Head Gasket Installation

[69 Rustang]

What do you guys do for head gasket installation:
Sealers or Dry?

 

[65ShelbyClone]

I did mine dry.

 

[iskwezm]

I did mine dry.

me too

 

[10secgoal]

Depends on the head gasket. But more than likely dry, for like say a felpro stocker. Definetly dry then.

 

[rbohm]

Depends on the head gasket. But more than likely dry, for like say a felpro stocker. Definetly dry then.

like he stated, most gaskets are installed dry, BUT if you are using steel shim gaskets, then use a sealer like spray on copper coat. check the instructions that come with the gasket though as some gasket makers tell you to use sealant on some composite gaskets.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

But more than likely dry, for like say a felpro stocker. Definetly dry then.

I should have added that mine are in fact stock replacement FelPros.

 

[ozstang65]

We've mostly used silver frost paint, both on the head and the block. I think it's like an epoxy base with miniature aluminium flakes as the colourant. Theory being that it fills up any minor imperfections in the head/block.

A few years ago I completely rebuilt my Falcon 6 and for some reason I didn't use any. It lasted 2 years before water started leaking into #1. When I replaced the head gasket I used the paint (no machining on the head or block) and it's still going good 4 years later.

 

[66bluepony]

Sealer

Install either dry or with the silver paint. I perfer the silver paint and have used this on all high compression engines.

 

[bnickel]

did you get the blue fel-pro or the printo-seal? if you have the printo-seal install them dry, if you have the blue you can go either way with the copper paint of dry. i install all mine dry

 

[D.Hearne]

The last set I did was the expanded graphite Felpro's for the newer small blocks on my 331 with aluminum heads, I gave these a liberal coat of copper-kote because of the aluminum heads. Normally I install them dry, ditto for the permatorque blue's. The Printo seal's? NEVER again. Had two failures with these with aluminum heads.

 

[10secgoal]

Yeah, D.Hearne. I am not a fan of wet installs. I tried copper gaskets with Hylomar. But ended up taking them off becuase they almost hydrolocked my motor.