Couple of easy build questions

[Boiler Ben]

My 390 build is coming along.  I bought a rocker system from Precision Oil Pumps and am figuring out the geometry now.  I have a couple of easy general questions.

1. My block is painted and the paint fully covers the water pump flange areas.  See pic.  I plan to use Right Stuff on the gaskets and the threads.  Can I put this right on the painted surface or should I get down to bare metal?

2. My heads are just temporarily placed.  Once I install the head gaskets and torque to spec, can those gaskets be reused if I wind up needing to remove the heads?  Even if I run the oil pump?  This is before the engine runs for real.  I'm just thinking that if I wind up wanting to install restrictors, I'll want to do that on the bench instead of the engine.

[pbf777]

     As for the paint or no paint issue:  Do you think that the paint is a good "sealing" material?  Generally the concern would be that the coolant, in time, may lift the paint to block contact surface, this also aided by corrosion effects, then allowing the coolant to migrate between and to the exterior.     So generally, "no' one should not allow the paint to remain.   

     As for the gaskets:  Without a heat-cycle event, as long as on disassembly the surface material or coating does not adhere to the head or block, or become damaged, then yes, even though one would prefer not to practice this, you should be O.K..

     Another possibility if your uncomfortable with the idea of possible gasket damage or of a "re-crush" scenario would be to just reduce the torquing spec. "some", say 20 ft. lbs., follow through with your oil testing procedure, and if the heads don't need to come back off then just follow though with the final pull or a proper "re-torquing" to the full ft.lbs. spec..; but then if they do, 'maybe' the lesser torque number might help in not scrubbing the gasket surface so hard and better your chances for reuse.   
   
     Scott.

[blykins]

My 390 build is coming along.  I bought a rocker system from Precision Oil Pumps and am figuring out the geometry now.  I have a couple of easy general questions.

1. My block is painted and the paint fully covers the water pump flange areas.  See pic.  I plan to use Right Stuff on the gaskets and the threads.  Can I put this right on the painted surface or should I get down to bare metal?

2. My heads are just temporarily placed.  Once I install the head gaskets and torque to spec, can those gaskets be reused if I wind up needing to remove the heads?  Even if I run the oil pump?  This is before the engine runs for real.  I'm just thinking that if I wind up wanting to install restrictors, I'll want to do that on the bench instead of the engine.

My experiences:

I've never had issues with water pump sealing on painted flanges like that. 

I've also never had any issues with reusing head gaskets in the way that you describe. 

[My427stang]

My 390 build is coming along.  I bought a rocker system from Precision Oil Pumps and am figuring out the geometry now.  I have a couple of easy general questions.

1. My block is painted and the paint fully covers the water pump flange areas.  See pic.  I plan to use Right Stuff on the gaskets and the threads.  Can I put this right on the painted surface or should I get down to bare metal?

2. My heads are just temporarily placed.  Once I install the head gaskets and torque to spec, can those gaskets be reused if I wind up needing to remove the heads?  Even if I run the oil pump?  This is before the engine runs for real.  I'm just thinking that if I wind up wanting to install restrictors, I'll want to do that on the bench instead of the engine.

My experiences:

I've never had issues with water pump sealing on painted flanges like that. 

I've also never had any issues with reusing head gaskets in the way that you describe.

X2

[TJ]

If you had a smooth and even paint job, I think it'd be okay to seal over.  Kinda hard to tell if the passenger side water pump mating surface is smooth and even paint, rough metal, or a rag touched the partially cured paint messing it up.  I wouldn't try to seal over messed up paint. 

Did the damper get painted?  Weird to paint a new damper.  If it's new paint on an old damper, I think I'd want a new damper on a fresh engine.   

[Boiler Ben]

Thanks for all the comments guys.  I'm going to check that flange when I get home to see how smooth it is.  The damper is new.  I didn't paint it but I do see a couple smudges in the photo.  I'll clean that up.

[SSdynosaur]

There are a few different ways to restrict the oil to the valve train. One of those is restricting the oil coming to the rockers in the passage within the heads which terminates under a specific rocker stand on each engine bank. If reusing the head gaskets is a concern, then you may want to consider preparing the heads for the restrictors prior to install, that way you eliminate removing the heads for further work since it would then only necessitate removal of the rocker shaft assemblies to install the restrictors.

[Barry_R]

My 390 build is coming along.  I bought a rocker system from Precision Oil Pumps and am figuring out the geometry now.  I have a couple of easy general questions.

1. My block is painted and the paint fully covers the water pump flange areas.  See pic.  I plan to use Right Stuff on the gaskets and the threads.  Can I put this right on the painted surface or should I get down to bare metal?

2. My heads are just temporarily placed.  Once I install the head gaskets and torque to spec, can those gaskets be reused if I wind up needing to remove the heads?  Even if I run the oil pump?  This is before the engine runs for real.  I'm just thinking that if I wind up wanting to install restrictors, I'll want to do that on the bench instead of the engine.

My experiences:

I've never had issues with water pump sealing on painted flanges like that. 

I've also never had any issues with reusing head gaskets in the way that you describe.

x3

[pbf777]

      Hopefully, this isn't another case of just recommending that which one "got away with" vs. that of which one should consider in the process of attempting to do things "reasonably proper"!   

      Scott.

[TJ]

      Hopefully, this isn't another case of just recommending that which one "got away with" vs. that of which one should consider in the process of attempting to do things "reasonably proper"!   

      Scott.

Of all the paint chemistries I've seen and worked with that might be sprayed on a block, I don't think a smooth film of paint under a gasket would result in a leak.  However, some paints will soften in water and/or antifreeze.  For instance, solvent based alkyds (typical rattle can chemistry) will blister and soften with prolonged water exposure.  A paint film on the "lips" of the coolant passages might soften, release, and then become a floating skin to get stuck in something like a t-stat.  Probably wouldn't become a problem but it's just kinda sloppy to not slap a piece of painter's tape over the holes before painting.  Then you'd never have to worry if you had floating paint skins. 

So I wouldn't be thrilled to see painted sealing surfaces on my engine.

[pbf777]

However, some paints will soften in water and/or antifreeze.

    Absolutely correct!   

    In a previous life, I was employed by a Sherwin Williams Automotive Paint Co. retail/commercial/wholesale dealer and we had to continually warn individuals that the enamel paints would not endure on a boat hull that sat in the water continually; intermittently O.K., but in long term exposure it would soften and fail.   

    Scott.

[Rory428]

Considering it shouldn`t take more than a minute or 2 to scrape or wire brush the paint from the water pump gasket surface, I would remove the paint now, and not wondering if it could cause a leak down the road. Better safe than sorry!

[blykins]

496ci, 640 hp.  Delivered it to the customer in Indiana.  He put it in the car, drove it for a 500 mile break-in period, and then drove it to California via Route 66, headed down the Pacific Coast Highway, then drove it back home.  It was about a 6000 mile round trip.  Antifreeze.  No leaks. 

I've been doing my FE's like that for who knows how long.

Let it be known that I'm not arguing for what's right or what's wrong, I'm just saying that this is the way I've done it for a long time and have never had an issue.  If the block was already painted, I personally wouldn't take the time to scrub it clean. 

[GerryP]

...
I've been doing my FE's like that for who knows how long.

Let it be known that I'm not arguing for what's right or what's wrong, I'm just saying that this is the way I've done it for a long time and have never had an issue.  If the block was already painted, I personally wouldn't take the time to scrub it clean.

Besides, even if the paint softens into alien spit, where's it going to go?  It's trapped between the block and a gasket squeezed by a bolted on water pump.

[blykins]

...
I've been doing my FE's like that for who knows how long.

Let it be known that I'm not arguing for what's right or what's wrong, I'm just saying that this is the way I've done it for a long time and have never had an issue.  If the block was already painted, I personally wouldn't take the time to scrub it clean.

Besides, even if the paint softens into alien spit, where's it going to go?  It's trapped between the block and a gasket squeezed by a bolted on water pump.

Exactly.  If the liquid is getting between the gasket and the block then the gasket was compromised to begin with.