Mid 50’s OMC head gasket sealer?

[Bob Wight]

Drifter – I’ve used Permatex Aviation Gasket Sealer in all of my outboard rebuild projects and also used it for years before that on my everyday boat motors and aluminum block car and truck engines with no problems. If you find the Technical Data Sheet for the Aviation sealer on the Permatex website, it indicates it can be used on marine engines. I’ve not used it on outboard cylinder head gaskets only because every replacement head gasket I ever used was marked USE NO SEALER.

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[drifter]

I looked at the tech data on the Permatex Aviation gasket maker and can find no information on copper being an ingredient. I have several new head gaskets for the subject engines and can find no indicators as on them as to sealers.
I think at this point I’m going to install dry and use the Permatex on the head bolt threads as I have done for years (also on the exhaust cover bolts)..
I remain curious as to the pros and cons of using sealer on these dry head gaskets and look forward to hearing any comments on successes or failures.
Thanks to everyone for their input.

[garry-in-michigan]

Aircraft engines by design are made as light as possible consistent with reliability. This involves a LOT of aluminum. I worked for Bob McElroy for a while. He drove the Gold Cup hydroplane “Such Crust” for Lee Schoenith who owned the bakery. In the off season we overhauled the engines that powered those huge boats. YES – we used a lot of Aviation Permatex. NO adverse effects were found . . .

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