Head gasket and base gasket questions

[m in sc]

ive done the chapstick trick under holley base gaskets myself, it does work well. Never crossed my mind for a cylinder base gasket for some reason.   

[Brad-Man]

I use Vaseline/petroleum jelly on gaskets for parts that get on and off a lot.  Worked great on a 2600 V6 Capri head gaskets on engine with high compression pistons and full race cam along with valve cover gaskets and Holley 4bblon Offenhauser Dual Port intake...had a few burnt valves until jetting sorted.

[irk_miller]

Chapstick is mostly a combo of white paraffin wax and beeswax if you prefer to formulate your own in larger quantities.  That's what I do. I also use Indian Head shellac gasket compound on gaskets, like carb base gaskets, clutch cover gaskets, etc that I need to remove easily but still get a good seal.