Do I need to clean the surface before installing this gasket?

Yes. Scrape the old gasket material off both the header and cylinder head until they're clean and flat. Any debris or old gasket bits trapped underneath will cause exhaust leaks.

Will this gasket work with my existing header bolts?

This gasket is designed to mate with stock header bolt patterns for your engine. Reuse your factory fasteners or source new header bolts separately if yours are stripped or corroded.

What if my header or cylinder head surface is warped?

A warped surface will cause the gasket to fail prematurely. Test the surface for flatness before installing—if there's any warp, the head or header will need to be milled or replaced.