Should I use gasket sealant?

[Anavel]

I'm about to put my engine back together and I'm wondering if I should use a little sealant for the head bolts? And should I use sealant for the intake manifold around the port / water jacket? I'm asking because when I took off the intake the gasket was soaked and complete tore into pieces.

Oh, it's a 89 LX, 1.9L SOHC

[mightymoose_22]

Sealant on the head bolts is not necessary, and in fact would not really serve a purpose. If anything, applying a threadlock compound may be useful, but as long as you torque the bolts correctly, nothing extra is required.
As for the intake manifold, only the gasket is necessary, and again, so long as torquing is done correctly you shouldn't need anything else. However, there are some things you may find useful here, and one of my favorites to use is the Indian Head Shellac Compound made by Permatex. It is a thin layer of sealant, apply to the head and the intake with your gasket between and put together.That should help with coolant leakage around the gasket, but the gasket itself can still become damaged over time by the exposure to water.
I use the Indian Head Shellac on just about every gasket these days. I've never had anything leak since I started using it. It doesn't require a long curing time like silicone does either.

[Davescort97]

Originally Posted by Anavel

I'm about to put my engine back together and I'm wondering if I should use a little sealant for the head bolts? And should I use sealant for the intake manifold around the port / water jacket? I'm asking because when I took off the intake the gasket was soaked and complete toar into pieces.

Oh, it's a 89 LX, 1.9L SOHC

The headbolts get pretty hot. Might not get them out again very easily. Yeah! Use a little Indian Head shellac around that manifold gasket.

[carlos80]

I've always just used a little motor oil on bolt threads. And silicone on coolant gaskets wether it be t-stat or water jackets. You might also want to check and see if the bolts for this particular vehicle are torque to yield, if they are then it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace them.

[Anavel]

Alright, thanks for the replys.