I asked an auto parts store guy who said I didn't need gasket cement on my gaskets. He said todays gaskets are better than the old ones. The Mildon pan gasket is very thick and I didn't put any cement on that or the timing chain cover.

Am I asking for trouble?

I have always used good old Permatex, "Indianhead Shellac Gasket Cement" on about everything through the years!!

Shim headgaskets, Head-bolts, w/p gaskets, intake manifold gaskets so go from there.

pdq67

even with todays gaskets, on a sbc,bbc, i always put a little permatex ultra black in the pan corners where the timing cover meets the pan/where the rear main meets the pan...also, ultra black across the front and back of the block on the intake instead of those stupid rubber pieces they give you...then they say in the instructions to use rtv and discard the end pieces...lol...

even with todays gaskets, on a sbc,bbc, i always put a little permatex ultra black in the pan corners where the timing cover meets the pan/where the rear main meets the pan...also, ultra black across the front and back of the block on the intake instead of those stupid rubber pieces they give you...then they say in the instructions to use rtv and discard the end pieces...lol...

Rarely if ever should you dope up a gasket with sealer before putting it on. Kustomwerker brings up some of the very limited uses for sealers and specific places to use them (like the pan corners or the front / rear seal areas). Everywhere else should be clean and dry with very few exceptions.

So your differential cover should only have the dry gasket?

on paper gaskets, i use indian head to keep them in place, and even on cork to keep them in place, but most gaskets work well dry...the indian head seals imperfections in the sealing surfaces...it really depends on the application...never anything on head gaskets...nothing on most intake gaskets...i use a little rtv around the coolant ports on sbc intakes,though...its really a preference thing...

Thanks a lot, I feel much better.

One more question, I didn't use Locktite on the oil pump bolt or the timing gear on the cam.
The reason...I'm an idiot and forgot.:clonk:

Is it worth tearing it apart again or should I be ok without?

I tightened them pretty good.

had a cam on a bigblock come apart because of that...you can prolly get away without loctite on the oilpump...i never use it there, but i always use it on the cam to gear bolts...even with the tab plate...(the gear that came apart on the bbc was done by someone else, not me)

This is entirely too long of a reply but I guess I had fun writing it so here ya go...

Most automotive gasket surfaces are small and the materials are poor. Just not conducive to long term sealing.

Pans... thin floppy stuff...silicone and setup before tightening, or 1 piece higher quality gasket...then silicone at the 4 corners.

Intakes...air and water directly above oil with a 1/4" thick flange exposed to different temps...warpage looking for a time/place to leak on a flimsy gasket that has about 1/8" perimeters... silicone or silicone impregnated FelPro's.

Intake end seals... I use stuff called " The Right Stuff" (supersonic silicone).

Water pumps...flimsy gasket inbetween 2 beefy surfaces... does just fine dry but if you like reusing gaskets just get some silicone between your fingers and impregnate the gasket. Good for several uses then if you tighten evenly and don't kill it to death.

Timing cover gaskets... floppy/flimsy...silicone... but snug them a day then tighten tomorrow. Do that on pans and intakes also. Lets the silicone cure mimicing the surfaces, giving a truer gasket.

Heads... beefy/beefy... clean and dry... poop of your choice on the idiotic wet bolts... I use liquid PTFE unless it's cold, then I use....SILICONE.

Don't go ape^&*% berzerk with silicone, it looks like a$$. It goes to the inside as well as the outside and can cause tons of problems. Use judicious caution and it has it's place, especially on quality challenged pieces like abounds on automotive.

You can also put em all dry, they don't leak for quite awhile but they do seep. If you never drive a dirt road and/or wash your engine regular you will never know they are seeping.

I prefer to put gaskets without poop. But the desire to have my work not leak AT ALL is stronger. And I will rip my stuff apart at the drop of a hat just for fun, and I like to re-use gaskets. Pi$$es me off to have to go make new water pump or thermo gaskets, cuz I damsure won't use one of my new ones:D I hoard. Might need em in a hurry.

Wolf's engine has no silicone except the 4 corners and the end seals, the timing cover, and a little under the rear of the rear main.

I've been building machines 30+ years for a living, and I go thru spells of what poop I use or don't use. Best rule I have ever come up with is to put what works best for what you expect it to give back to you. Got stuff I've been mad at so long I don't remember why and go back to using it then learn again why I'm mad at it. Been mad at lubriplate and clear silicone like that for a LONG time now. I'm mad at Cat Red, and I'm mad at Permatex. Ain't ever gonna use PDQ's shellac cuz it sounds like aviation Permatex and I'm so mad at them I won't ever use anything makes me think of em. This has something to do with scraping gaskets upside down in the middle of the night with huge engines screaming at you when you wish the idiot before you had put SILICONE so you could be done already and go to bed.

When I use cement I use only 2 kinds, gorilla snot or Cat Green. And I only use it where I can "give" it to a parts rebuilder unless it's on a surface I can buff. I would never glue a car pan gasket because it would ruin the pan to clean, or I would hate myself if I had to get under the car and hammer that poop off the block.

END OF TIM'S DISSERTATION ON POOP. ALL POOPED OUT NOW:D

wow tim, tell us how you REALLY feal...lmao...the gasket shelac does make for a difficult tear down, but thats why it didnt leak...lol...jm2c...

IMHO Go to any toyota or lexus dealer and in the parts Department ask for FIPG Pronounced FIB-ITCH or form In Place GAsket. It will seal anything and in impervious to oil and temp

Mike, good advice on the cam bolts, looks like I'm tearing it apart again.

Tim, also good advice, while I'm tearing it apart to use locktite on the cam bolts, I'll apply some silicone on the gaskets.

Thanks everyone, I thought I could get away with it, thanks for keeping me honest and drip free!!!