Damn! Head gasket on backwards??!

ozanracing · Jan 30, 2007

Okay I think there might be a problem here, I noticed that the "tabs" on the head gaskets that are supposed to stick out near the front -(closest to dist.) lower head bolt holes, seem to be facing the back of the motor.
Like here...

I am using these gaskets: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=FMS-M-6051-A302&autoview=sku

Now I'm trying to figure out if i'm tripping out or what. I checked multiple times during assembly the correct gasket position, but now, by the looks of things they could be wrong?

I have alum. heads with freeze plugs in them, can I just pull a plug and see if coolent comes out? That would mean they are in the correct position, right?

The car warms up and the temp stays where it always had, 180*....So that's why I'm confused.

I really dont want to pull the heads off and check, and have to buy new gaskets just to see that they were in the right position all along!
Anyone else use these gaskets here?

Any Ideas?
Thanks!

bullitstang1313 · Jan 30, 2007

From looking at you picture of the gaskets and some pictures of engine blocks, it looks like the bottom gasket pictured is oriented correctly for the driver side head. With that being said, it looks like some of the gasket material should be sticking out the front as in your picture.

ozanracing · Jan 30, 2007

See, that's what I thought, therefore they are on backwards now.
So if I remove the freeze plug, will that tell me anything?
Coolent should flow out if the gasket is on correctly?
Like I said my temp never got past 180* so.....What's up with that?
Could I have warped my new heads?

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

I had the same question the first time I put e7's on mine. The word 'FRONT' is stamped on the 'front' and the water flow holes go to the rear--which makes one of the gaskets install 'upside-down' but this is right

http://carbdford.com/viewtopic.php?t=4734

I wasted one to learn this lesson

You don't have to pull the heads to check. Just look for the 'tabs.' If you pull the heads, you have to replace with new gaskets or you will blow them pretty quick.

Someone help me out here. The tabs stick out either on the front of the block or to the back. I don' t remember... I'll check mine when I get home and post if no one has beat me to it.

But, if you have a tab exposed to the front on one head and no tab exposed to the front on the other, it is installed wrong.

If you installed them like your picture--that is as looking down on top of your motor--you did it right--EXCEPT-- you will have to flop one over so the water flow holes go to the rear on both gaskets. Hope you understand... Hard to explain by text......

jrichker · Jan 30, 2007

Felpro gaskets are marked "Front" on the end that goes towards the front of the engine. It insures that the coolant passages are properly aligned for best coolant flow. That means on one side of the engine, the word "Front" will face the engine block. On the other side of the engine, "Front" will face the cylinder head.

bullitstang1313 · Jan 30, 2007

84GT!, wrote what I was trying to say. The bottom gasket would go on the drivers side directly as it is pictured above. The top gasket would need to be flipped (i.e. coolant ports to the back) to go on the passengers side. Therefore the tabs would be sticking out the front.

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

So, from the pic in your original post (looks like drivers side front), there should be a tab sticking out near your bottom front head bolt. I don't see one, so it looks like that one is in wrong. Your not the only one, dude. Don't feel bad. Will it hurt anything? I dunno. Has anyone else ran with gaskets in backwards??? Someone please post who knows. Hey, ozanracing, is there a tab present on the passenger side bottom/front? If so, it is in right.

ozanracing · Jan 30, 2007

So if I had them on wrong the car would overheat. But it stays put at 180*. Here is the mech. gauge's sender

location.

It's always warms up to 180*, NEVER more than 190*
But I'm wondering if it's possable that the head gaskets could be on backwards and have the temp be 180*, could the rears of the heads not be cetting cooled?

Summit tech line (FWIW) said is thew were on backwards the car would immediatly overheat....

ozanracing · Jan 30, 2007

84GT! said:
So, from the pic in your original post (looks like drivers side front), there should be a tab sticking out near your bottom front head bolt. I don't see one, so it looks like that one is in wrong. Your not the only one, dude. Don't feel bad. Will it hurt anything? I dunno. Has anyone else ran with gaskets in backwards??? Someone please post who knows. Hey, ozanracing, is there a tab present on the passenger side bottom/front? If so, it is in right.

The tabs are next to the #4 and #8 cyls.
Could they be made this way?
The tabs "Should" be next to the #1 and #5 cyls...

These FMS gaskets look just like my felpro 1011-2's....Anf the felpro's have the tabs towards the #1/#5 cyls...Maybe FMS put the tabs on the other side so as not to have an exact copy of the felpro HG??

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

You could pop the freeze plugs and stick a piece of wire down and see if you can feel the coolant holes. If you can, they are in backwards. If you cannot, they are in right. I'm ignorant of the coolant flow though the entire engine, but the only thing you have done is re-route the coolant flow through the heads--from back to front to back (original flow)--to front to back to front(backward). Can't tell you if this will matter.

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

ozanracing said:
These FMS gaskets look just like my felpro 1011-2's....Anf the felpro's have the tabs towards the #1/#5 cyls...Maybe FMS put the tabs on the other side so as not to have an exact copy of the felpro HG??

You could remove the freeze plugs and feel with a piece of wire to see if you can feel coolant ports or not. Might try before you remove them. If you can feel coolant ports, they are in backwards. If you bump into the gasket, they are in right, and FMS has put the tabs on the opposite end (as your question in above quote).

I'm not familiar with coolant flow throughout the entire motor, but if they are in backwards, all you have done is change the routing of the coolant flow through the heads--from back to front to back(original flow) to front to back to front(backwards). I just checked the spare block in my garage and there are coolant ports in the front and back of the heads and the block. So your heads are getting coolant, it's just flowing through them backwards. I just don't know if this will make a difference or not.....

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

Sorry about the double post. I thought I lost the first one....

ozanracing · Jan 30, 2007

Hey thanks 84GT! So, I guess the question is, if the coolent flow path is reversed, and the car does not oerheat...Are things okay then?

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

ozanracing said:
Hey thanks 84GT! So, I guess the question is, if the coolent flow path is reversed, and the car does not oerheat...Are things okay then?

That is the 3000 dollar question (or however much a rebuild will cost you)

I don't know if it will damage your heads or not, either.

Boy, I'm no help am I...

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

84GT! said:
That is the 3000 dollar question (or however much a rebuild will cost you)

I don't know if it will damage your heads or not, either.

Boy, I'm no help am I...

Coolant temperature is only measured in one place on the motor.... Dunno if it will be higher with it routed backwards or not.

Come-on some of you 5.0 heavy's. Anyone had experience with head gaskets installed backwards?????

ozanracing · Jan 30, 2007

Just pulled the drivers side plug...There is a coolent hole there. Goes through to the block. Large enough I can fit my pinky finger in. So it must be on backwards damn it!
I really don't see how this could have happened.

twolo4u2c2 · Jan 30, 2007

yep....you got it on backwards......holes towards the front should be blocked off.

84GT! · Jan 30, 2007

Wow. Too bad.

I just took a closer look at the block in my garage. There is no seperation in the between the two coolant ports in the back and front of the block.

So, coolant either:

1. Flows in those ports and out through the small holes between the cylinders, or

2. In the small holes and out the ports in the back of the heads.

If it sounds like I don't know what I'm talking about, I already told you that in an earlier post....

I know, I'm still no help to you. Sorry....

ozanracing · Jan 30, 2007

Head gasket IS on backwards, Not overheating...WTF? OK?

Trying here to visualize the coolent flow, into and out of the heads. The HG is on backwards, and the 2 "larger" holes where coolent passes through the block to the head are in the front of the motor. What is this doing to the motor?
Why isn't it overheating??

stangster50 · Jan 30, 2007

ozanracing said:
So if I had them on wrong the car would overheat. But it stays put at 180*. Here is the mech. gauge's sender

location.

It's always warms up to 180*, NEVER more than 190*
But I'm wondering if it's possable that the head gaskets could be on backwards and have the temp be 180*, could the rears of the heads not be cetting cooled?

Summit tech line (FWIW) said is thew were on backwards the car would immediatly overheat....

sorry. i know this is an unrelated question, and your prolly pissed off enough. but where can i find the cooland neck threaded for a fitting. i need a place to put my temp guage, and a place for my fan sensor.
thanky.

Damn! Head gasket on backwards??!

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