The standard Felpro Marine gaskets rot out in no time around here. I honestly don't know anybody that uses them anymore. Boat or car for that matter.

i don,t know about salt water but i have seen them last for years in fresh water.salt water will shorten the life if you have a open cooling system.

Another headache about the head studs is properly sealing the threads that go into the water jackets on a 454 block. DO NOT use the stuff that ARP sells! It washes out and leaks - almost guaranteed. I thoroughly exhausted this subject on another thread, and found the brown Permatex stuff to work, but on a normally aspirated cast iron head engine in fresh water I see no reason that the FelPro marine head gasket and a set of ARP head bolts wouldn't do the trick.

i use leak lock and it works.i also have had leaks with the arp thread sealer.

I am running in salt water unfortunately... Flush the heck out of the motor with Salt Away after every trip, but if the salt water messes with the standard Fel Pro marine head gaskets, then id prefer the MLS gasket if itll last longer?

They definately last longer.

You're talking about this stuff I presume?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ustomerReviews

I had ordered the ARP stuff, but guess ill set it aside....

yes,that is the stuff to use.

Thanks mike putting my heads on next weekend so this info is timely

If you're keeping the boat for a while, closed cooling would absolutely be money well spent if running in salt water.