I don't think your supposed to put anything on the head gasket. You probably didn't torque it enough. Now is a good time to invest in a decent 3/8" torque wrench or borrow a friend's, if they'll let you.

I always thought the gasket and mated machined surfaces had to be dry and completely free of contaminate including dirt, old gasket material, grease and any oil. Can anyone else clarify this point? Going to reassemble a 3hp Briggs shorlty and this info will come in handy.

Last edited by xhall; 14/05/15 10:21 AM.