1) Cometic Head Gasket: Dress or not? I have heard both ways. Cometic says install dry.

2) Which bolts need thread sealant? Oil passages? Water passages?

Thanks.
Adam

1. MLS = Dress. Composite = Dry.

2. I personally thread seal EVERY oil case bolt and exhaust stud. Obviously not all need it but why try and remember?!?

what about the sealant that is already on the Cometic gasket? They say not to dress it because it will interfere with the sealant.

I am just wanting to make sure I don't do something that would cause me to have to tear the engine apart again any time soon.

The only Mls gaskets I would run are oem mitsu, and the fel pro permatorque. Lots of people have had issues pushing coolant at moderate boost levels with the cometic.

That sucks. I already have the head gasket and put it on last night.

Mine has pushed some on really hot days, not sure if it was actually pushing. Either that or the coolant pressure got to high from heat and pushed past the cap. Never had any issues arise.

I personally quit using dressing at all. After removing a number of dressed head gaskets, started noticing that the dressing in all the oil passages was washed away. Where did it go? I'm sure it ended up in the oil filter or going through something it shouldn't of. Either way, dressing does not happen in my house. If both of your surfaces are straight and clean, you shouldn't have to dress it. That sh*t is for hack jobs and ignorant people.

I did not dress it. I cleaned both surfaces with the intensity of an obsessive compulsive anal retentive clean freak. Installed ARP studs and torqued to 90 ft-lbs.

Hopefully I can get it finished soon. I messed up the oil pump gasket so I had to order another one and that set me back.

For the first time using Hondabond, I am amazed at how thin that stuff is! Hopefully I don't get it on too thin that it doesn't work.