Copper spray on MLS head gasket?

[kyleconstantine]

Hey so I just got a 2.9 stroker running and broke in and it drives like a dream but of course the elring gasket is weeping just the slightest bit of oil by the passenger side front of the engine.
I ordered a MLS head gasket from ie and was about to install it but the directions say not to use copper spray. When I did some searching I've seen members on this forum saying they do spray them with copper. Any opinions? I'm probably overthinking but I just don't wanna have to do this a third time.

[It's Soda Not Pop]

I know that both surfaces have to be clean and smooth with the metal gasket.

[kyleconstantine]

Both the head and block were decked when I did the rebuild. I cleaned the surfaces and used copper spray on the elring gasket. Idk where I went wrong. I did everything but remove the head today so maybe I'll see something when I look at the gasket.

[AWDBOB]

MLS gaskets suck, for the most part. There is a very specific "RA" finish required for an MLS gasket to potentially seal. Return the MLS and buy a Genuine BMW head gasket, IMO.

If you're having trouble getting an Elring to seal, an MLS will be much worse.

[digger]

OE gasket and add a lick of non hardening aviation cement around the hole. If using ARP studs you need to retorque periodically

[kyleconstantine]

Damn I had it all disassembled last night ..was just about to pick the head off. Why don't you guys ever just tell me what I want to hear. Haha.
I see Victor reinz and elring for sale. Ive heard a lot of bad about vr and when I was first searching I read that it's common for the elring gasket to leak right where mine is leaking. Fcp says the genuine bmw gasket is backordered. Is there another one I'm missing?

[packratbimmer]

Make sure the dowels are in good shape, in place, not corroded and not too long.

[packratbimmer]

Try FelPro

[TobyB]

Oddly, yes. Fel-Pro gaskets DO seem to seal where others do not.

I don't know about durability over the long haul...

t

[packratbimmer]

Fel-Pro will often box OE parts and slap their label on them. There is no guarantee of this, but the odds are good. I have never seen a turd gasket come out of a Fel-Pro box.

[AWDBOB]

Oddly, yes. Fel-Pro gaskets DO seem to seal where others do not.

I don't know about durability over the long haul...

t

I checked out closeup photos of the Fel-Pro and it looks extremely similar to the Elring, but with one less silicone ring in that front corner. Looking at design, I wouldn’t count on the Fel-Pro sealing better.

With Goetze not making a gasket, who was the OE supplier, it’s been rumored that VR was making the latest batch of OE gaskets.

I bought a new dealer gasket recently and it had the Goetze stamp. Someone mentioned I may have gotten one from the last Goetze batch.

What can one do to make an elring gasket seal better? I have a few M20s I need to assemble, and have Elring gaskets for all of them.

[kyleconstantine]

I'm in the same boat....ecs had a genuine bmw listed that I ordered but I'm waiting to see what it says when it shows up.

[kyleconstantine]

OE gasket and add a lick of non hardening aviation cement around the hole. If using ARP studs you need to retorque periodically

Is that like permatex aviation form-a-gasket? Should I use that instead of copper spray just in that area or on the whole gasket?

[digger]

Is that like permatex aviation form-a-gasket? Should I use that instead of copper spray just in that area or on the whole gasket?

yes the brown tacky stuff non hardening. just around that particular hole as it seems to be problematic (apparently).

[kyleconstantine]

Well I've tried them all. I'm on my 4th head gasket. I've tried elring, oem bmw from ecs, MLS, and I'm back to an elring again. The good news is I can change a head gasket in about 4 hours now.
I used the dye and uv light and still can't see it coming from anywhere but the head gasket. That didn't stop me from replacing the 2 cam seals and the front rocker shaft plugs.

Just got the new elring hg installed last night. Fired it up and after bleeding the coolant it was dripping already. I retorqued the arp studs and they were almost 180° loose! After that I fired the car up and watched the spot.

I let it idle for 30 mins with cardboard under it and didn't see a drop. So I took it for a 5 min drive and when I got home the drip was back.

I'm gonna re torque tomorrow morning again. When I had the oem bmw gasket from ecs I retorqued the studs 6 times and still ended up with the leak...that gasket did look cheeper than the elring gasket and might be a victor reinz if that's what bmw is selling now.

Could my tune be loosening the studs? It seems to only start to leak when I come off idle. I didn't rev past 4k on the short drive. My tune is conservative (I think) for a 2.9 stroker. Or is the idle just too low to cause the leak? Any secrets on getting the arp studs to stay tight? I'm using arps lube on the threads and washers like they say and I've chased the threads each time with arps thread chaser.