[TECH TALK] 850 hp WRX with no head gasket?! | ex-WRC Hill Climb winner

Paul Hayton gives us some insight into the ex Jahu Kangas 1998 WRC car that was driven to victory by Alistair Mcrae at the 2015 Race to the Sky hill climb event in the Cardrona Valley, New Zealand, 14 years after the late Peter “Possum” Bourne's own victory at the event in the same car.

Originally rebuilt from spares the team had on hand, the E85 fed and MoTeC controlled gas ring engine retains its 2L displacement size but now boasts over 850 hp (540 hp more than the original WRC rules regulated 310 hp!) predominantly via a twin scroll BorgWarner turbo.

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Comments
  • Taz Quinn-Walshe's profile image
    Hey there Pedey,
    Great question. Everything has pros and cons, and you've touched on 2 cons for gas rings there.
    They do indeed require special machining to fit, which comes at a cost making them expensive depending on your access to the knowledge and equipment required.
    Another, cheaper, alternative which has been developed since are aluminium copper head gaskets.
    Cheers,
    Taz
    - Taz.Quinn.Walshe New Zealand
    7 years ago
  • 's profile image
    So why don't we all just use gas rings instead of a headgasket if they're better and stronger? What's the limiting factor? Price? Does the motor require special work to allow the fitment of the rings?
    - Pedey New Zealand
    7 years ago