Rock Auto - the good and the bad

It is really hard to beat Rock Auto's prices. But as with all internet sales, there is a big drawback because you cannot see what you are getting.

We all know that head gaskets on our trucks need replacement from time to time. So it stands to reason one would want to buy the very best head gasket available. They are just not that expensive, so it just doesn't make sense to cut corners here.

So I bought the most expensive cylinder head gasket set Rock Auto sells, the one from Beck Arney - over $50, and made in Japan. That just has to be better than one made in China, and no one makes gaskets in the USA anymore, right??

First off, they must have sent it by Pony Express. Took 9 days to arrive from day of sale. Not great service when everything else comes in 2 days.

So I get the premium set, and right off the packaging is warped, and so is the head gasket. Not real bad, but it's not flat. And I need to put the truck back together because it's off the road and I need it. That is why I own it, right?

So I look at the head gasket carefully and the holes aren't punched clean and there is flash you don't want in your oil or cooling system, so I clean that up with an exacto knife. Not what you expect from a high quality gasket.

Then I trial fit the gasket on the block, and it's all sloppy and there is a lot of play on the locating dowels, and it doesn't lie flat, which is going to make it a b*** to install the head while making certain I was keeping the gasket in place.

So I decide to order a different gasket from Rock Auto, but the shipping is $10 and that is about what the gasket costs, plus I have to wait 3 more days.

So forget Rock Auto, and I call around and O'Reilly's can get a Fel Pro head gasket that afternoon, for $18. The Fel Pro doesn't have the copper ring for the oil passage, but otherwise looks really good. It is flat and installs on the dowels very tight and doesn't move around, and all the fire rings line up with the cylinder bores really nice.

I know we're not talking about a lot of $ here, but the job ended up costing more than expected when using an internet supplier. There is real value in using local suppliers, like the machine shop I had do the work on the head, and the local parts house that provided the gasket when it was needed, without waiting, and for not that much more $.

Has anyone tried the supposed OEM Mahle head gasket? I think that one has the copper ring for the oil passage. The Fel Pros have good reviews on this board, and I would say they are a good quality gasket at a very decent price.

But DO NOT buy the Beck Arney set, their head gasket is junk!

Beck Arnley is a parts repackager, so the quality varies greatly with their parts. They used to buy directly from Mitsubishi, and repackage in their boxes, but since the parts are not OEM anymore, they get what they can find. Mahle is a good quality gasket, but I doubt it was OEM.