topcat7111

Do you need hondabond on the valve cover gasket?

Billman250

No.

Dry the head surface and gasket with a clean rag.

NFRS2kSi

omg, u should never use hondabond on intake manifold gasket or throttlebody gasket. it could make gap which it might let vacuum thru the head.

make sure u scrap all old/used gasket off the head before installing new gasket.!

Slows2k

I've had some coolant weeping on B motor Hondata gaskets, which is why I've only used it around the coolant passages. Seeing how unpleasent swapping the gasket is, a thin application (around the coolant pasages only) is good insurance.

The OEM intake gasket is steel, no scraping required.

The only way hondabond is going to create a a vacuum leak is if you allow it to set up around the intake ports, then bolt the manifold on.

soslow64

When I installed the Hondata Gasket on an '02 S I drilled the bleeder hole (daily driver).
I unscrewed the intake studs about 3/8". I put blue loc-tite on the thread of the studs and the bolts. I torqued everything down and I let it sit for over 12 hours.
The bolts have not needed retorqueing.
I did not use hondabond on the coolant passage (even thought I usually do) just because the detailed instructions do not state that it is needed.
I have not seen any leak on the S's.

-Cesar