[BKeeling]

Hey all, Im going to be doing headgaskets on the old high mileage 5.3.

Im using reusable head hardware and MLS gaskets for the heads.

I know there are probably MLS exhaust gaskets as well but a quick search didnt give me a comparison thread here?

I know on the ford aluminum motors they come with MLS gaskets but they actually recommend swapping to an asbestos gasket when you redo them because the mls gaskets wont reseal?

That said I did motors with both asbestos one use gaskets AND reused oem MLS gaskets with copper spray and honestly neither gave me any problems...

What are yalls thoughts? Go for MLS and cross fingers on reusability later?

How likely am I to need new manibold bolts?
Is the stock hardware a stud with nuts like on a ford?

Also, I havent looked but Im expecting to need egr gaskets from general experience, correct?

 

[BKeeling]

The goal is sort of "budget and reusable"

My plan is to string this block along while I aquire stuff to build an aluminum 5.3 with a twinscrew using ctsv stuff and smaller lysolm or whipple style blower.

Im thinking to just put power adders on the truck block while I aquire and build the other motor on the side. When the raggedy truck motor goes, Ill have a much cooler longblock to go under said power adders, right?

 

[tdrumm]

Just get stock GM gaskets. They work great. The manifolds are held on with bolts, which are reusable.

 

[BKeeling]

Are they metal? Or graphite? Or asbestos/foil?

 

[tdrumm]

Metal

 

[BKeeling]

Okay Im seeing round, oval, and square port gaskets.

Most are MLS, a few are graphite, and one company even has Copper?

Hmmm...

 

[BKeeling]

For only $30 when the cheapest steel mls gasket is $20 im having a hard time understanding why not?

These are mls, just copper, right? Or are they solid copper like a copper headgasket? Would I need arp studs for that to be a benefit? If so then hard pass, its not a race engine like that...

 

[BKeeling]

Okay, the gaskets coming off are MLS GM gaskets so I will just clean them up and clean both surfaces and spray the gaskets with copper spray.

This worked great on aluminum ford applications and I cant see a steel manifold on an iron block being harder to keep sealed...

Hopefully I dont break any bolts. Might use the money I save reusing the gaskets to buy stainless studs so this all comes apart easier if it fucks up again in the future...

 

[BoltspeedMen]

You’re over thinking it. GM made a fantastic gasket. mahle or BTR have great MLS replacements. The felpro is garbage, and any paper style will break in a month.

Bottom line it’s not 1960 anymore.

 

[BKeeling]

Okay does another applications studs work or something? Im not seeing any for ours but I saw a guy put some in?

 

[BoltspeedMen]

Okay does another applications studs work or something? Im not seeing any for ours but I saw a guy put some in?

Explain that post about gasket spray, and I might let up the part number.

 

[BKeeling]

Yeah Im reusing the gm mls gasket Ive done it on fords with luck. Using the money saved for stainless studs so it will strip easier next time lol.

Im buying arp bolts and studs for the exhaust.

Then if the old gasket is mls I will reuse that like I have on fords, and reuse the exhaust gasket as well. Total cost is the hardware (so it will come back apart easier) and two cans of copper spray.

Its janky but at 240k miles Im betting on it coming apart again before a copper spray retorque with better hardware and copper spray give me any issues...

Plus 6.0 racing radiator so it should run cool af hence forth anyway...

 

[BKeeling]

Make sense?

Basically not investing a lot on disposable stuff on a motor that might need rod bearings in the future and then ahh hell they make a flat plane rotating assembly that would sound ridiculous under a blower... The rabbit hole gets deep with these lol

 

[BoltspeedMen]

Make sense?

Basically not investing a lot on disposable stuff on a motor that might need rod bearings in the future and then ahh hell they make a flat plane rotating assembly that would sound ridiculous under a blower... The rabbit hole gets deep with these lol

Zero.

The gasket is reusable, it mls. After 100k not so much. But it’s only only $20 a set. You’ll spend more than that on “spray”.

 

[BoltspeedMen]

Plus 6.0 racing radiator so it should run cool af hence forth anyway...

They run at 210. Dropping temps will not make it run or last longer. It’s not a ford, or any other motor. It’s an LS with there own problems and benefits.

 

[BKeeling]

So are you going to tell me the part number for the studs?

Or lecture me about reusing a reusable gasket on a 240kmi truck engine that Id replace if I had the capability right this moment?

Or best of all, suggest a $1500 rebuild on a 240kmi truck I only paid that much for at auction?

Most people would just keep driving it till it chucks a rod and then sell it to the junkyard for $200, as it stands right now any repair at all is investing more than its worth from a purely responsible adult viewpoint.

Im only fucking with a Government Motors truck to begin with because it was my fathers and he died.

 

[BKeeling]

And it runs at "engine power reduced due to temperature" or whatever because I run it at redline in the fucking mojave desert all day.

Im sorry you slave over a machine you ask less from than an uber...

 

[Jack1181]

fuck sakes spend the 20 bucks on new mls gaskets and be done with it

and for a 240k mile motor, dont spend the money on stainless arp exhaust studs.. complaining about buying 20 dollar gaskets but want to put 150 dollar stainless arp studs on?

zero sense. again, use mls gaskets and 30 dollar arp black bolts and be done with it. or better yet, 11 dollar dorman bolts that will last another 240k

 

[JLGMT82]

Dude just get the Mahle mls head gaskets, steel ac delco exhaust gaskets, and stock ass bolts. Unless you're throwing a retarded amount of boost on this thing, studs are a waste of money. Even then, stock bolts will last a while in that case, they're plenty strong.

 

[BKeeling]

I already ordered carbide black grade 12.5 header studs for 17 bucks lol...

Im looking for the arp head bolts for the 03- heads with 12pt heads for retorques now...

Seems the standard 6pt arp bolts for 170 dont allow a retorque without stripping the head?

Why in the world are the 6pt everywhere and not the 12pt besides for the 04+ heads?

Looking at some small speed shops in house bolts now?

Theyre 170k instead of 200k like arp BUT they are high enough strength to exceed the 75lb torque of the heads well under 75% of yeild? And $30 less for 12pt heads? What do we think?