Cometic head gaskets, first time user???????

Finished the short block on my 572 Keith Black engine last night and both the block and my B1 heads are smooth finished for Cometic gaskets. New gaskets, prepped finish, now should they go on dry with a silicon sealer around the water ports or do you guys spray them down with copper coat or something similar. Studs are being used. Thanks for any input.

I drilled out the brass grommets & gave all the surfaces a coat of copper-coat. I have no leaks. They come off with a little fineness without any damage.

Same thing here. Zero leaks.

Thanks guys. No silicon around the water ports?

Had both block and B1 heads to à machine shop with à sunnen top deck. Stones to very smooth surface. Went on dry, no sealer and no problems.
Remove the rivets that where on the short sides, as they would have been jammed.

Mine are dry.

I never put anything else on them and never had a problem. The theory is to use them dry but I can't quite bring myself to trying it after hearing others with issues.

A little off topic here but I am getting ready to try some copper gaskets on a very high compression pump gas engine to wick away heat faster, not sure what I will use on that.

Lots of luck with that... try the copper spray to seal

I put mine on dry the first time.... When I reused them I drilled out the rivets and sprayed them with copper spray sealer. No issues either time!!

Same here - dry and no issues.

I'm leaning towards dry especially since I am only putting this together right now so I can get the new car out for some passes this year NA before Winter. The engine will be out again over the Winter to make it more nitrous Friendly.

I always use them dry. That is what Cometic recommends and usually it makes sense to follow the mfg instructions.

I agree--crazy not to listen to the guys that made them and I say again..
Coppercoat is NOT a sealer--it is a messy old product from the way back days when all they used were steel shim gaskets--usually only diesel mechanics used the stuff--it is not what you want--I guess you guys still have Indian Head Gasket Shelac too???
When we re-use Cometics we spray with Hylomar spray in the can
Costs stupid high like $60 a can range but will allow re-use of Cometics SEVERAL times --Hylomar will seal it Period!

The only reason Cometics leak water is incorrect surface RA finish--ya can't deck a block with an old Storm Vulcan machine and use MLS gaskets--if RA finish is per spec and they are installed dry like noted they will seal up.
I am actually a big fan of adding a stop leak to any new build--It is a cheap and effective way to happiness.
We start new engines everyday--and even with perfect finish, thick gaskets etc sometimes a little water will dribble out between head and block--I run the hell out of them and by the time they come to temp usually it stops like magic--with stop leak in it always does --

Every horror tale about MLS leaking water is poor finish or clamping the rivets between something

That 572 is going to make you one HAPPY racer!! It may cause rear end, heim joint, trans, converter failures etc--heck it might even bend the roll cage

I used the Hylomar on copper gaskets(15-1 comp) with o-rings, what was recommended.

LOL. No this car is from North Carolina and those guys can build cars down there.

I put them on dry......just as Cometic says. When I reuse them, I just put them back on, still with no sealer. Have reused a set as many as 6 times on a 632 nitrous motor that saw 3 kits of nitrous every pass it ever ran. Never leaked

Thanks guys I appreciate the help.

I use flatout copper head gaskets.

I normally put them on per Cometic instructions, dry I have used Copper coat on a used set that was shedding the viton(or what ever the rubber looking coating actually is ) coating per a customers demands, no difference or sealing up problems on his motor though Maybe there is more than one way to seal these rascals up

If they can be used 6 times then the price is not so bad.

Which Hylomar do you use?

I used the blue spay, didn't know there was more than one.

hylomar also has it in a squeeze tube but the spray would be the way to go, it was origionally developed to be used on jet engines and is actually made for/by Rolls Royce