Can anyone fill me in on what I should use as a sealant for my head bolts? My books etc. say that the bolts need to be sealed since they are going into the water channels - but what should I use? Permatex's Blue Threadlock?

Thanks for any help!!!


Ken

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1986 IROC-Z Conv't
- White Gauges, 17x9.5 TT II rims w/275/40x17" F1s, 1.5" Jamex Lowering Springs, BMR stb, Lakewood APR, PST suspension parts, Edelbrock Trailing Arms, KYBs, Edelbrock RPM Cat-Back, Edelbrock JHC Headers, Catco, World Products Heads, CompCam, SLP runners, Ported Plenum, K&N, Airfoil +polished/billet dress-up stuff
ChevyKen's Cars

Administrator @ ChevyWorld.net

 

Permatex 300 (brown gooey gunk) or PST (pipe sealer with Teflon).

Do not use silicone, or anything else that hardens; the bolts move more than you might think, and silicone will eventually tear, and you'll have a leak that gets antifreeze into your oil.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

I use the RTV Ultra Black to great success on head bolts.

Ron




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'82 Trans Am
'81 Camaro Z-28
'94 Vette LT1 Coupe

 

Ahh - awesome! I have a new Ultra Black tube, so that sounds like a plan!

Thanks to both of you!


Ken

 

I'd use the PST sealent from permatex. I think ronterry just got lucky with regular silicone.

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1991 Z28 6.0 TPI

360 4 bolt main block, TrickFlow 23 degree heads, CompCams CS270HR cam, Harland Sharp roller rockers, Accel base, SLP siamesed runners, 52MM SLP Throttle Body, Hooker Headers, Flowmaster catback, MSD6A ignition, Home made ramair system, 2500 stall, bullet proof 700R4, aluminum driveshaft...

 

Ultra Black is a wee bit different then RTV Blue...

I just used it on a 2.3 Quad Four Grand Am Engine I had to do a head job on, and works wonderfully.

Ron



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'82 Trans Am
'81 Camaro Z-28
'94 Vette LT1 Coupe

 

Silicone is silicone. There's a big difference between "just did a head job" and 100,000 miles... it works fine initially, but after a few hundred heat-cool cycles, the motion of the parts will break it up into little pellets, and it will leak. I've seen it happen way too many times, on my own motors, where within 15 - 20,000 miles, it had failed. I switched.

So I will repeat, use a non-hardening sealer if you want your engine to remain leak-free for a lifetime comparable to the factory's.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

[This message has been edited by RB83L69 (edited October 20, 2001).]

 

Loctite/Permatex PST (or equivalent) is the best sealer for bolts that penetrate the water jacket or lubrication system, IMHO.

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Later,
Vader
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If you want to beat the World, it might reach up and pull you down...
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

non hardening sealer, i use PST but permatex works good too. i'd never use RTV because it will leak, just a matter of time

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ICON Motorsports
1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond 538 F&AM

 

When you say permatex are you refering to the black gooey stuff that is used for the water pump bolts to seal them. On my last head change I used ARP threadsealer with teflon.

 

yep permatex is black gooey stuff. they make it in hardening and non hardening types. for a thread sealer application you'd want non hardening. the liquid tefelon pipe sealer is hard to beat, it's all i've used for close to 20 years.

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ICON Motorsports
1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond 538 F&AM

 

"Permatex" is a brand name for a variety of automotive and repair products, from hardening sealants and adhesives to RTV to PTFE sealants, anti-sieze compounds, gasket removers, etc.

"Regular old Permatex" is probably referring to one of their original and most famous products, the black hardening gasket sealant. This is probably not the best choice for bolts that may be exposed to thermal and changing load forces, since it can eventually allow some leakage.

The sealant of choice for bolts that enter the water jackets or oil galleries seems to be the "Pipe Sealant with Teflon", or PST. The is not the typical Teflon paste pipe sealant you can find at the local home center. The key difference is Teflon PASTE versus SEALANT. The sealant is an anerobic compound that sets and seals the pipe or joint, while the typical paste remains fluid and can fail in a straight threaded joint (like a bolt) or leak under high pressure (like in a hydraulic system).



This is beginning to look like a LocTite commercial, but it's what I use. This particular package is from the LocTite industrial division, and although is exactly the same as the "Permatex" brand (also owned by LocTite) that is sold in automotive stores, it sells for about 1/3 the cost of the consumer packages in auto parts stores. A 50cc tube of Permatex PST is about $14.00 at Pep Boys, while the 50cc tube of Pro Lock is about $5.25 at my distributor (and they're never out of it).

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Later,
Vader
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If you want to beat the World, it might reach up and pull you down...
Adobe Acrobat Reader

[This message has been edited by Vader (edited October 21, 2001).]

 

Teflon sealer ARP--$7.95 @ SUMMIT. Part number ARP-100-9904.

 

Ahhh Thanks!!!! You guys are great!
I am glad I did not yet put the bolts in - I will definitely get some PST sealant.

Thanks again!


Ken