Mopar Head Gasket mod and direction?

[zyzzyx]

Hello All, Got a pair of these P4349559 Mopar Performance head gaskets and wonder which side goes towards the block???? Also, This is a 68 engine and wonder if I can enlarge the
three "slits in the head gaskets so they're round and match the ports in the block and heads
without screwing things up? I'd like the extra water flow, but not any problems! Thanks Guys.

 

[MoparLeo]

Printed side up, enlarge at your own risk.

 

[66Satellite47]

I think it doesn't matter if you flip them over. Others may know about that part number. I would not open the water port slits. They've been like that for all time.

 

[beanhead]

Don't mess with the slots, the factory gaskets even on the later 'figure-8' cooling-hole blocks were slotted just like that. I'd be more concerned about the fire ring hanging over the bore ever so slightly, if those are 1009s...

 

[Dipstick]

The narrow slits in the gasket aren't for coolant flow, they're "steam ports".

 

[MoparLeo]

If you look closely at the "sealing ring around the cylinder bore" on the gasket you will see the difference. One side matches the combustion chamber shape and the other side matches the different block bore variants. I would also not worry about the coolant slits. Much more important to get a good, clean build/assembly of the engine and a properly sized and functioning cooling system. Proper sized and preferably new or recored radiator. Proper shroud, clutch fan and coolant mixture. Water pump and thermostat.

 

[zyzzyx]

https://www.felpro.com/technical/te... through the heads.&text=If the coolant takes
%20a,the%20rear%20cylinders%20can%20overheat.
I "Stumbled across this article by FelPro a little late, but now we all know! Thanks for all your Wisdom!

 

[BLK 68 R/T]

https://www.felpro.com/technical/tecblogs/size-and-position-of-coolant-holes-on-gaskets.html#:~:text=The holes in head gaskets,coolant properly through the heads.&text=If the coolant takes
%20a,the%20rear%20cylinders%20can%20overheat.
I "Stumbled across this article by FelPro a little late, but now we all know! Thanks for all your Wisdom!

Shouldn’t be a concern on being a little late. There aren’t even pistons installed yet lol.

 

[66Satellite47]

The narrow slits in the gasket aren't for coolant flow, they're "steam ports".

????

 

[zyzzyx]

No pistons yet, but I have to get all my Ducks in a row! It's always Start, Stop. Start, Stop. for some reason. My latest problem
now is the heads. About five years ago I took my never-messed with 906's into a local shop for hardened valve seats and I am
looking at the Intake valves kinda funny. They're all at different heights from the head gasket surface. WTF? I measured the
outside bolting flange and they measure 1.015 so I know they've never been cut. Anyone know where to find the dimensions for
the valve seats/valves?

 

[66Satellite47]

It seems installing hardened seats could account for that.

 

[zyzzyx]

Hardened seats only get installed on the exhaust seats. The intakes are all over the place height-wise!

 

[66Satellite47]

Hardened seats only get installed on the exhaust seats. The intakes are all over the place height-wise!

Guess I misunderstood your 1st post then, thought hardened seats were done for some reason as part of the intake issue. Set the valve springs to the desired height & adjust the valve lash accordingly for each valve.

 

[zyzzyx]

Hardened seats are installed on the exhaust seats to keep them from beating out the seats. You don't
have to put them under the intake valves because they stay cooler. The guy who did my heads should
have cut all of the intake seats at the same height. He didn't. when I got them back from him they were
in plastic bags and I just put them in the cabinet without "Inspecting" them. Shame on me! Now to pop
out all the valves and see what's up. I hate re-work!