Head gasket copper coat

[37 chief]

When installing head gaskets in the past, I have sprayed a coat of copper coat to both sides of the gasket even though gasket mfg. says nothing is needed when installing the gasket. Do you think this does any good, or is a waste on money?

 

[Bob]

I ALWAYS use it on steel or copper-faced gaskets, NEVER on "fiber" head gaskets.

 

[Walt Davies]

Clean the surfaces and make sure that they are flat and then put it together with only the gasket. If copper coat was so good the manufactures would be using it. They don't use anything and have very good luck with sealing. Gaskets are made to seal without any help from all that gunk that is sold on the market, that stuff is for people who don't know how to prepare a surface for a gasket.
Walt

 

[Bob]

As far as the metal-faced head gaskets for old tractors are concerned BULL PUCKEY on your comment NOT to use sealant.

 

[Red Dave]

I use it and have not had any problems or head gasket leaks. The last few I put on had stamped right on them "Sealant and retorque required".

I figured that the people who made the gaskets knew what was best for them.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The one I put on my Case has held up quite nice for two years and under heavy loads too.

Walt

 

[Anonymous-0]

I do not use any coating of any kind. The head and block have machine marks in them that hold those gaskets in place put copper coat or any other gunk on them and you will have a smooth surface that not always sometimes let the gasket slip and cause problems .I got an M farmall That had 3 head gaskets put in in 1 year They had used copper coat When I got the tractor I put 1 in with nothing . MY son uses it at tractor pulls and has had no problems.

 

[Nolan]

Almost every head gasket failure I've seen or listened to resulted from the person not following the instructions of the head gasket maker.

An iron head on an iron block lets you get away with more folly than an aluminum head on an iron block does.

 

[old]

I always use it on head gaskets and also on manifold gaskets.
Hobby farm

 

[TyTX]

Copper head gasket sealant is fine if you are using a metal gasket. If it's a composition gasket (fiber) then it's meant to be put on dry.

I've never had trouble with composition gasket failure (head or manifold) but I've had several failures with metal exhaust manifold gaskets.

As always, my free advice is worth twice what you pay for it.

 

[Spook]

On our heads and blocks (GM) we have bilateral tolerances for surface finish. This means we have a maximum roughness allowed, and a minimum roughness required - you can be too smooth and the gasket will not seal right and will weep.

 

[Aaron Ford]

I did not use it on my 65 rebuild and was plagued with weeping. I finally disassembled it and sprayed the gasket. Fixed all my problems.

Mine was a multilayered steel and copper, I think.

Aaron