Cylinder head gasket

A cylinder head gasket for an engine having an engine component in the form of an engine block and another engine component in the form of a cylinder head with at least one coolant cavity formed in said engine block adjacent to said cylinder head and at least one coolant cavity formed in said cylinder head adjacent to said engine block to provide a flow of coolant through at least a first one of said coolant cavities in a first one of said engine components such that at least in an area of this first coolant cavity a main flow component of said flow of coolant runs approximately parallel to a gasket plate of the cylinder head gasket when it is installed on the engine, said cylinder head gasket having at least one flow conducting element for the coolant so as to protrude from the gasket plate at a location thereof to engage in said first coolant cavity when the cylinder head gasket is installed, said gasket plate comprising at least one coolant passage opening for communicating said first coolant cavity with a coolant cavity formed in a second one of said engine components when the cylinder head gasket is installed, wherein said at least one flow conducting element is joined to said at least one coolant passage opening to provide a flow path comprising said at least one flow conducting element and said coolant passage opening and having an inlet end defined by said flow conducting element as well as an outlet end, said at least one flow conducting element providing an impingement and deflector surface for said main flow component disposed between said inlet end and said at least one coolant passage opening such that, when the cylinder head gasket is installed, part of said main flow component is deflected to provide a flow of coolant entering said coolant passage opening in a direction generally transverse to the gasket plate and generating a directed flow of coolant at the outlet end of the flow path.