Re: 1974 15 hp rude/johnson gasket sealant
I would go:
5 6
1 2
4 3
On the head bolts. Do 1/3 of the torque, then another 1/3, then the last 1/3, all around.
I cannot say what to use on the crankcase halves. I have never done them but it is possible the 3M #847 might work well there. Others could tell you better. That stuff works better when you are trying to form a gasket where one does not exist. With the cylinder head you have a very precisely machined gasket and all you would want in addition is some light sticky stuff to help form a better seal. You will need a new head gasket, since they are single use gaskets. You should never reuse a head gasket if it can be avoided.
Any BRP dealer would have the OMC gasket sealer. As boobie says, it is in liquid form and will have a brush connected to the lid. I do believe permatex makes a version of it, but I do not know the name. Google Permatex and they probably will have a product list for you.
Here is a picture of the OMC Gasket sealer stuff. I think the permatex stuff comes in a similar can with a brush.