Copper spray on MLS head gasket?

[kyleconstantine]

Just to complete this thread. After a week of retorquing it's finally settled and the drip is gone! Thanks for all the advice guys.

[kyleconstantine]

I checked the area of the head that was leaking only but not the most recent time the head was off. Ill keep tightening and going for short drives till it stops for now. That's probably what I should have done with the first gasket. Does it make a difference if I tighten it when the engine is hot vs cold?

[digger]

It will never seal with the bolt loose. Just keep torquing each heat cycle until it stops relaxing as the gasket will eventually stop creeping. I had same issues with valve cover
have you verified that the surfaces of head and block are good. I know they were surfaced but that doesn’t mean they were good or are still good

[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.

[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]

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?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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]

Try FelPro

[packratbimmer]

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

[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?

[digger]

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

[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.