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Jul 21st, 2025 | | 
#18408 10/08/2002 6:22 PM | Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 59 Member | | Member Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 59 | In a few days I will get my heads back from the machine shop and I will install them using Felpro's PermaTorque head gaskets. The Felpro site states that..."Under no circumstances should any type of chemical sealer be applied to a soft faced, coated head gasket. This includes adhesives, shellac, tacky sealers and RTV silicone." However, my machinist (a very competent and knowledgeable fellow) recommends using Permatex Hylomar aerosol gasket dressing to install the gasket. He states that he uses it on all his installs and has never had a gasket failure. Any thoughts one way or the other.
72 Sierra Grande - Maych Forget about "do it right the first time". Do it wrong the first time to learn how, then do it right the second time.
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#18409 10/08/2002 6:59 PM | Joined: May 2000 Posts: 234 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2000 Posts: 234 | Most modern head gaskets (incl Felpro) already have a sealant on them. Don't use another.
If you have a problem with leaking, the problem is in the head or the block - not the gasket. If the head isn't warped, and the bolts are torqued correctly, and there aren't scratches or gouges in the mating surfaces, you won't have a problem.
-Boyo
'48 Willys CJ-2A / '55.1 Chevy 3600 / '66 Austin-Healey 3000 / '04 Volvo wagon (parenthood!?)
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#18410 10/08/2002 9:21 PM | Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 2,773 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 2,773 | The gasket already has sealant on it. That's what the coating is. Your trusted mechanic is WRONG on this. The only time you use a headgasket sealant is with an uncoated sheet metal gasket. FelPro does still make a copper gasket for these engines, and you use a spray on copper sealant.
Fred
52 3600
69 C-10
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#18411 10/08/2002 9:42 PM | Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 Member | | Member Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 1,745 | My Felpro set came with the copper gasket and I sprayed on the copper gasket sealer.
54 3100 with 235
62 flatbed dump C60 with 261
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#18412 10/08/2002 10:37 PM | Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 962 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 962 | I just ran into this doing a Mitsubishi 1.8L in a buddy's Eclipse. If the gasket feels "rubbery" or "sticky" out of the box, it has the sealant already on it. Just follow any indication of "top" or "bottom" and use no sealant. The mitsu is doing fine with a dry headgasket.
As the other guys have said, the dry steel or copper-clad gaskets do require the spray copper-kote as a pre-treatment.
chip
Preaching the Hot Rod Gospel according to the 4-stroke apostles:
Suck, Squish, Fire and Fumes
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#18413 10/09/2002 5:20 PM | Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 59 Member | | Member Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 59 | The concensus is no sealant, so that's the way I'll go. I'll not argue the point with my machinist because I haven't paid him yet and I don't want to get on his bad side. Fred T, I said he was "competent and knowledgeable", not "trusted" - hence the post. Thanks for the replies gentlemen.
72 Sierra Grande - Maych Forget about "do it right the first time". Do it wrong the first time to learn how, then do it right the second time.
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#18414 10/09/2002 7:34 PM | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 40 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 40 | Now you tell me....
so what's gonna happen if i already torqued on a new gasket with sealant? I used some aviator stuff. But I don't think the gasket was a Felpro.
Can U believe it? My wife says: "I want an old pickup truck" so I HAD to buy it!!
'50 Chevy 3100 5 window.
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#18415 10/09/2002 9:12 PM | Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 59 Member | | Member Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 59 | unbroke, I don't know what will happen, but here's what Felpro says could happen with their gaskets - NO CHEMICALS, PLEASE!
Under no circumstances should any type of chemical sealer be applied to a soft faced, coated head gasket. This includes adhesives, shellac, tacky sealers and RTV silicone.
If a chemical sealer of some type is used on a coated gasket, it may react chemically with the coating material. This, in turn, may prevent the gasket from cold sealing properly -- or worse yet, it may cause the gasket to deteriorate and fail.
A sealer may also undermine the anti-friction characteristics of the surface coating, causing it to stick when it shouldn't. This would increase the shearing forces on the gasket which could also lead to failure.
If RTV silicone is applied to a head gasket, it may flow when the head is clamped down and enter the combustion chamber and/or cooling jackets. What's more, RTV silicone is not resistant to gasoline and would quickly dissolve leaving gaps that could become leaks.
The added thickness of a heavily applied sealer on a head gasket could also cause uneven loading and loss of torque retention which could also create leaks or cause the head to warp.
72 Sierra Grande - Maych Forget about "do it right the first time". Do it wrong the first time to learn how, then do it right the second time.
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#18416 10/09/2002 10:47 PM | Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 72 Member | | Member Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 72 | Well nowadays I follow the directions, but "back in the day" would always put a very light coat of grease on both sides of a head gasket. I was told that is let it slide if it had to. Never had any failures, including 12.5 to 1 V8's.
Dennis | | |
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