to seal or not to seal head gasket.

[Anonymous]

Am I supposed to use gasket sealer when installing a new head gasket? What about blue rtv around the water passages? Also, what do you recommend, cork or rubber valve cover/oil pan gaskets?

Thanks.

BTW, how do I reply without having to use the quote button?

 

[BIGREDRASA]

The new gaskets have all the necessary sealers. The old dimpled steel gaskets needed a good coating of "Coppercoat."

 

[Anonymous]

hmmm, maybe that is why I have the water in the oil and other troubles. The engine rebuilder used a head gasket without any type of sealer. It was the old style that was fiber type composition with metal around the cylinder openings. No blue edges around water passages, like the FelPro 302 intake manifold gaskets. Between lack of copper coat (love that stuff on water pump gaskets) and no thread sealant, that might be my problem. thanks for the post.

 

[BIGREDRASA]

Did your rebuilder retorque the head bolts after having run the engine a while?

 

[Anonymous]

Don't know if the rebuilder did, but I re-torqued them after I put about 400 miles on the car. The head blew at 500 miles.