Cylider Head Gasket Fitting Tips Please

[pertonpc]

Ok I should be getting my ZRX head with new valve seals and two new studs back from Debbens after Xmas.

When I stick it back on I am planning to renew all the copper washers on the long head bolts (just on the four outers).

Have cleaned up the gasket face and piston crowns and top of bores.

FSM does not mention applying anything to the face before seating the gasket - so presume they expect it to be fitted dry to clean metal.

Do any of the engine builders apply anything to the faces before the gasket is tightened down to help it seat/ seal better.

Was considering whether a light smear of grease, engine oil, wd40 might assist as it gets squashed to seal.

Or is it best on clean metal which I could wipe with thinners to get all traces of cleaning fluid/ lubricant off.

Advice/ tips/ avoids needed please - as I don't want to end up with a leak or coolant water getting where it should not.

Have had great results on rocker cover gaskets with a smear of grease before fitting - hence the thoughts.

Thanks for looking
From Mark

[z1bman]

just make sure both surfaces are clean & free of grease fit new gasket & torque it down

[PAULJAC47]

Few things i would do,if you are only renewing four of the washers anneal the rest,make sure head gasket is right way up and pref genuine as seals should be,make sure head is clean and flat before re install ,you say you have cleaned crowns,how did you stop residue and carbon etc going down bores?dont need anything on gasket.Crank up head bolts in correct sequence,re tighten after 500 miles,using good torque wrench....

[pertonpc]

Thank you,

The head is L shaped with longer cam chain tunnel next to cylinder 1 and protruding to front by exhaust studs - so I reckon there will only be one way I can fit the gasket (not reversible).

So I will go with the clean approach.

Will torque the head bolts down in the FSM sequence and also planning to take them up to torque in even increments rather than one tightening per bolt.

Have checked bores for residue by turning it over and wiping carefully a few times when exposed.

It is getting a genuine gasket and stem seals to be sure.

Only outer 4 washers are copper - will annealing do anything to the 6 non copper inner ones ? If so remind how you do it please.

Cheers

[zed1015]

Only anneal the copper ones, doing the others (steel) won't do anything except maybe burn off any plating.
Even though you are fitting new copper it's worth annealing them first as they are work hardened during the stamping process.
Simply heat to cherry red and either let them cool naturally or quench in clean water.
The end result is the same however quenching gives better visual results as it also removes the oxides leaving the copper washers a clean copper colour and not blackened.

[pertonpc]

Thanks for that tip

[kev edwards]

If you anneal the washers and they still produce a ringing sound it has not worked and will need annealing again, they need a dull sound.