hey guys, im in the middle of replacing my head gasket.... im going to order arp head bolts, but where should i get the head gaskets from? i know the 99+ are better, but would ones from like napa be sufficient? also i was searching and seen on a few posts about resurfacing the heads? is this necessary? the car never overheated, just smoking white really bad and shaking.... also i have yet to remove the valve covers, are those gasket the reusable rubber ones, or will i need new ones to...

thanks for any help.... i want to try and keep the engine as closed up as possible since is outside, but i want to get all the stuff together so i can just try and do it all in a day or two

 

I reused a couple valve cover gaskets that were in good condition and no problems so far. Read this http://v6power.net/vb/showthread.php...t=head+gaskets it should help answer the rest of the questions you have.

 

thanks!.... that thread had a lot of good info.... looks like i will have them resurfaced, i only wanna do this once, well at least for a while... do u know a good website to order the ford mls 99+ head gaskets from? or should i get them at the dealer? also how much do u think to have the heads resurfaced? ive never had that done before, thanks!

 

I don't know if these are ford mls gaskets or not but you could call and ask. http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...layCatalogid=0

 

thanks man I appreciate you takin the time to look that up for me. I am still kinda new to this.

 

Just make sure that when you uninstall the old heads that you remove the bolts opposite the order they install. Also, when removing them only undo each bolt 1/4 of a turn untill all are loose. If you do not uninstall them in this manner it's highly likely that you'll warp the heads beyond resurfacing ability.

 

Im glad u mentioned this because i had no idea about that.... i did a head swap on my fox those were iron heads.... i gotta pick up a book in the next few days...

 

Oh, same goes for the lower intake, both can be warped, especially the lower intake. Also pay close attention to the toque settings, and you'll retorque the bolts in three stages, an initial torque, a mid torque, and the final torque setting. Then once everything is torqued, go back through bolt by bolt and double check.

When torquing the head bolts go to autozone and get some anti seize for the bolts, I can't remember who makes it, but it's in a gray/silver bottle, that stuff works wonders. You'll use this for the bolts that do not enter the radiator/fluid jacket. For the bolts that enter the fluid jacket (the small bolts) make sure you instead use thread tight sealer (this stuff is in a small white tube and listed to seal radiator/cooling systems), this will prevent head gasket failure and will ensure proper seal and torque.

 

Oh do not get the thread sealer confused with thread tight (stuff that locks bolts in place, or helps reduce slipage) you will not use this anywhere on the engine. Also, don't forget to get some gasket maker as you'll need to use this on the lower intake, and thermostat cover, along with the gasket, to help ensure a great seal.

 

i always copper gasket spray the headgaskets before re-installing and install them tacky not dry. the proper torquing sequence for the arp studs is found at www.moranav6racing.com.

edit i see your getting the bolts and not the studs. follow a bolt torquing sequence not the stud sequence

97/98 ford mls gaskets are also just fine to use in fact i can tell them from 99+ ford gaskets.