Recently pulled apart my 74 454 with 69 427 heads. Noticed that the recommended Fel Pro replacement head gaskets 1017-1 have all the round dime sized block/head cooling holes "open" - where as the old gasket blocked three of water holes on each head? Did the previous rebuilder make a mistake with head gaskets he used? The car did run hot.

 

Can you tell what manufacturer made the old head gasket? Sounds like a Pass. car head gasket that has large holes @ frt & rear and no holes along lower head bolt holes.

1017-1 should handle your application. Have your heads been milled? Some heads can not handle the wire ring that's installed in the head gasket. They actually bend around the wire instead of compressing it. Usually only a problem with late model light weight style heads but a head that's been machined to much has the same issues. Some times a marine head head gasket is used because it does not use a wire but a S/S armor which is a step up from stock, but not quite race.

Do not use spray tack or copper coat to glue on head gasket. Remember to clean the bolt holes in the block, use a good quality head bolt, and use sealer on the head bolt threads. Use Torque sequence in 3 steps to 80 ft lbs and let sit for about 30 min. Loosen and retorque, one bolt at a time starting with #1 (a half turn and up to 80ft). This will ensure that you'll have it sealed before it goes in the vette.

 

I'm guessin that it was the wrong head gasket. I can't think of a good reason to block cooling holes between the head and block.

 

Upon closer look of the 69 427 head, there are six nickel sized water holes..three on each side of the head. My block is a 454. It has the three water holes on top (nearerst the intake) but no holes toward the bottom by the exhaust. The 1017-1 FelPro gasket has holes for all six. Will this work or will I have a potential for leaks.

 

Need to know a little more about your engine.

Approx. year of block, bore dia., and general use (blower or NOS).

The 1017-1 is a monster bore of 4.540" (stock is 4.250") with all coolant holes used and a steel wire under the C.O. armor. Even though the holes are in the gasket, it will seal the ports in the head and block.

I was thinking 1037, drill holes in block as instructed, will also work. These handle up to .060" bore increase with no issues.

The latest and greatest "street" hiperf gasket is the 502-SD. This does not use a wire under the armor but it does have S/S armors instead of the standard steel used on the stock pass car gasket. So it's better than stock with out the headaches of a full race gasket. Now every trick was used to design this for ultimate sealing, but it doesn't have the lower cooling holes of the 1027/1017-1/1037. But either does the stock pass car gasket. This gasket was designed to mate Gen IV blocks with Gen V heads.

Old cooling hole technology was to flow straight to the rear, then up through the heads. Main reason the pass car's don't have the lower holes. In the truck's more cooling was needed, so more holes, which helped reduce the chance of hot spots. Some gaskets compromise by adding metering holes of different sizes to help.

In any case, match it up to make sure there's enough "land" area for the gasket to seal and you'll be fine. I'd would use the 502-SD, check it out.

 

That answered the question of the missing water holes in the lower part of the block. Motor will produce about 450-500hp (no blower or juice) so I guess the 1017 should seal up the other three holes in the dead even though they are not blocked off on the gasket

 

Yeah but, the bore size of the 1017-1 maybe to big if your piston's are only .030",.060" overbore.

Later. (tomorrow's another day)