Cascade Crew

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

So I got the FelPro 1094 shim head gaskets for my car and they are rubber coated, do I still spray them with the Coppercoat? Or just put them on the way they are?

If I do use the Coppercoat, do I spray it on them right before I put the head on, or do I spray it and wait for it to dry?

Also, Paul, you told me which valve cover gaskets to get for these centerbolt valve covers. I forgot, plus you told me about RVT on one side of the gasket and something else on the other side to keep it from sticking. Could you please refresh my memory.

Thanks

chevymad · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject:

If the gaskets are coated you don't apply anything. The coating does the job. I use the double thick cork gaskets with the metal center. Napa used to have victor ones which were awesome.. but now they have felpro.. not as nice and $$$ I glue mine to the valve cover and put nothing on the other side. Heard of some people using vaseline on the other side so they wont stick though. Havent had the problem though.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:29 pm Post subject:

USE THE COPPER COAT!

Those are my headgaskets. Everyone on TC and Chevytalk said coat em. 3 gasket sets and no leaks so far! Torqued them down @ 35/45/50/55/60/65

Those last 5lb inciments were recommended on TC and such too to eliminate the need of ever needing to retorque. Don't know if it matters, just what I do now with those gaskets and the coppercoat and no problems for me.

Get everything prepped to install then spray them down. They should look copper. Not copper/black. You'll get the hang of it. Follow the directions. I think you let it setup for a few min then put it on. It's kind of a indefinitely tacky thing. Cleans super easy with brake clean.

Like B said on the valve cover gaskets. Double cork, metal center. Glue (Gaskecinch) one side to the valve cover. Set it on the work bench, put some weight on it and let it setup. Then a nice thick layer of vaseline on the other side, then pop the badboy on the head.

Very Happy

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

Alright, thanks guys.

Time to get to work on it.

pathology knight · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:28 am Post subject:

not sure if this applies... (in regards to the valve cover gaskets)

but be cautions with those felpro gaskets. i got a set for my 89 t/a (they were orange) and they didn't really fit. i paid a little extra for them, being i thought they would be better, and they weren't....they were to short! i had everything at my family's garage (middle of nowhere) so i didn't have time to take them back. i got them to work (jimmy rigged) but i wouldn't buy them again.

i'm sure i just got a fluke set, but i thought i'd share.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:34 am Post subject:

Too short? How so.

We are using these gaskets on Tall, ball milled aftermarket valve covers. Not on stock covers.

pathology knight · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:11 am Post subject:

the valve covers fit just fine. (aftermarket)
the gasket underneath was to short.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

The rubber ones are designed to be a stretch fit.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

Dewey316 · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:27 am Post subject:

FWIW, I have the rubber coated shim gaskets on my car, I didn't copper coat, and I can't say that I have noticed my head gaskets leaking....

And I have always used the rubber stretchy centerbolt gaskets when I had them.

--John

blue89 · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:41 am Post subject:

I used the rubber centerbolts as well. I actually glued them to the cover with that weather seal stuff and then bolted them down. Must have worked good cause they're still on there. Very Happy

pathology knight · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:14 pm Post subject:

i think i had to use some glue too.
they would stretch, but i had to stretch them so far they would stay in place! Embarassed

live and learn.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:37 pm Post subject:

The rubber ones work dandy on stock type valve covers. When you get the ball milled aluminum covers though there's no inner lip to hold the gasket in place. With these you have to go to a cork gasket, preferably one with the steel insert. I think you'd have to use super glue to get a rubber one to stick to the ball milled covers.

alloy · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:56 pm Post subject:

How think are those 1094's?

Dewey316 · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:01 pm Post subject:

Dan, I think they are .015"

--John

alloy · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks John. I'm shooting for a .040 quench, so hopefully I'll have the piston down .025 in the bore, a .015 gasket should be perfect. But will have to get the pistons in the bore and see for sure where they are.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

Twilightoptics · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject:

The trouble I had wasn't that they slid out into the valve train area, but that they weren't thick enough. The valve cover would bottom out before sealing. This might be a protopline problem. IIRC the valve cover would hit the perimmeter(sp?) bolt flanges before the gasket sealed.

Schultzy89GTA · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject:

HATED the rubber valve cover gaskets. Have been using the cork/steel valve cover gaskets for about 4 years (same set) with no issues.

Felpro head gaskets with no copper coat with no issues. But I don't have an engine that pushes the envelope much.

-Schultzy

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:17 am Post subject: