Thread sealant?

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Sep 10, 2008 | 05:31 PM

96 Z-Ragtop

Thread Starter

On The Tree

iTrader: (3)

Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 153

Likes: 0

From: South Florida

Thread sealant?

Gonna be putting the heads on my 355 tomorrow night. Do I need thread sealant for my head bolts? I have read horror stories of studs leaking after bolting the heads on and I trying to avoid this problem.

I have AFR 195 Eliminators (old style) going on a 355 that is fresh out of the machine shop with a set of GM Impy gaskets. If you guys think sealant is a good thing to use, what sealant do you recommend?

Sep 10, 2008 | 05:42 PM

Formula350

TECH Senior Member

iTrader: (3)

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 7,564

Likes: 4

From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)

I dunno, with alu heads I'd think you might want to use it more than with cast irons. That's just my train of though though, based on the alu's expanding and shrinking characteristics.

Sep 10, 2008 | 05:42 PM

95maroz28

TECH Enthusiast

iTrader: (21)

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 565

Likes: 21

i used number 2 sealant on my arp head bolts. they've been good so far

Sep 10, 2008 | 05:44 PM

Speed Density

hashtagBMW

iTrader: (38)

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 6,572

Likes: 2

From: Boise, Idaho

ARP Thread sealant is what I used, get 2 tubes of it and be liberal as hell with it.

Sep 10, 2008 | 05:59 PM

Paul Bell

That's MISTER MODERATOR

iTrader: (9)

Joined: Nov 2005

Posts: 7,615

Likes: 65

From: NYC

I've always used Permatex High Tack. A bud has a blown SBC and had some leaking through the head studs when using the ARP sealent. He switched to this Permatex stuff and the leaks went away. Nice and sticky-goopy.
http://permatex.com/products/Automot...et_Sealant.htm

Sep 10, 2008 | 06:38 PM

Formula350

TECH Senior Member

iTrader: (3)

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 7,564

Likes: 4

From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)

AND it has a brush!! That's what I used on the last SBC I slapped together. Like Speed said, be liberal as hell. If you want to, just dunk each bolt in the can

(personally I think that's taking it a wee far heh)

Sep 10, 2008 | 07:17 PM

fergymoto

12 Second Club

iTrader: (129)

Joined: Aug 2005

Posts: 2,810

Likes: 3

From: Rock Hill, SC

I have used both the Permatex stuff above and the ARP thread sealer. They both work good. I prefer the ARP stuff because it is made for fasteners being torqued to a specific number. One tube of ARP is more than enough to do a SBC