Advanced Dana Gasket Keeps Corvette Engine at Top Efficiency

    TOLEDO, Ohio, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The C5 Corvette engine is an all-new
5.7 liter V-8 with both block and cylinder head made of aluminum, using cast
iron cylinder liners.  It is tuned aggressively to an output of around 350 hp,
with tremendous torque as well.  The combination of high power output,
aggressive driving -- often at high RPM -- and aluminum block several times
the mass of the aluminum heads, creates major challenges in engine sealing.
    Expansion and contraction of the head and block, thermal motion, and
engine "flexing" are much greater than with a traditional cast iron engine.
An advanced, "web lace flange" gasket developed by Dana Corporation's Victor
Reinz takes on the task of sealing the hot new engine, but this is not the
only engine that benefits from the technology.
    Victor Reinz has also made this type of gasket design available to help
seal other engines currently operating in the U.S.
    One key to making the Corvette and other hard-to-seal engines "tick" is
the design and construction of the unique cylinder head gasket.  This gasket
must be able to contain combustion, control oil and coolant flows, accommodate
extreme block and head motion, and withstand high firing pressures and very
high operating temperatures on a regular basis -- and still seal the engine.
    Victor Reinz developed a unique Nitroseal(TM) gasket that employs the most
modern materials and sophisticated design elements, including:

    -- A perforated steel core, mechanically clinched to graphite facings on
        both sides.

    -- A unique stainless steel web lace flange that "traps" each cylinder and
        coolant passage.  This "steel lace" is joined together at critical
        points and strengthens the entire gasket.  Using an "island sealing
        concept," coolant is trapped in an "island" by the web lace,
        preventing coolant leakage as the engine ages.  The entire gasket is
        strengthened significantly by the web lace flange and the steel core,
        yielding greater durability under the "flexing" of engines operating
        vigorously.

    -- A Teflon(R) coating, sintered to the steel flange at very high
        temperatures, improves lubricity and helps accommodate block and head
        movement.

    These designs and materials have several important effects in protecting
the engine:

    -- The gasket resists the fretting and wear caused by constant expansion
        and contraction, and the graphite facing and the added Teflon coating
        on the flanga allows for thermal motion without losing the seal.

    -- The design of the gasket conducts heat away from the cylinders and
        distributes it evenly around the head, preventing overheating or "hot
        spots."

    Similar sealing challenges on other late model engines have led Victor
Reinz to offer these same features on gaskets sold to the automotive
replacement market.
    "This type of gasket, either installed as original equipment or as a
replacement gasket, is a perfect match for many of the toughest engines to
seal," noted Tom Dattilo, Dana's vice president, sealing products and
distribution.  "You don't have to drive a Corvette to benefit from this
design.  Variations of the Nitroseal gasket are available to help seal
millions of earlier small block Chevrolet V-8s, small block Ford Motor Company
V-8s, the General Motors Corp. Quad IV engine, and other powerplants," Dattilo
said.
    Victor Reinz is part of Dana Engine Components, one of Dana's global
strategic business units.  Dana Engine Components provides advanced,
synergistic, total systems solutions for engine builders' parts design and
sourcing, worldwide.  Dana Engine Components combines the strength and
capabilities of Victor Reinz(R) gaskets and sealing products, Perfect
Circle(R) power cylinder components and heavy duty camshafts, Wix(R)
filtration products, and Plumley powertrain components.
    Dana Corporation (NYSE: DCN) is a leader in engineering, manufacture and
distribution of products and services for the automotive, engine, heavy truck,
off-highway, industrial and leasing markets.  Founded in 1904 and based in
Toledo, OH, Dana operates facilities in over 30 countries and employs more
than 50,000 people.  The company reported record sales of $8.3 billion in
1997.  Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com.

SOURCE  Dana Corporation

Web site:  http: //www.dana.com

CONTACT: Chuck Van Rens, Director of Marketing, Dana Engine Components,
419-891-2021