without the intention of starting a conflictive debate will like your opinion and some well informed advice.
Looking to get the HG Kit from L8:
1) see that they offer erling as an option, how much is really worth? don't mind making the effort, but is it worth it?
2) to use the head bolts that comes with the kit or to get the ARP Head Studs?
again, don't mind the extra $$ if that implies an equal or proportional advance.
Need to pull the trigger pronto since it's my wife's daily driver, and on that note : really need DEPENDability....so please don't tell me I should have gotten an toyota instead of a rover...
Gracias in advance

 

I got the lucky 8 kit and it was perfect. It comes with some stuff you won't use and there will be a few other parts u need but go with the studs for sure. Call lucky8. They stock them but don't have them on their website. You will also need new prongs for the coolant elbow, and coolant tube to the heater core. If you take your upper intake apart, its best to order the gaskets for that and the throttle body also. If you haven't bypassed your throttle body heater, then order a new one just for piece of mind. I would have the heads professionally done and blocked so you know they are true. Replace the water pump and thermostat (with a genuine one) while you are at it. I personally would also recommend having your fuel injectors cleaned professionally. There is a guy on eBay who does it and will send you a set of professionally cleaned ones and give you a credit for yours. If you want his info, pm me. I'm only saying all of this BC I recently did mine and realized what gaskets I needed that weren't in the kit. As for your oil breather tubes, Atlantic British has them on eBay with the seperator for around $22 with free shipping. It's not as bad as it seems but just a little time comsuming

 

if money is no option then go ahead and get studs. I went as cheap as humanly possible on mine and its fine so far but by all indications i will just have to do the job over again in a couple years, the implication being that it would last a lot longer with head studs and the more even clamping force they provide.

personally i think shoddy prep work, lack of head resurfacing, and inadequate cooling systems are the leading causes of head gasket re-failure, not the factory style head bolts, but if i wasn't pinching pennies i definitely would have gone with the ARP studs.

not sure what your first question is referring to. never heard of erling.

 

Elring is the OEM for Land Rover head gaskets. >> https://www.elring.de/en/the-company/about-us/

 

I second everything Luckyjayb said. I'm wrapping up my HG job with the kit from Lucky8. I used the bolts in the kit instead of studs. I've read that the injector orings in that kit might not fit and purchased the genuine ones (ouch). I also lost a few pieces during my drawn out process, including the oil cooler orings, the plenum gasket, and the coolant elbow oring. Just things to keep an eye out for.

 

Injector o-rings from an 03 ford with the 5.4 are exactly the same and probably cheaper than OEM.

 

thanks for clarifying.






ADVICE: when you receive your kit, make sure everything is in it! Mine was missing several pieces including the upper intake gasket! I just assumed that i had lost it and the other small pieces (despite being very meticulous about handling the entire job) but another member was also missing a gasket from the same kit which leads me to believe they neglected to send them for some reason. It was several weeks later before i was finally convinced that i never received the parts, so there was no point in bringing it up with lucky8 but looking back i was a little irked that i had to wait for another upper intake gasket.

 

wow...
I went thru the list of L8 to make sure I will not "miss anything", based on the presupposition that "they will ship everything"!
well, apparently studs are the way to go....and not really thrill to spend the money, but really want the puppy up and running again.
How about a the HG them selves, erling is the way to go?

 

I think the factory style composite gasket is the way to go, regardless of the manufacturer. I would wager that elring would be as good as any other identical looking gasket, of which there are many

 

Elring is a good gasket but in my opinion so is the lucky 8 composite ones or the felpro for that matter. I just liked that the lucky 8 kit was well priced, they are forum members and fellow enthusiast, great service, and they strive to make it right.