Engine and Transmission Tech

i have ordered the engine gasket set and i hear of people using gasket sealer or copper spray stuff. is that really necessary dose it make it worse or better, dose it matter? my dad was never really good with gaskets he always said just reuse them but i have learned the hard way because of that. so now i always buy new ones but i have never used the sealer before or the copper stuff is it good to use or not?

Tristan,
Check with the gasket maker!
Most gaskets these days are pretty hi-tech and won't tolerate any additional sealers.
They generally go on dry to a clean dry surface.
Sealers and copper spray are old tech that has carried through from the days when gaskets were very crude.
Get yourself a good torque wrench and use it.
It will become your best friend.
Anyone who thinks that they can torque properly by hand is deluding themselves.
Incorrect fastener tension is the biggest cause of gasket failure.
Torque tables are available on line for any size fastener that you are going to run across.
Cheers
Fred

Quote:

Get yourself a good torque wrench and use it.

I second that. The amazing thing is that a Sears Craftsman Made-in-USA beam type torque wrench can still be purchased brand-new for just $20... so IMHO someone would be out of their mind to buy a Made-in-China torque wrench. For cylinder head gaskets I totally agree with Fred. It's unlikely your supplier will recommend a sealer. But for some of the other gaskets such as valve covers and oil pan, I tend to reach for my caulk tube of "Right Stuff". I wipe gasket surfaces with acetone and give them a minute to dry before applying it.

ok sounds good guys i have a craftsmen torque wrench so it should be fine

i have a funny story about not torquing the head bolts
my dad blew the head gasket on his MGB and he replaced it (that's the only time he would was when he blew it) but when he was doing the job he couldn't find the torque wrench so he just tightened them and called it good then he was about 100 miles from home on the freeway and the gasket blew out agen and it was out the side so it made it really loud when it was running so he costed into a gas stashon and he was stuck there my mom and him had a big fight so he wouldnt call her and he didnt have AAA or any other way to tow it and it was like 12AM when this happened so everyone he could call was asleep. luckily some poor Mexican family drove him all the way home he filled there car up with gas and gave them like 40 bucks for there trubel. then he had to rent a u-haul car trailer and drive all the way down pick up the car and take it back and this time i replaced the gasket and and torque it down right and we still have no problems today with that gasket. so all in all he spent like almost 400$ in gas and renting and new gaskets expensive mistake that i got to learn from with out making it myself

I'm glad that you mentioned the good old "beam type" torque wrench Curtis.
They are the cheapest, most accurate and idiot proof torque guage available.
Just about everyone has gone to the "click type" wrench which isn't all that accurate.
They need to be calibrated often and will wander out of range very quickly if left unused or wound up for any period of time.
With no indication that anything is wrong.
I check all of mine weekly with a digital guage and it's stunning how far out that they get in such a short period.
On the other hand the beam type never goes out of adjustment unless it's been abused. And even then it will let you know because it won't return to "0"
The new crop of digital ones are nice if you have to be deadly accurate. Things like rod bolts and mains etc, (but really even there you should be measuring stretch instead of torque) you just need to be careful as they are very fragile.
In my shop we have a descending order for torque wrench use.
If there is no room for error then its torque to yield ( which can be calculated by thread pitch and fastener size or bolt stretch with a dial indicator). If it's less critical then it's beam or digital. If it's routine such as wheels or suspension then click type will do as they are much faster. ( I should mention that you get fired in my shop if you do something up with an air gun)
Any way there's my two bits.
Cheers
Fred

Fred & Curtis,

You mean the really expensive click-gauge torque wrench I bought two years ago isn't as good as the Craftsman beam torque wrench I've had since 1972? The one which I have to find the bent up degree plate and try to hold close to the rivets it was secured with?? (I should mention I paid all of $14.00 USD for mine in 1972.)

When I rebuilt my old 1953 Ferguson TEA tractor 10-years-ago I used that sucker and never knew if the head bolts were 20ft/lbs or 120ft/lbs of torque. I had the degree plate stuck on with duct tape, I think they say that fixes everything. Anyhow, It ran like a charm and I sold all those old English tractors and bought a big a$$ Kubota.

Nope!
Even if you threw the degree plate away and decided that a 1/4" of torque is good.
You're probably closer than a click type wrench.
But they are generally nice and long so they're good for undoing things!
Cheers
Fred