Hello all, hope everyone had a nice New Years. Hoping someone can help with a head gasket question. I had to remove the head on my 1974 Gran Sport 455 and unfortunately I threw away the old gasket. The new one is a Fel-Pro # 8494 PT. When I test fitted the gasket it seemed that some holes were missing for the water passages' I looked on the head to see if those passages were there and they were. Also in some areas where there is a hole for the water there is a very small hole for a large passage on the block. I also noticed on the block some passages had been filled with some type of what looks like a tan epoxy. I don't know if this engine was ever rebuilt, but it doesn't look like it. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Mario.
Mario, That question has come up many times in the past. Short answer is not all of those holes are coolant holes, some are casting clean out holes from the casting process. More info with links to other threads in this thread, (scroll up) https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?t...5-with-67-big-port-heads.335241/#post-2819617 https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/head-gasket-advise.193102/#post-1540022
Thank you Larry. You helped me again. What is the purpose of that tan colored material that is blocking some ports in the block and head too ? It seems to be some type of putty, almost like wood putty. And the part that really concerns me is that the thin long rectangular port on the far left side of the block (it is the same as the one on the right which has antifreeze in it) is filled in with this material. The head gasket has an opening for these holes on both sides, I assume that is so the gasket can be interchanged for either side. But is filling one of these holes and not the other something they do from the factory ?
It's stained,t..is nothing in there because there is no hole there Sand with sand paper and it will be iron
Hugger, I sanded to the metal already. The metal edges are the same as on the opposite side but that side is open with coolant in it.
Sorry Hugger, you were right. A little more sanding did the trick. No hole. The gasket with extra holes threw me off. Thanks.