Flathead Re-builders....Do You

rockfla

rockfla

Well-known member
Question of the day?


Had a head gasket let go on a sort of "tired", good running flathead (pushing coolant out the back of the head). Pulled the heads and no evidence of any cracks. Having the heads checked now and IF good having them "decked". The question is.......Since the block is not getting decked......do you use any kind of "sealant" product around the water ports on the block and heads with the newer graphite head gaskets???
 
If you used a steel or copper gasket and coated it with a sealer like "copper coat" you would not have a problem.
 
Almost all cylinder heads show some warping and should be checked with a good straight edge. At our shop we resurface both the gasket surface of the heads, and the deck of the block on each job. With good quality head gaskets, no gasket sealer should be necessary. It is a good practice to install a good sealer to the coolant. When I was working for a Ford dealer years ago, each "authorized rebuilt" engine included a bottle of sealer.
 
I still spray the gasket , both sides with aluminum paint . And use a thin layer of grease on the surface . Never had any leaks and I've built dozens if not more when I was employed.
 
rockfla said:
Question of the day?


Had a head gasket let go on a sort of "tired", good running flathead (pushing coolant out the back of the head). Pulled the heads and no evidence of any cracks. Having the heads checked now and IF good having them "decked". The question is.......Since the block is not getting decked......do you use any kind of "sealant" product around the water ports on the block and heads with the newer graphite head gaskets???
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No. A graphite gasket ("Best" brand gaskets are a very good choice) needs no sealer.Resurfacing the heads is a VERY good idea.



Terry
 
I use sealer on all gaskets EXCEPT the graphtite best brand gaskets. They are about as good as it gets.
 
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