Thread: Good Head Gaskets?

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The blue ones at the parts store are usually Fel-Pro Permatorques. They're good gaskets, I have a pair in my truck.

To RPope, the coating melting off should have nothing to do with the head gasket failure. The coating is a lubricant that allows the gasket to crush properly during the first torque sequence. It eliminates the need to retorqe after heat cycling the block. This is the same concept behind the Permatorque gaskets. Mr. Gasket's head gaskets are made of a material called Grafoil by Garlock. Grafoil gaskets are made of graphite powder pressed on to a stainless steel perforated core. They are also self-lubricating because of the graphite and have very high temperature capabilities. We use grafoil gaskets on superheated steam pipes with temperatures up to 1500 degrees F. Grafoil is fragile, though, and if you're having trouble lining up your heads then you don't want to use them. Other types of head gaskets are multi-layer shim gaskets. They're basically stacked layers of steel. They don't compress which can eliminate some of the distortion that occurs while torquing the heads. They're reuseable, too. The only experience I have with them is on my dirtbike. The cheapest head gaskets you get are steel shim gaskets. These ones are the ones that need to be retorqued after heat cycling the engine. Copper gaskets aren't strong enough to resist blow-out on their own and require the block be o-ringed. A groove is cut for the gasket to sit in and the block supports the gasket and gives it strength. Copper gaskets are not for the street. They make good header gaskets, though.

Back to you, 79C10. Buy new cylinder head dowels, it will make installation of the head more easy. You can pull the old ones out with pliers, but be careful. You don't want to chew up the top of the block. A safer and easier alternative is to just push them trough with a punch and into the water jacket. They wont do any harm down there. New dowels are supprisingly cheapest and your Chevy dealership. They wont have part numbers for your older engine, order them for a 97 Chevy pickup or something, they're the same. They cost about $3 for all 4. My local automotive parts store wanted $12 for the 4 of them and they had to special order them. The dealer will have them in stock.

Don't use silicone on your head bolt threads. Use a teflon pipe thread sealant PASTE or something like Permatex #2 or Aviation Form-A-Gasket. The Av. Form A Gasket will make the best seal, but I like the teflon because it lubricates the threads of the bolt for more consistent and accurate torque values. I emphasize paste because it is my opinion that teflon tape has no place in an engine. It makes little stringies that float around in your engine.