber.

Watch the video and learn something about the 6.0-liter’s shortcomings and how to prevent them the next time you need to service one.

For more information about Fel-Pro’s gasket line, check out their website.