Ice scrapper, some 0000 steel wool and a razor blade for the stubborn stuff along with a few gallons of non-chlorinated brake cleaner works great for me.

 

thats another thing, the heads are new the block deck is all fresh, i dont think I need it. neither does Corey. just clean good.

 

If your second guessing yourself, Jus call chris and get an opinion from who does this for a living....

 

no second guessing bud....got this from cometic,

Why does Cometic recommend MLS gaskets to be installed dry?
Cometic Multi-Layer Steel (MLS) head gaskets go on dry because they are coated with a sealant. Each MLS head gasket is coated with a .001" thick viton rubber that is bonded to the outer stainless steel layers. Adding an additional sealer can hinder the performance of an MLS head gasket.

 

this is what i used last time to clean the block, works like a champ, it is quick and does not harm the block.

 

Good deal, Gm Mls dont have that therefore imo its better to spray..

 

But like before, Ididn't/don't have any issues with my cometic gaskets on my 5.3....I think it will be fine either way. It won't hurt if you do use it.

 

When i searched on tech along time ago when i swapped heads on the 4.8, they said the spray on cometic gaskets is more for keeping the water from leaking not loosing compression...

 

Those work excellent Corey! That's what I've been using for a long time for cleaning up gasket material, etc..... The great thing about them is they are easy on aluminum!

 

Hell yeah Corey! Those roloc bristle brush's and an angle die grinder work awesome. That's exactly what I did!