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Thread sealer on head bolts

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Just Strokin 
#1 ·
I didn't put thread sealer on the head bolts of my 289 because I thought they are blind holes. Then I read about the sealer on this forum and in my shop manual, so I took off a head (the engine is still on the stand) to be able to clean threads, as I had put oil on the bolts, so no sealer would stick.
I looked at the holes again and I don't see any connection to the water channels. I sprayed degreaser in the holes and that doesn't disappear either. So is it just me, or are they really blind holes?

I'd rather leave the other hand on, because removal doesn't make the head gaskets any better.
 
#4 ·
On 2003-07-24 14:02, DblADigger wrote:
Early 302 and ALL 289's have blind holes that do NOT require sealer.
That's what I thought too. Yet my 65 Shop manual talks about sealer in the paragraph about installation of the heads, yet in the torque spec table it says that you need to oil the threads. That obviously doesn't match. Seems like they are blind holes anyway. It's a pity I took of a head because now the gasket is damaged. It's a Fel Pro Permatorque and because I painted them with high temp paint (to make the seal and stick extra good), some of the graphite stuck too the head. It may still be good, but I don't really like maybes when it comes to head gaskets


Always something that goes wrong...
 
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