Fel-Pro Head Gaskets = Crap?

I've used the 8553PT ones, the 1008 ones (edelbrock reccomends), and the 1100 ones (no wire), and Cometics. One set of the Cometic ones seaped at first, but I didnt do the heads or assemble the long block. Just the short on that one, so I cant say whether that was a finish issue, or a sealant/install issue. According to Felpro, the permatorque coating (it's just the blue stuff they spray/emboss on it) will seal on a surface from ultra smooth (30Ra) to as rough as 110Ra. for comparision, 30Ra looks similar to a CD how it reflects light. 110Ra is what it looks like when you take a belt sander to a peice of iron. So you could say it covers the whole spectrum. But, if any oil or stuff is on either surface, the sealant may not truely "flow" into the crevices between the peaks of the cutter marks, and the fluids will get past it. That in turn causes the rest of the gasket to loose grip, and it will fail. Alumionum moves all over the place, and when the iron doesnt move much, the gasket has to "take up the slack". That's why Cometic recommends you run the engine when you do see a seap. The sealer they apply has to do the same thing. On Cometic engines I dont run coolant at first. It's easier to get water to eavporate away than the additives in coolant. Switch to coolant after it's been heat cycled a few times. And always properly re-torque after a few cycles.