Thread: Anyone have a good Header gasket recommendation for the FE390? Mine keep failing

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Anyone have a good Header gasket recommendation for the FE390? Mine keep failing. After removing the headers to take my heads back for repair I'm noticing a blown out place on the back part of the passenger side and on the front part of the drivers side. I recently bought a set of Mr. Gasket header gaskets that were supposed to be thicker and better for header applications but I was a little skeptical of the material used as they seems more papery than I would think a header gasket would be. Anybody had any good experiences with any? I need to get some coming this way while my heads are being repaired. Many thanks in advance.

A few years ago I had a 72 pickup with a .30 over 360 with 390 DOVE heads and headers and I used stock Fel-Pro gaskets and never had a leak.

Percy's 66053 Seal4Good Gasket - Performance Parts

I have heard a lot of folks swear these are good.

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Factory applications didn't use a gasket on the exhaust


Did you look at condition of the stem seals?????

Originally Posted by Rrumbler

Percy's 66053 Seal4Good Gasket - Performance Parts

I have heard a lot of folks swear these are good.

.

While I have not used these, the soft aluminum sounds like a good idea. I never use gaskets with stock manifolds as they are machined to a near perfect surface and torqued as an assembly to the heads before the engine goes in the car. After years of having non-metallic gaskets fail (as you have described) I always use copper gaskets with headers. I also use Stage 8 stainless locking bolts. I know they're expensive but the combination of the copper gaskets and the Stage 8 bolts sure works well and I have never had a problem with gasket failure of loose bolts (which can lead to the gasket failure).

My 2 cents..
GS

Originally Posted by Rrumbler

Percy's 66053 Seal4Good Gasket - Performance Parts

I have heard a lot of folks swear these are good.

.

I have used them on SBC applications. I never had a failure. They may require retightening a couple of times, but once they take a set, they are great.

I'll echo some other folks. Make sure the surfaces at the heads and manifolds are spotless and bolt them together, watch the torque value also.

If you are actually using headers from hooker or dougs etc etc etc... then the flange that goes against the head needs to be as straight and flat as possible, You can use a 4 or 6 foot level as a straight edge and if you can see daylight between the 2, you'll need to lower the highspots. The collectors - I have used the aluminum gasket from Earls ( I think it was) and it worked like a charm.

I have tried most including Earls, Percys and Mr gasket and prefer a brand called Remflex, not saying you will have any problems with the Percys either as they where decent, but the remflex are thick graphite and compress for warped flanges, also since they are graphite they allow minor movement with expansion from the head to the header, I had problems sealing small tube headers with a blown motor (lots of heat and back pressure) and thats what I landed with.

Those Remflex gaskets sound like the way to go. When I got this car the guy used to race it and had longer than usual style headers on it. I'm trying to keep those going and they are vintage but sound great. I probably need the extra thickness and sponginess of these gaskets even though the headers are in pretty good shape. They appear to be a little more expensive but it would be worth it if I didn't have to take these headers off again for awhile.