[Adran]

When I removed my head, I noticed there was some kind of white sealant around where the intake manifold meets the head and blocks off the coolant passage there. It looks like it was applied to both sides of the intake manifold gasket, presumably to prevent coolant leakage around that seal. Is this strictly necessary upon reinstallation of the head? If so, what kind of sealant should be used for this?

Also, what do you guys use as a good thread sealer for the head bolts that go into the water jacket?

 

[1lowscort]

I have never used any extra sealant on the intake gasket. Also, no sealer on the head bolts, you are supposed to lube them up with a very small amount of plain motor oil.

 

[Adran]

Really? That's funny, the little pamphlet that came with my Fel-Pro head bolts said the bolts going into the water jacket needed sealant, and every other one just used oil like you said. Now I'm trying to remember if any of them even go into the water jacket...

When I first took the head off, every single bolt had sealant on it, which I know was wrong.

 

[1lowscort]

I quite sure none go into the water jackets.

 

[Adran]

Yeah, I just checked. Silly me. :\

 

[WJC]

I think I remember that warning, and it's more like "if the bolt go through the water jacket, then use the sealant". On some Ford applications like the 3.8 TBird motors, you have to do that on certain bolts. Not on the 1.9.

 

[UnexplodedCow]

I use old-school gasket shellac on all the gaskets, as it's helped prevent deterioration, and seals better. But it's not necessary. The white sealant was probably contact adhesive, a gasket sealant, or even silicone.

No head bolts go into a water jacket. Definitely don't use sealer on them. If there was sealer used before, chase the threads with a good tap, and use compressed air to blow them out, otherwise you'll get the wrong torque reading on the bolts, and will be more likely to blow the gasket. I used a thin layer of Lubriplate on almost all the bolts of my engine. I even assembled it with the stuff. No modern synthetic assembly lube for me...just plain white moly grease . Besides, it can be added to the engine oil as a viscosity modifier, and has very high moly and ZDP in it, so it's not harmful.