Thread: aluminum heads / gaskets

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Okay - true confession time - I'm usually pretty conscientious about putting things back together and on one occasion, I got a friends '68 Firebird buttoned back up after replacing intake manifold gaskets (hmmm - sound familiar??). Well, I was wiping tools and I couldn't find a 1/2 inch combo box/open that I knew I had used. I hunted high and low and couldn't find it and then tried to remember where I had last used it and couldn't remember. In fact, I'd used a 1/2 x 9/16 to tighten the alternator. Then I started to worry and so I informed my friend that I couldn't find the wrench and we needed to pull the manifold off because I feared that the wrench was inside the lifter galley.

Long story short - pulled the manifold off and nothing. Now I was really getting upset and my buddy grabbed the coffee pot and two folding chairs. As I sat down, I felt something weird and discovered that the wrench was in my back pocket. We both laughed until I cried. I finished my coffee and then re-assembled the engine which fired and ran beautifully with the timing spot in the first crank.

I don't put tools in my back pocket anymore.........

I've told this one before, but it's just a reminder of things that can go wrong....
I was doing an engine swap, 302 Ford/C4 into an '83 Mitsubishi pickup. It was impossible to install the engine and transmission separately, so they had to go in as a unit. I was just gettin' ready to fire the motor off to break in the cam (Isky 270 mechanical) when I looked over at the little shelf on my toobox. There, resting comfortably, was the driveshaft that goes from the torque converter to the transmission pump. Everything had to be torn apart to pull the motor/trans, separate 'em and insert the shaft...... fuel lines, exhaust system, wiring, cooling system, etc. Doing something stupid like that will sure take your self confidence down a notch or two.

As far as aluminum heads, use only the head gasket recommended by the manufacturer of the heads. If the fire ring in the gasket stands proud, it can imprint a depressed circle of material (called Brinelling) into the cylinder head. While this should not be a problem on your present build, it could be a problem if you used the Brinelled heads on another build later. The heads would need to be shaved down to get rid of the Brinelled ring and get a smooth surface again. Better not to have to do that, use the correct gasket in the first place. The default gasket to use for a 350 Chevy block is Fel-Pro #1003 if you cannot get any info from the manufacturer. It uses a pre-flattened steel wire fire ring. Here's verbage from Airflow Research....

"Fel Pro #1003 for all aluminum heads up to 4.100 bore. Fel Pro #1034
should used for 4.100 or larger bore. Applications requiring steam holes (SBC 400 block) should use Fel Pro #1014. Late Model LT-1 reverse cool applications use GM gaskets or Fel-Pro #1074. AFR has removed the cooling passage between cylinders 1 & 3 and 5 & 7 to increase strength of the casting, do not drill these areas out in an attempt to find water jacketing."