When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm just about ready to install the heads on my 427 and found some problems with my FelPro head gaskets, primarily in the water jacket passages.
The block has 3 large, round passages at the top (nearest the lifter gallery)and the gasket has only small (3/16") holes.
The Block has a D shaped passage at the lower/right corner, and the gasket obstructs it about halfway.
In both cases, I suppose I could trim the gasket to fit since the raised sealing 'bumps' would not need to be altered but this seems to be an odd requirement for a $120 gasket set.
I think it's fairly common for coolant holes in the block deck, gasket, and head to all be different in size and shape. The gasket holes are sized to regulate the water flow, the head and deck ones are sized more to get the core sand out. I have FelPro gaskets in the BB's in the boat with the same "mismatch". Installed them as-is and have had no problems.
I noticed them on my 505. The machine shop that built the engine before I bought it, installed them with no modifications and you could see where the water was being restricted from the stains...