Re: Prior to head gasket replacement

[Simon Favre <simon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

There are several spray-on gasket removers. Permatex makes one that's
pretty aggressive. For large chunks, you will have to use repeated
applications. I use a very stiff, but dull putty knife for scraping.
You want it stiff so the blade won't flex. You want it a little dull
so it won't bite too fast. You do want the edge straight, tho. Just
before putting the new gasket on, clean the surface with brake
cleaner, or something that leaves no residue. Most carb cleaners
will leave some residue. Work slowly and try not to get crud into the
cam bearing oil passages.  You can tape a drinking straw to the end
of a shop vac tool to get crud out of the cylinders.

Cover the pistons and clean the crap off the studs. You can clean the
studs by spraying WD-40 in the nuts and running them down on the
threads till they bottom. Wipe clean. You can use anti-sieze or motor
oil on the threads. I coat both sides of the washers.

Use the "ricambi originali" gasket. This is typically made by Reintz.
(spelling?) This gasket requires no sealer, but Jon Norman of Alfa
Parts recommends putting some on the back end by the oil return holes.
Basically, from just behind the last o-ring on back. I use Permatex
Copper form-a-gasket brush-on. It also comes in a spray. 

There are 2 schools of thought on the o-ring business. With the roll
pins, or tubes, you can use the o-rings that come with the gasket.
The little brass tubes caused a problem the last time I tried to use
them. They're too fragile. What I and several well respected engine
builders do is skip the roll pins and just use square cross-section
o-rings. These special o-rings are actually Chevy valve stem seals.
I think the engine size is a 260 cid. They are slightly thicker than
the gasket, and the square cross section prevents them from twisting
into a figure 8 like the OEM ones. They work like a charm.

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