What to coat gaskets with ?????

[sunrse777]

I am putting a 4.0L back together after taking the heads off.
Any advice on which gaskets to coat with sealant and what sealant to use ?
Especially on the valvecover gaskets.... RTV ??? Sticky stuff ??
How about intake gaskets ? Nothing ??
What has worked best in the past for those that have been thru this already ???? Thanks in advance...!!! :rangerred:

 

[TooManyTrucks]

Depends what kind of gasket material. I just did a head job using felpro gaskets and the intakes were 2 piece design installed dry with a dab of rtv black in corners - black drys faster. Uppers were O ring type design so dry... Head gaskets go in clean and dry. Valve covers depending on what you get can go either way (I put my cork in dry). One consistent tip is CLEAN clean CLEAN!! all surfaces. Wipe down again after you think it is clean...

 

[Maniak]

I am putting a 4.0L back together after taking the heads off.
Any advice on which gaskets to coat with sealant and what sealant to use ?
Especially on the valvecover gaskets.... RTV ??? Sticky stuff ??
How about intake gaskets ? Nothing ??
What has worked best in the past for those that have been thru this already ???? Thanks in advance...!!! :rangerred:

Head gaskets go in dry..

Valve cover gaskets go in dry, and rubber ones work much better. If it is a cork gasket, and it has some holes smaller than others you install it into the valve cover first and push bolts through the smaller holes. This will keep it in place as you place it on the motor. If the cork gasket doesn't have the smaller holes a few dabs of RTV on the valve cover will hold it in place.

Intake manifold (lower) depends on the style. If it is the 2 piece style where they are only on the intake runner parts of the motor (no valley pan) I use "right Stuff" on the china wall (the front and back part of the motor where the intake manifold sits on).

If it has the valley pan style gasket I just use 'right stuff" in the corners where the valley pan and the heads mate.

Exhaust manifolds didn't come with gaskets when new.. but you might as well use them now since you aren't getting the heads planed with the exhaust manfolds. .. and they go on dry.


In case you don't know what right stuff is.. its like Black RTV but better and comes in a little caulk guns looking things thing or it looks like a cheese wiz can.

I have never used the "import" version.. even on imports.. I just use the ones in the black bottles.

~Mark

 

[Joe Dirt]

Right Stuff FTW!

That stuff is incredible... I don't even look at anything else after my racing days...