Seems like the steel shim head gaskets from Mr. Gasket or Mancinis already have a silvery coating on them. I remember the old Mopar Performance head gaskets had no coating on them. Are we coating them all anyway or not at all? Thanks in advance.

I always use the Permatex Hi Tack red spray or the Copper coat on those type of gaskets. Never a failure in over 45 years!

Do it even though they look to have that silver spray on them already? Im used to getting them bare...

I use either silver or aluminum spray cans, several light coats and bolt them on
I use copper coat on the copper head gaskets I use but not on the stamp steel head gaskets no matter if they are painted or not stock

I put Cometics on dry the first time, then when I reuse them I drill the rivets out, copper coat the thin sides and put them back on.

So its copper coat for me.

You know what? The coating does look like dry silver paint. It doesnt rub off. So maybe spray them with paint or copper and put them on wet.
Just don't put them on dry?

I have used them without putting anything on them. The coating is a high temp coating according to Mr G. I've used them with aluminum heads, and I've even pulled a head off, and put back together with a new gasket without surfacing anything, without a problem. I'm at 11:1 CR. I think mine have about 5000 miles on them.

Just so you know, the raised embossing on the steel shim gaskets perform the sealing (combustion and fluids)... not the chemical/spray or whatever you may apply.

I'm a former gasket engineer... your question is common. Applying the chemical, if you choose, must be thin even coating... avoid RTV on the head gaskets.

I use Hylomar on steel shiim or Cometic

Tex

I bought a set. total junk in my book. the coating, whatever it is was put on sloppy. So bad that when installed, the spacing between head and block varied over .010"

It's already got the coating on it. The instructions say they are already coated, and I think says not to put anything else on them. Anyway, I put them on as they came out of the package and they've been working fine. With Edelbrock heads on 440 block.

Yes the first set I bought was put on thick and sloppy and Im trying to figure out if thats why I had a coolant leak. My current set has the coating applied nice and smooth.

From what I gather there is only one company making B/RB steel shim gaskets. I have a set of the Mopar Performance ones with no coating, they are identical to the Mr Gs but no coating on them.

I called Mr. Gasket tech years ago due to seeing a difference in their BB Mopar beaded steel head gaskets from one package to another, I was told that they had stop having them made here in the U.S. and where getting them from China
That was some years ago when you could buy them from Fel Pro, Victor and a bunch of other U.S. gasket companies.
I'm not sure who makes the Mopar brand head gaskets now
I have several different sets in stock, some of the shiny ones and some of the painted ones.
I haven't tried using a steel head gasket on a motor with aluminum heads yet