Luck with steel shim head gaskets?

[Sirshredalot]

Just as the title implies,

I am gonna put a new set of heads on my 327 and I want to try and squeeze as much compression out of the motor as possible to try and get it close to 9.5:1.

I am just worried about it sealing up right.
I have heard to spray some copper sealant on the gasket before the install....and I checked out the permatex website.

I already have some high-tack red gasket spray...I was wondering if that would do the samejob as the copper...after all its just used to mask any flaws in the head or block surface.

Please and thank you
God bless
-Shred

[cosvega76]

Shred,

You need to use a spray that has some metallic content. Copper gasket spray or aluminum paint. As long as the block and heads are flat you won't have any trouble with that gasket sealing. This is an especially good move if you have more than a .015" deck height. It will help keep the quench area where it should be.

Chuck

[Kenova]

In the early '70s, all I ever used were the GM steel shim gaskets. I never coated them, and the only failure I had was the one I put on up-side down. That's something you only do once.
ken

[Sirshredalot]

The side that goes down is the raised side correct?
The ridges face the deck of the block...right?

Thats what I thought ..I havent taken them out of the pack yet, but Ill be doing the swap this thursday or friday.

God bless
-Shred

[Kenova]

It's even simpler than that. They were stamped "THIS SIDE UP".
Ken

[Sirshredalot]

Well than...I suppose even I cant mess that up than eh?

But wait? what if I am viewing this world in a parrallel universe and I see the head gasket from the mirror image, than I would read it upside down and backwards on the right side but the wrong side would be right....now that would be a problem.

BUt I dont suppose Im in any parrallel universe,....most days at least.
Im probably still gonna coat the gaskets with some high-tack just to be safe as an extra precaution. Im that guy, where if it can happen, it will happen to me....ya know?

Good to know that people have had good luck with them.
I just have never checked the deck surfaces of my block or heads.
thanks for all the input yall

God bless
-Shred