Head gasket question

[Rusty67]

Ok, I know this is kind of a dumb question.... but what is the best head gaskey FOR MY APPLICATION ?

I have a set of 70 351w heads and I want to bolt them onto my motor. The block is an 87 roller cam 302. Its all going to go into my 67 so no smog worries. Its not a race car but I do wana take the car to the strip every now and then and I want this sucker to LAST. I don't want to have to do a head gasket on this motor for a LONG time. I'm wondering which type of head gasket I should use. Copper ? Graphite ? Just a high quality felpro gasket ? I know for sure Ford use to make a bitchen head gasket that was nearly indistructable but I was told they don't make it anymore and I doubt I could find a set of those.

Oh, a little more information on the hardware. The block has no been honed, its stock and the heads are bone stock, no porting or anything. I'm going to have them rebuilt before I bolt them on but I don't think I'm going to play with them much if at all.

 

[302 coupe]

fel-pro 8548 PT2 or their performance series # is 1011-2.

 

[D.Hearne]

I tried the Fel-pro's "Print-O-Seal"(I'm pretty sure that's what the part #1011-2 is) with aluminum heads and they don't seal well. Blew two of these when the engine got a little warm. Switched to the expanded Graphite types ( that's what the 5.0's came stock with) and they've held up well. No blown gaskets when it got warm a few times. I also liberally coated these with Copper-Kote before installing them, as extra insurance.

 

[LMan]

I would NEVER put on a set of C/DOOE 351 heads without at least grinding out the Thermactor bump in the runner....you are wasting the effort, otherwise IMO. That bump is a airflow-killer....

 

[302 coupe]

agreed. However, I'm dipping into the 12's with untouched 70 351 heads on a mild 306. I want some TFS heads pretty bad though, probably take .5 second off my ET's.

 

[HistoricMustang]

I would NEVER put on a set of C/DOOE 351 heads without at least grinding out the Thermactor bump in the runner....you are wasting the effort, otherwise IMO. That bump is a airflow-killer....

351's are for Clown's!

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang

 

[HistoricMustang]

I would NEVER put on a set of C/DOOE 351 heads without at least grinding out the Thermactor bump in the runner....you are wasting the effort, otherwise IMO. That bump is a airflow-killer....

351's are for Clown's!

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang

 

[LMan]

Good one! Jim ain't had his RDA of nut-busting, methinks

 

[Rusty67]

I think my buddy already ground off the thermactor bumb thats in there. If not I will have them ground off. I'm planning on using the ARP stud kit. I've heard that a lot of the problems with head gasket failure can be eliminated if you use studs instead of bolts. Especially when using aluminum heads.... which I'm not but hey.

You guys think I should be using the felpro 1101-2 gasket ?

 

[LMan]

Unless you are going with NOS or other power-adder, I would use the FelPros. Fords are not known for lifting headgaskets for no reason, AFAIK.

 

[D.Hearne]

Use the Expanded Graphites. 'Nuf said.