installing gaskets

[1990LTD]

I don't know if it varies depending on what kind of gasket you're installing (head gasket, valve cover, intake plenum, throttle body, whatever) but what is generally the correct procedure? Do you apply any kind of sealant - like that gasket maker stuff? or is that a standalone thing?


going to do my valve cover gaskets soon...i've never had to re-gasket anything other than my IAC and with that i just stuck it on there and tightened it and it seemed fine. that gasket just came free when the iac was off, will i have to pry and scrape to get these things apart?



what's the deal? i'll have to install valve cover gaskets on each bank, upper/lower intake gasket. are there specified procedures for certain types of gaskets?


any/all tips and tricks you've assimilated over the years will be greatly appreciated.

[1990LTD]

it seems like some kind of anti seize might be a good idea but i've never used the stuff before so i don't know.

do i need new bolts for the valve covers and intake/throttle body?

[1987cp]

IIRC ...

Valvecover gaskets, carb gaskets, head gaskets, TB gaskets as well - use no goo! I found a nice deal on thick rubberized VC gaskets at Summit and bought several sets, carb gaskets I found a good deal with Napa and bought several.

Intake gaskets - apply a sealant like Edelbrock Gaskacinch (Permatex makes one too) to the underside only. For the cork or rubber end pieces, put Ultra Black at the corners only, or omit the end pieces and use a heavy bead of Ultra Black all the way across.

Exhaust manifold gaskets - I think instructions say to use nothing, but I like using Mr. Gasket Copperseal gaskets with a couple of coats of Permatex Copper Spray-A-Gasket

Waterneck - supposed to use paper gasket and no sealant. I use Ultra Black and no gasket.

Front cover and water pump - again, pretty sure you're supposed to use a gasket and no sealant, but I always use Ultra Black here too, with a gasket if I have one, without it if I don't.

Oil pan - no goo (Fel-Pro makes a lovely one-piece rubber oilpan gasket you can get if you ask for one for an Explorer), though you can of course goo it if you really want to. With a cork gasket, Gaskacinch can help with ease of assembly, and dabs of Ultra Black by the end seals are a good idea. Don't forget to also put Ultra Black underneath the rear main cap like your rebuild manual says to.


For fasteners ..... My usual rule of thumb is that most bolts on an engine, you replace only if they're badly pitted, show signs of mechanical damage (such as overtorquing), or cleaning the threads is proving to be more hassle than getting new bolts. Make sure to use at least Grade 5 on intake and front-cover fasteners. For exhaust manifolds, I like Grade 8, though normal bolts work only on stock manifolds - for aftermarket, you'll usually want typical 7/16" head "header bolts", or ARP makes some with a nice 3/8" head that are really nice.

You'll also want to replace any critical fastener (head bolt, rod bolt, main cap bolt) that's torque-to-yield (intended for only a single use), you suspect of damage, or that you feel ought to be replaced with something better (ARP products or similar).

[gadget73]

It depends what the gasket does. I generally don't like to use a lot of sealants if I can help it. With proper surface prep, a lot of times its not required. Most of the time, the replacement gasket will come with installation instructions. It will tell you what you should or should not use in a given location.

[Southern_Pride]

I use monkey snot. Just to hold them in place so they don't move. And I always trim the end gaskets for the intake. Thats the way I was taught and I've never had one leak after doing it.

[gadget73]

trim the end gaskets?

Personally never had much luck with the cork. The rubber ones work fine, but the corks tend to move on me. Fords aren't so bad because you can make up guide studs to get the intake on square, but Chevys don't have that luxury. The guide studs also make it so you don't have to glue the gaskets in place. Amusingly, Chevy intake sets now come with the head to intake gaskets and a tube of RTV. The instructions say to just lay a fat bead of RTV on the end walls and slap it together.

[1990LTD]

I figured I would need a dab of permatex just to hold the bigger gaskets (valve covers, upper/lower intake) in place while I install parts and tighten them.


I also do not have a torque wrench...is it required for these kinds of things? I don't want to break anything

[gadget73]

sealants are not gasket adhesives. If you want to stick a gasket in place, they do make stuff specifically designed to do that job. The lower intake gaskets benefit from this, but if you take 4 bolts that are longer than the intake bolts, cut the heads off and thread them into the block to work as guide pins, that will keep the intake gasket from sliding away and you don't need to bother with any of that stuff. The upper gasket lays on a flat surface, so you can just lay it there and bolt the upper in place.

You really ought to have a torque wrench if you don't have a good feel for bolt tightness.

[1990LTD]

I usually just tighten things until they seem like they won't back off by themselves. Tight but I don't crank past that point

[1990LTD]

sealants are not gasket adhesives. If you want to stick a gasket in place, they do make stuff specifically designed to do that job. The lower intake gaskets benefit from this, but if you take 4 bolts that are longer than the intake bolts, cut the heads off and thread them into the block to work as guide pins, that will keep the intake gasket from sliding away and you don't need to bother with any of that stuff. The upper gasket lays on a flat surface, so you can just lay it there and bolt the upper in place.

You really ought to have a torque wrench if you don't have a good feel for bolt tightness.

thanks....I'm not doing the block-lower gasket, just the lower-upper gasket since I'm doing the valve covers and changing the intake

[85crownHPP]

Felpro permadry gaskets all the way.

[pantera77]

Felpro permadry gaskets all the way.

Yes, and yes. Cork FTL.

[1990LTD]

All the stuff I've bought is Felpro. I've had good luck with them.

[Southern_Pride]

Them little tab thingies on the end. I just cut em off.

[91grandmarquis]

Whenever we use cork gaskets (I know you guys have your opinions about them) we put some permatex on each side... done it with oil pans, manifolds, exhaust manifolds, and especially valve covers. Only do this with cork though.. even though they shouldn't need it, it helps a lot. The fel pro stuff is good, sometimes hard to tighten on if it is the rubbery stuff (I forgot the technical name) because it will slide if you don't tighten evenly.

Just my $.02