Gasket sealant

[UKROBK7]

Has anyone over here in the UK had any experience of using Edelbrock "Gasgacinch" gasket sealer on our 4 cylinder head gaskets when fitting them?  Cycle-X use it on their rebuilds and I've been told air-cooled VW owners use it as well.  I've got a tin of it and it looks almost like Evostik in texture.

Rob

[the-chauffeur]

Hey Rob

Can't help with experience, but I'd be interested to know where you got hold of the Gasgacinch stuff from.  With the trouble I've been having with oil seepage from the head gaskets of my 350's (which apparently isn't all that uncommon) I'd be interested in giving it a go - but I can only find suppliers based in the US . . .

Thanks

[UKROBK7]

I got mine from Retrodubs  on 01872 561194, he told me its a stock item and is sometimes on ebay (not at the moment).  I think I saw some posts about the stuff on the US site particularly for 836 conversions but haven't had time to search yet.  I'm not ready to mount the head so I've some time to find out what to do!!

If you decide to go ahead let us know how you get on.

Rob

[K2-K6]

At the risk or boring everybody, I'm definitely for using a sealant in addition to the head gaskets on these engines.

Working on them in period the Honda genuine and some 3rd party gaskets definitely had a tacky coating at various points to I presume help adherance to the metal and stop oil seaping out. From memory these were around the cam-chain tunnel and the studs at the ends of the barrells (it's quite a while back to remember). So you'd not be going against the grain in my opinion.

If you look at a leaked one when stripping it off it's always been leaking oil past the gasket to surface interface, so esentially not a gasket failure as such just a lack of adherance to the metal that the oil slowly passes.

I've always found they are far more successful by using a sealant. I've used Blue hylomar very thinly applied and left to dry, then properly de-grease the surfaces to make sure it sticks when torqued (used to be able to get a Unipart product that seemed like the same in an aerosol which made a really nice thin coating). If you have to remove on prepped like this it is much harder to get of which to me indicates that it has done it's job. I've never re-torqued after running either.

It sounds to me that the gascacinch is very well worth looking at as a good way of getting a reliable joint seal.

[the-chauffeur]

On the NOS 1975 US Honda head gasket kit I picked up with the additional seals (see Tips and Tricks), there was a coating of what I assume was some kind of sealant around the cam chain-way rectangle, the two holes at the very far left and right of the engine (for the cross headed bolts that hold the head to the cylinders) and the holes for the 8 cylinder studs that act as oil returns.  There were also built in crush rings around the two cylinder stud holes that act as oil feeds.

If I have to go through all this again, I think I'll be using sealant too, although sparingly.  I'm already resigned to using it on my 350's but only really want to do so around the oil feeds and oil returns . . .  Personally, I'm not keen on pasting it all over because I don't want any of it making its way into the oilways when the surfaces are compressed together.

[Paull]

Hi All,
I have and do use evostik and never had a problem, put it where you want it, let it harden off a bit and wack it on job done.
This is just my experience but it works for me.
Paul

[K2-K6]

I didn't really note how much I'd use, and that is the very smallest amount you can possibly get on there to make a continuous surface almost like the tack on selotape.

As they can get leaks in some odd places I've always cover the whole gasket area rather than guess where it's going to fail and hold a small belief that if you get a coated area next to a non coated you my inadvertantly build in a a fault line and have to take it off again if you produce a failure.

Again I agree with comments of having zero surplus to squeeze out anywhere, the method of letting the sealant dry first can only help this I feel.

[LesterPiglet]

Evostick? As in the brown liquid glue?

[Paull]

Yep

[UKROBK7]

This is great - not what I expected!  I thought I would get screams of "NO,NO,NO head gaskets should be put on dry"  but there's plenty of ideas out in the real world!  I've checked the block and head for flatness and both are within a thou (in old money), the spec for the K7 is 0.1mm (nearly 4 thou) so I am good to go when I've finished the head.

I think I will try the Gasgacinch as I've bought the tin.  I read somewhere that you coat the gasket and let it dry before putting the gasket into place.  I must admit it looks and feels like Evostick!

Rob

[K2-K6]

Sounds like a good plan Rob, be interesting to see how you get on.

I used to use tryc******* whatever the stuff was called to degrease the surfaces which seemed sucessful but don't know if you are allowed stuff like that now. Surgical spirit seems just as good as a cleaner though to give the gasket glue a fair chance of sticking to both surfaces.

I think it will work well.

[UKROBK7]

I used to use 1,1,1 Trichloroethane  as well (how about that, I can still remember it after 15 years and spell it.  Sad or what!) until the company went all environmental with water base cleaning.  I have a tin of cellulose thinners that I use now but its not as good as the old "tryc"

Rob

[K2-K6]

That's the stuff, good memory.

Mine was er-hem sponsored by HM Gov and we used to slosh the stuff all over the place so I've probably absorbed enough for a lifetime now anyway.

[LesterPiglet]

As a young foolish yoof I absorbed it on purpose. 

[Bryanj]

Airosol brake cleaner still has trike in it