Reply to thread

I used Pliobond once with a copper head gasket. It definitely holds parts together. If I were to use a copper head gasket again, I would spray both sides of the copper gasket with a copper spray sealant. I haven't tried that yet on a Norton engine, but have on small displacement auto engines and it does work.

I'm currently using a composite head gasket. I'm not using a commercial head gasket sealant. I'm using aluminum brush on paint on the head surface and barrel deck. I do not suggest using the aluminum paint. It is very old school and works better with a copper head gasket if the head and deck are perfectly surfaced. Only benefit to using aluminum paint is the head comes off easy and the paint is not difficult to clean off the head or the deck. I do retorque either type of head gasket, but as mentioned the composite definitely needs it a few times.

If the head and barrel surfaces are flat, you won't have any problems. I would not install a head gasket on an old Norton engine without some type of sealant myself even if the head and barrels were freshly resurfaced. That is how much I don't enjoy R&Ring the head with the engine in the frame and only having two arms and two hands.