Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Which of these Head Gaskets should I use?

Lost in the 60s · President

Looking at the pics of your heads/block, it appears that it had Fel-pro's in it.
Looking at the prices between the Fel-pros' and the NAPA gasket, I would be tempted to get them from NAPA. They will be very similar in construction and thickness.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

First one says you have to log in for me. The second one is what I would recommend anyways.

jim larson · 2K+ Club

Thanks Chris. I actually call summit today as there was somewhere I read that the 1037 may need to be modified on some pre 1971 blocks. What ever that means.

They look like a good head gasket. My question was regarding the rear water passage holes. Both my block and my heads have two holes where this gasket only has one. The tech said he didn't know for sure; but thought that this is where the gasket would be modified, if necessary. You would have to make your own hole.

However both the block and the heads have a matching water access hole on the lower side, between #5 and #7 for a water passage from the block to the head. Maybe this would take the place of the one missing passage hole at the rear.

The old 65 engine I took apart this summer had the original syle metal gaskets and the lower access between the block and the head was block as well as on the gasket I took of the block/head I am working on now.

Do you know if this lower passage hole takes the place of one of the two rear passages?

Thanks, Jim

Chris R · 2K+ Club

I never heard that about the blocks being different but then again. My understanding is GM redesigned the oiling system or changed it in 68 and improved it.

For instance: the earlier blocks had things like a rear cam grove to recieve oil there and the newer blocks did away from that. You wouldnt get a head gasket for a 66 engine. Your going to want a gasket for the year of the engine itself your using. Which is obvious. However, point is, getting the gasket for the engine you have instead of the year of the vehicle insures you will get a correct gasket for the engine and you wont have to modify anything. Thats why I prefer to get gaskets locally so you can run back and exchange it if it looks wrong, instead of having to wait a week to send it back and another week to get the correct one.