I'm getting close to installing the head on the block and noticed that Felpro has changed their HG, they use to have the orange sealant going around all coolant and oil holes. I have always installed HG's on bare metal but now I'm wondering if I should follow Tom Monroe's advise and spray both sides of the HG with high temp aluminum paint.  The mechanics down at Whitehead Performance use a very thin layer of Permatex Ultra Black on either side and swear by it. Anyone want to weigh in?

I like em dry......never had a single problem with 510 or Z head gaskets installed dry.

Edited August 5, 20186 yr by Diseazd

I spray both sides of  the gasket with copper coating from permatex

Me too on the head gasket dry, but I did dab some RTV ultra black on top of the side seals and around the front cover.

Read a lot of guys spraying the manifold though.

Edited August 5, 20186 yr by siteunseen

I was reading the FSM for mine and noticed they mentioned a spray coating on the head gasket. Never knew that.

From FSM: " Spread sealing agent over cylinder block surface. Place the gasket on it and apply sealing agent to the gasket top."

I just installed a Felpro head gasket on my L28 and it had a sticky coating on it. I installed it just that way with no coating.

I also did the same with the last Felpro I used. Non problems. You just want a very clean block surface and straight head surface.

I installed a Felpro permatorque dry on my L28ET a couple of months ago - running  14 pounds of boost...

1 hour ago, Lumens said:

I was reading the FSM for mine and noticed they mentioned a spray coating on the head gasket. Never knew that.

From FSM: " Spread sealing agent over cylinder block surface. Place the gasket on it and apply sealing agent to the gasket top."

I just installed a Felpro head gasket on my L28 and it had a sticky coating on it. I installed it just that way with no coating.

I also did the same with the last Felpro I used. Non problems. You just want a very clean block surface and straight head surface.

That's interesting.  I found it in the 1972 FSM but checked 1976 and it's gone, they changed the instructions completely.

Thank you Gents, dry it is.

Also consider. In 40+ years head gasket technology has changed a lot. Bottom line. Go with what the Head gasket manufacturer recommends. 

On 8/5/2018 at 4:28 AM, 240260280 said:

I spray both sides of  the gasket with copper coating from permatex

I do the same.   Les Cannady at Classic Datsun Motorsports recommended this to me during my first Z engine rebuild.  I am sure he has prepped more Z engines than the average bear, so I take the advice as gospel.  Never had a problem.

I always install them dry.

Chuck