Had to remove the exhaust again and the f'n exhaust gasket appears to have become one with the aluminum heads. Is there something I can apply to the gasket so it doesn't stick as much or at all? Maybe a gasket recommendation that doesn't stick as much? Any reservations on using a 90 degree pneumatic tool with the red scotch pad to remove the gasket? Thanks for your help.

We need some pics!!!

Aluminum is soft. Don't use scotch pad rotary tooling on sensitve hasketed surfaces.

I've only ever.used Hi-Temp Red silicone to seal the exh manifolds to the heads. Only need a little bit, or it squishes out and into the port.

You need resonanle.surface qualities to do it, but solves the issues of exh gasket problems.

There are fiber gaskets that will likely work better than the metalic style exh man gaskets.

To clean up the port mating surfece, use a straigt edge block like a file... with some rolled crocus cloth sand paper.

The red silicone sounds like what I am after. I have been using gaskets from AFR. The real problem is that I'm in my mid 60's and just can't work inverted for very long anymore. It's all I can do just to get my head down there to see let alone work on it.
Thanks again for your help.

I use mr gasket ultra seals or felpro premium. Then I coat both sides with anti seize, I reused my exhaust gaskets on my 272 Baja with blower engine multiple times fwiw

I just bought the Permatex hi temp red. This looks like it is exactly what I was asking for.
I was wondering if you could coat the gaskets with something. Do you think the gaskets I have would release with anti seize applied?

are you saying put permatex red on your exhaust gaskets AND antiseize? I never use any sealer on exhaust gaskets or surfaces unless I had no gasket at all and there was no other option. I use felpro premium or Mr gasket ultra seals on my dyno too with anti seize on both sides and am.able to reuse them on about 15 engines before they start deteriorating as long as there tightened evenly and not ran loose or leaking.

Are you using copper (hi temp) anti seize or the regular (silver color) stuff?

I was given Cometic MLS ex gaskets with my engine. Any thoughts on those? Thanks

I use the silver stuff, seems like the copper high temp doesnt work as well when it theoretically should work better. so are your cometic mls exhaust gaskets just pure metal?

Please do not do that I have found that using a single edge razor blade in a holder works good. Most of the time if you get it started under one edge they will come off pretty easily.

On aluminum a razor will take off a lot of metal if you get the angle wrong. I've had good luck with well setup metal putty scrapers etc. While also using razors where easy going.