B20 Head Gasket

[bruceatlam]

I'm doing a little R&R on my B20. When I removed the head I discovered the head gasket covered with a silicone gasket sealer on both sides. Now, that's counter to all my "head gasket" experience. I've always installed them "dry". That's how I was trained. Is there any reason to coat the gasket with a silicone sealer??

 

[aquaforce]

KW makes a spray on material (and there are other spray ons too) that helps to seal gaskets but that is the only other thing I know that is accepatable.

I'm with you on the silicone idea..............Felpro also discourages such a practice for a host of reasons which of course includes restricting passages.



My best guess is that someone did it because they were told to do so, or the gasket was getting re-used, or they didn't know any better...................I would never.

 

[aquaforce]

P.S. I said I would never......................... uh ....................let me qualify that; in drag racing there is a practice of using silicone on both sides of a "solid copper" head gasket but this is also done with great control of the application.


I have done this and it came to me as an after thought how we prepped the copper gaskets in a mountain motor for Dixie Quick 8 racing.
But this is the ONLY exception I can think of.




Maybe a drag racer owned that tractor at one time....

 

[bruceatlam]

Ttt --------