AlexE

Is there any step missing in the following ?

1. clean off both block and head surfaces completely, use acetone to remove traces of oil
2. spray even layer of Permatek Coppercoat on top and bottom sides of headgasket
3. let dry until tacky, about 15-20 minutes
4. place gasket on block, line up with the locating dowels
5. carefully lift up the top layer of the gasket and inspect the inner silver layer
6. the cut-out figure-8 inner rings should not be overlapping the outer silver layer anywhere
7. carefully put down the top-layer
8. install head without disturbing gasket and torque to specifications.

Thanks

Ski

Just my .02...I've installed two of these within the last 4 months and they have been installed CLEAN and DRY. No problems to date on both cars, one of which was mine.

Not sure which gasket you have but if it's the one from Performace Developments, eliminate step two.

Don't get excited if one of the dowell openings is a little tight. Use a small pc of wood or a 3/8" drive extension(open end) to push on the gasket very carefully - front was easier to get to. Make sure all of the nuts have 15 ft/lbs(20Nm) on them before going to the next step.

AlexE

SKi,

Thanks for the info.

This gasket is from Guru (which is from PD unless someone can tell me different).

These are the directions that came with the gasket........ I was not sure about step 2, and was my reason for posting.

SO I guess my head goes back on this weekend....

Thanks for clearing it up.

rhesus

There was a big discussion a while ago on whether or not to use the spray with the metal HG, if you can find it in the archives it could be helpful.

m42racer

Performance Devcelopments advises no use of any kind of spray/glue. the gaskets come with a very thin layer of Viton which acts as the boundary layer.

To answer your other question, I understand Guru buys the Gaskets from PD. PD is the Cometic Dealer for these gaskets. I understand from them they have many sizes in stock.

superjet.1

the gaskets are made by cometic for pd and DONOT spray anything on them period. PD also has some very nice headstuds a good time to replace those stretched out oldies.

AlexE

Thanks for the info... M42 and superjet....

Have a great weekend....

TonyG

I would advise a small layer of sealant be applied around the main water jacket return on the front of the head.

There is small design defect there which can allow pressurized coolant to enter the rear most bolt hole, which can them leak out by the bolt head.

The location to apply is basically around the rear most bolt hole, on both the top, and bottom of the gasket.

TonyG

AlexE

Has this occurred ?

I will take a good long look at it.

Thanks.

TonyG

AlexE

Yes.

You will see the raised ridge (for that compresses to seal). It runs on the inside of one bolt hole, but not the other (on the gasket top and bottom layers). Without the raised ridge, water can get continue to travel across the gasket. The ridge does exist along the outline of the gasket, so the leak won't appear externally. The leak can (and did) appear at the rear bolt. Water was coming out where the washer meets the head and where the bolt head meets the washer. Quite a bit I might add.

The fix simply required me to use a sealer in that bolt hole with sealer on the bolt/washer. It didn't require me to pull head thank God....

Milledge told me about this about a year and a half ago. He was right!

I should have applied the sealer around that rear bolt hole (top and bottom of the gasket), which would have prevented the issue in the first place.



TonyG

m42racer

Great advise. When others find something and share it we all benefit.

Thanks Tony.

AlexE

Tony

I took a look at the gasket tonight and I see what you are saying. Definitely looks like a potential problem, but hard to judge how bad it could be.
I still don't like the idea of putting a sealant on this gasket but it does make sense, what did you end up using as a sealant?

Thanks again.

TonyG

AlexE

I used some factory Porsche silicon based sealer I purchased a couple of years ago. Get ready: $125.00 for a small tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cough cough... getting up off the floor now....

Long story as to why I purchased this... but the short version is that on a previous 951, the upper rear balance shaft plug was leaking. I used this sealer to stop the leak w/o having to pull everything apart. This specific sealant is used on 911 cases to stop leaks where the cases have a crack.

Anyway... I used that becuase I had it.

I would use some RTV. Apply a very thin layer around the block water return, around the rear hole. Then apply the same amount, and same pattern on the top of the gasket (the bottom won't need it because you would have already applied it on the block). Then set the head and torque.

You will be fine at that point, at least with respect to that issue.

I would not install that gasket w/o applying the sealant as decribed above.

There is a very real possibility that you will have the exact same leak.

I'm getting ready to pull my head to try out some factory studs and a slightly modified version of the metal gasket. At that point, I will be applying the same solution.

But as it is now, and as I expected, the situation is resolved.

Lesson: Don't question Milledge!

TonyG :-)

AlexE

Well I installed the head with the new gasket.

What is interesting I had a Widefire gasket fail (external leak) on my 944NA a couple of years back..... I never thought of looking at that area on the gasket. The leak had caused that bolt to completely seize and I ended up having to drill it out.........

SO I took a look at a Widefire gasket that I have and it has the same issue. It is hard to see in this picture but the same bolt is exposed to possible coolant problems. In my case with my 944NA it allowed the coolant to migrate just as you described causing the bolt to seize and eventually causing an external leak.

Hopefully this info helps in future installs of both Metal and regular headgaskets....

Thanks again Tony.....

AlexE

Widefire........