Head gasket sealer

[falconvan]

I bought a Fel-pro gasket set to put my 218 together. The head gasket is composite on one side and metal on the other. The instructions say to use a sealer on the metal side but no indication what type. Has anyone used this gasket and what did you use? Also, does it go metal side to the block? What about sealer on the headbolt threads?

[Plymouthy Adams]

majority of the folks like to use the copper head gasket spray...am sure there may be a whole list of appropriate products out there..the surface would have to be a bit questionable for me to use any product other than the gasket itself..properly machined surfaces should not require any sealers..anyway..about any big box store will stock the copper spray..

[falconvan]

Great, Tim. Thank you.

[aero3113]

Here is what I used

[captden29]

never used anything but copper spray. no problems ever. i actually use the permatex shown. i never put sealer on head bolts, but i think everybody else does. i also clean and lightly lube them with never sieze and then tighten according to the proper sequence. i re-tighten after the first warm up of the engine. i did buy new head bolts for my 54 windsor, but when i took the head off again for some valve replacement i used the same headbolts. i have been told they stretch and should always be replaced. before i knew that i always had just re-used head bolts. never had a problem, but could just be dumb luck. i would use new bolts if opening up an old engine for the first time. i got my new ones through the machine shop that milled the head. i could not find the one that holds the carb. linkage so i had to use that one again. capt den

[Plymouthy Adams]

the torque value on these bolts are not extreme by todays angle torqued bolts associated with aluminum heads and displacing washers..stretching to any degree woul be after many cycles...thing to be on the look out for here is corrosion along the threads and at the neck beneath the head..

[randroid]

Folks,

The torque measurement of a bolt is 70% of its tensile strength and should not stretch the bolts, but the torque specs are written for dry threads. Any sort of lubricant, including sealants, will give you a "soft" torque reading and you can easily stretch or break bolts using it. I won't say don't use it but I will advise searching for a chart that shows the lubricating qualities of all those products and take the factors into consideration when torquing. What you're after is the clamping power of the bolt and if you can achieve that with 25% less torque then anything more will be over the actual torque strength of the bolt and lead to problems.

If I find one of those charts I'll post it and if anyone else finds one first that's all the better.

-Randy

[Plymouthy Adams]

here you go Randy...straight shot to the internet using the search..torque value of oiled threads...

http://www.morbark.com/Service/belttorque.pdf

[Dodgeb4ya]

I believe that you are to use sealer on 18 of the head bolt threads to do it the factory way.

[Don Coatney]

Another case of personal preference or personal experiance. I was trained early on to use silver canned spray paint on the head gaskets of furd flatheads. Not sure why silver paint was the color of choice. Seems any color would have the same effect of filling the low spots and once torqued the paint is trapped in the low spots. This is not a recommendation just a story of one way to do it.

I have heard tell of guys who soak the two or three layor gaskets in bathtub water overnight before installing them with no sealent.

Others have installed them dry.

And all of these folks have had good luck and swear that there way is the best.

As I see it the fact is flat surfaces are the key no matter if a sealent is used or not.

The gasket manufactures will all tell you to use ther sealent products only because they want you to spend your money with them.

Choice is yours. Just make sure the mating surfaces are flat and true.

Also I used teflon tape on all of my head bolts. Dodgeb4ya is probably correct in his posting that sealent is required on 18 of the 21 head bolts. But I did not want to miss any that may require it so I did them all.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Don Coatney

[Dodgeb4ya]

Three go into the intake ports and do not require sealant.

[54Illinois]

So which side goes on the block?

[Don Coatney]

So which side goes on the block?

The only side where the ports match.

[Niel Hoback]

It will only fit one way.

[Young Ed]

Another case of personal preference or personal experiance. I was trained early on to use silver canned spray paint on the head gaskets of furd flatheads. Not sure why silver paint was the color of choice. Seems any color would have the same effect of filling the low spots and once torqued the paint is trapped in the low spots. This is not a recommendation just a story of one way to do it.

I've done the silver spray paint thing when reinstalling a used head gasket in a 52 after wacking the stuck valves loose. I think the reason for silver is the metallics in the paint. I suspect you could also use gold.

[falconvan]

The Permatex copper spray worked great, guys. Head is on and I hope to test fire in the next few weeks. I have to find a machine shop to fix my exhaust manifold; all the bolts that connect it to the intake at the heat riser were broke off. There sure are a lot of headbolts on this thing; they probably never blew head gaskets.

[Young Ed]

The exhaust manifold just has bolt holes. Your intake probably has the broken bolts. Typically there is a threads worth of bolt sticking up from the intake surface and cutting a screwdriver slot in the broken piece and applying lots of heat will get them out.