Head gaskets seal powerful new engine
V ictor Reinz Sealing Products Group supplies the cylinder head gasket for the most powerful series diesel automobile of its class the Audi Q7 V12 TDI Quattro with 500 hp and 1000 Nm torque.
With a displacement of 6litres, the hightech power unit belongs to Audi's modern range of V-engines, and has two-part aluminium cylinder heads. "The particular challenge lies in the size, the complexity, and the engine's performance data", explains Jochen Frey, Victor Reinz's project manager for Audi. "In order to seal this huge cylinder head/engine block joint, an extremely highperformance gasket is required."
The result is a four-layer head gasket with three active layers in the region of the combustion chamber, and a full-surface elastomer coating. One of the design features of the gasket is the patented Wave Stopper with topographic elements. These help to achieve a uniform pressure distribution in spite of different forces acting around the combustion chamber.
By the use of an adapted level of automation these head gaskets are manufactured on a modern production line. Other gaskets supplied by the company for this engine include those for the exhaust manifolds and turbo chargers, plus the exhaust gas recirculation system.