MDchanic

As far as I know, the blue FelPro head gaskets are supposed to be installed dry (I haven't come across any instructions with them), but that just seems, well... inadequate.

I have installed other head gaskets dry in other vehicles and had no problems with them.

Those who have used these in the past - is it good / bad / or unimportant to coat slightly with Spray Copper (or similar)?

Thanks,

- Eric

dc2x4drvr

I have installed Fel Pro's and Cometic's dry with no issues..

MDchanic

Thanks.

Pro: 1

Con: 0

Ozzie

I'd look closely at the condition of the two surfaces involved. If they are completely true and without any significant porosity you could probably do it dry. Otherwise, I'd use a thin adhesive coating. Here are some tips from Fel-Pro:

http://www.felpro-only.com/tec_notes...rque-Guide.pdf

Oldsmaniac

I use Hi-Tack spray on the blue felpro head gaskets. May be a waste of time but I do it.

Octania

i vote no
they have that blue coating already

Kennybill

I spray copper and I also have never had a problem. If I find something that works I stick with it.

MDchanic

Thanks, Ozzie.

FelPro says,
"Use a non-hardening gasket sealer
Sealers are NOT required on FEL-PRO PermaTorque head gaskets. However, embossed steel shim, copper-faced, or steel-faced gaskets should be coated with a non-hardening automotive gasket sealer as a supplemental seal."

So, they say that an additional sealer isn't necessary, but they do not say that you can't use one either.



Yeah. They are true, clean, and non-pitted, with the amount of texture typical for milled surfaces. That is exactly my concern, though, as the amount of texture that the average milling machine adds to the average steel surface is a little bit more than I really like to see without a separate sealant.


Pro: 3
Maybe:1
Con:2

The responses thus far appear to justify my own sense of uncertainty.

Thanks, guys,

- Eric

jensenracing77

I have built 6 Olds engines. One with cometic and the others with felpro. Never used any sealers and never had a problem. All of them had good surfaces. I know of and even seen several people that used the copper spray and never had a problem either. The cometic gaskets I used said DO NOT use sealers in bold print. Only time I use copper is with some tractors that just have a steel gasket with no coatings made on the gasket.

RonFX

Guys:
I was heavily involved w/ the performance side of Fel Pro as a builder and was told to not use anything as it could actually stop the permatorque coating from doing it's job correctly, that being said, if you had good luck using something to help seal, do not stop. If it works for you, keep doing it.
Thanks Ron

rcktdoc

I have built 100s of olds engines have used Felpro Blue and 1155s,also cometics never had a sealing issue, Key is making sure the surface finish is correct,clean and flat.

Greg

joe_padavano

The whole point of the blue coating on the FelPro gaskets is so that they work WITHOUT any coating. Spray copper is for steel shim gaskets, not composition gaskets. I've always installed FelPros dry, per the instructions that came with them.

MDchanic

Excellent information, all.

Now for the tally so far (I'm gonna be a bit like Stalin in apportioning votes here, but I never knew what glasnost meant anyway):
Eric's successfully used no sealers on 6, but he knows as many others who've used sealers and had no problems, so I'll make his vote a "Maybe."
Ron worked directly with Fel-Pro and was told by them never to use sealant, so I've got to give him 2 votes.
Greg's built hundreds of engines and never used sealant on any of them, so I'm afraid that gets him 2 votes as well.
Joe... Well, Joe is Joe. He's spent his time by the River Charles, and I tend to give his opinion twice the weight of most others, so I guess he gets 2 votes, too.

SO:

Pro: 9
Maybe: 2
Con: 2

- Eric

joe_padavano

Wow, don't put too much stock into that...

Off topic, but a funny story. In my first management role in the aerospace industry, I had a fresh-out working for me, also from that small technical school cross the river from Boston. This guy was supposed to be designing satellites, but he was incapable of changing the headlight in his 1970 Mustang.

Of course, he was a Mech E grad, not an Aero/Astro grad, so I guess technically we WASN'T a rocket scientist...

pogo69

im always tempted to add extra sealer but i havent only for the reason that i dont want interaction between 2 chemicals to screw up the sealing of the blue i know people do it and have had no problems but i think fel-pro knows what they are doing

J-(Chicago)

Fel-pros , No. Their blue schmoutz works well.

Other composites, I use copper spray. Some composites require copper spray actually. I'll have to find the package and show you.

coppercutlass

The mr. gasket ultra seals require the spray. I used them on my current 355 . Otherwise I always used the flepro's dry with no issues.

cutlassefi

Head gaskets? Where does it say that?

coppercutlass

The last complete gasket set I had said to use the spray this was 2 years ago.

ELY442

I didnt use Fel Pro head gasket on my 455 but i did use the head gasket that came with the gasket kit that i bought from Mondello and used the copper spray.

Macadoo

The felpro blues I purchased a few months back clearly stated to install dry. But I returned them and used steel shims instead so no real world experience.

nsnarsk65cutlass

Felpro blue headgaskets i always install dry.

MDchanic

Dry: 13
Maybe: 3
Sealant: 2

- Eric

pogo69

I think you need to include an ' I dont know' because technically macadoo never installed a blue and he is going by whay the instructions said only

Lars

i say dry, the last 6 or so builds all went in dry and never had a head gasket issue...

VinMichael

I installed my blue FelPros dry. Fired it up and idled it/broke in cam for an hour or so and all seems well. Have not driven it yet

MDchanic

Well, I followed directions and advice and installed them dry.

Fired it up today - white smoke out one pipe. Damn.

Icing on the cake is that I forgot to renew the reg. (Maine doesn't send you a letter - you have to look at all your stickers every month to check ), so I can't take it out for a drive.

Compression's good (no conspicuously low cylinders).
Fingers crossed that it's just some antifreeze that spilled into the exhaust when I pulled the head...

If not, I'm goin' for the spray copper, and nobody can stop me!

- Eric

pogo69

Well I have to believe you had decent flat surfaces and torqued it properly so antifreeze spilling is logical

MDchanic

Yeah - it was normally smooth (ordinary milling marks) and squeaky-clean.

We'll see, probably Wednesday, which will be the first chance I'll have to mess wit it again.

- Eric

oldcutlass

It will clear, it happens all the time, you got coolant in your exhaust system. It just needs a good drive to evaporate it out of there.