Car Head Gasket: Essential Component in Engine Sealing

Early engines used O-rings (also called packing rings or toric joints) as seals (first patented in 1896). These are just mechanical gaskets in the shape of a torus (a circular ring--like a lifesaver), seated in a groove and compressed during assembly between two or more parts. It creates a seal at the interface. However, O-rings require a fluid film to lubricate them. They have limited usefulness in vacuum application and at extremes of temperature. The modern oil seal represents a significant improvement over the simple O-ring because it effectively seals in lubrication and prevents contamination from outside under a wide range of pressures and temperatures.

The major cause of extrusion and nibbling is stress caused by high pressure. This is commonly noticed when the oil seal has a chipped or nibbled look. In fact, in some cases, the surface of the seal tends to peel on its own, which makes it have a shaved look. What the stress does is that it increases the clearance gap between the mating edges, which causes the seal to get entrapped, and then leads to severe physical damage.