My car is a 99 civic ex. I took off most of the bolts/screws for the job. I will be taking off the bottom part of the header next. Does anyone have any tips for my job? Is a new gasket a must? What kind of sealant should I use? Permetex/Gasket Maker/Silicone? What should I do about any sludge inside? What is the best way to clean it? Thanks

 

Get a new gasket and a tube of hondabond

I clean out my oil pans with brake clean

 

Make sure you remove all old gasket from the bottom of the block and the top of the pan. it can be time consuming if you dont have a wire wheel but it can be done. and make sure there are no washers on any of the studs on off the block. they are from the old gasket and need to be removed or else it will leak again. and DO NOT OVER TQ gasket..iv seen it way to many times.