First time replacing heads and weird gasket issue.

[TrailBeast]

And what would that mean? Cooked heads?

EDITED
As already mentioned multiple times there is no way to put the Felpro gaskets on wrong if they sit on the locating pins.
I have done a bunch of head gaskets over the years and there is just literally no way you can put them on wrong even if the printed side is up on one side and down on the other, as this is totally normal.
Any blocked ports are due to coolant directing around and through the heads.

If you take it back apart due to questioning the gasket ports you will be wasting your time and money.
Cooked heads my butt.

 

[TrailBeast]

Would Black RTV be ok? Never seen non hardening thread sealant Thanks for the heads up though.

Black or red RTV is the only thing I ever use on the block front and rear walls AND the bolt threads AND under the heads of the bolts where the bolt shank and head meet.
I think/hope 4speedragtop told you that if using an aftermarket intake the pins for the intake should be removed.

 

[trigger_andy]

Look at those port places on your intake and I'll bet the coolant doesn't have a crossover there anyway. (mine doesn't)
As already mentioned multiple times there is no way to put the Felpro gaskets on wrong if they sit on the locating pins.
I have done a bunch of head gaskets over the years and there is just literally no way you can put them on wrong even if the printed side is up on one side and down on the other, as this is totally normal.

If you take it back apart due to questioning the gasket ports you will be wasting your time and money.
Cooked heads my butt.

Thanks for the reply. So if the Intake does not have a port where the gasket is showing through the Head then Im all good? That would be a huge relief. I assumed the blue of the gasket showing through was going down to the water pump?

So many conflicting opinions, lol.

 

[Bad Sport]

Look at those port places on your intake and I'll bet the coolant doesn't have a crossover there anyway. (mine doesn't)

So you're saying the water doesn't flow through the front of the intake where the T stat and temp sensor are?

 

[trigger_andy]

Black or red RTV is the only thing I ever use on the block front and rear walls AND the bolt threads AND under the heads of the bolts where the bolt shank and head meet.
I think/hope 4speedragtop told you that if using an aftermarket intake the pins for the intake should be removed.

Ok cool. I'll do that then. Thanks again.

What do you mean by ''AND under the heads of the bolts where the bolt shank and head meet.''

 

[Bad Sport]

So many conflicting opinions, lol.

As I said, I could be losing it, lol. I have always put that extra hole in the gasket toward the front where the crossover in the intake is.

 

[TrailBeast]

So you're saying the water doesn't flow through the front of the intake where the T stat and temp sensor are?

I was thinking of the rear so I edited my post.
Point is not once have I ever had a problem with the felpro gaskets being wrong where the ports are cut.

If it were me and I had a question I would look up the gasket myself and verify the part number.

 

[TrailBeast]

Ok cool. I'll do that then. Thanks again.

What do you mean by ''AND under the heads of the bolts where the bolt shank and head meet.''

Most people only put the sealer on the threads thinking the oil can only wick up the threads, but this isn't the case all the time.
it can and does get between the intake and gasket and come up from between the intake and the bolt head as well.

 

[trigger_andy]

I was thinking of the rear so I edited my post.
Point is not once have I ever had a problem with the felpro gaskets being wrong where the ports are cut.

If it were me and I had a question I would look up the gasket myself and verify the part number.

Thanks. The Gasket is as per the one Bad Sport posted. I guess I'll just pull the heads and swap them around as its to much of a risk to take.

 

[TrailBeast]

As I said, I could be losing it, lol. I have always put that extra hole in the gasket toward the front where the crossover in the intake is.

And I never have, so one of us lost it.
I probably have 10k miles on my most recent build without any issues.

Like I said above though, I would verify the part number if I had a question on it.

 

[Bad Sport]

And I never have, so one of us lost it.

Well, maybe I went from a half a bubble off to full tilt!

 

[TrailBeast]

Thanks. The Gasket is as per the one Bad Sport posted. I guess I'll just pull the heads and swap them around as its to much of a risk to take.

Is there not the same coolant port on both ends of the heads?
I know mine have the ports but the intake blocks them off in the back.

 

[nm9stheham]

Mmmmm....as said, if the small solid dowels are in place, then if you pull them then you're wasting your time. The hole under the head at the front of the block SHOULD be blocked. The flow is into the block from front to back, then up through the big holes in the back, then back to front in the heads to the passages to the front of the intake and then the t'stat. There are a few smaller holes to allow flow up between the chambers in-between, but that big hole in the gasket should be in the back, over a matching hole in the block.

if you COULD put that big gasket hole in the front, then most of the coolant would bypass the rear areas of block and head.

You can see the standard Felpro head gasket orientation here, at around 1:55, and you can see how the dowels force the orientation. (The guy in the video is not a crazy as he looks LOL.)

 

[Bad Sport]

Sounds like he's GTG.

 

[TrailBeast]

The flow is into the block from front to back, then up through the big holes in the back, then back to front in the heads to the passages to the front of the intake and then the t'stat.

THAT is the part I couldn't remember for sure, thank you.
I just knew you didn't cut it out there.

 

[trigger_andy]

Mmmmm....as said, if the small solid dowels are in place, then if you pull them then you're wasting your time. The hole under the head at the front of the block SHOULD be blocked. The flow is into the block from front to back, then up through the big holes in the back, then back to front in the heads to the passages to the front of the intake and then the t'stat. There are a few smaller holes to allow flow up between the chambers in-between, but that big hole in the gasket should be in the back, over a matching hole in the block.

if you COULD put that big gasket hole in the front, then most of the coolant would bypass the rear areas of block and head.

You can see the standard Felpro head gasket orientation here, at around 1:55, and you can see how the dowels force the orientation. (The guy in the video is not a crazy as he looks LOL.)

Oh that’s awesome! Thank you so much for that. The vid seals the deal for me, ha ha. I simply could not understand how it could have been wrong when the dowels on the block lined up. Flipping them over would make the dowel location on the gasket all wrong.

I can go to sleep happy now.

 

[Bad Sport]

and you can see how the dowels force the orientation.

Yup they do.

I could have sworn they were the other way, lol.

I just went out and pulled a gasket and set it on my block on the stand, I just had to know.
Yup, I've gone full tilt!

 

[Bad Sport]

I can go to sleep happy now.

Sorry I confused you, but what's worse is I confused myself.

 

[trigger_andy]

Sorry I confused you, but what's worse is I confused myself.

Not at all. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to me and I’m happy I’ve not wasted hours of my time. plus you guys have given me a few more tricks and pointers to look out for when I put the intake on.

 

[stumblinhorse]

You said the intake was on before. I am surprised the Weiand 8007 holes line up with the dowel pins on your 340 china wall.

 

[4spdragtop]

Same here.

You said the intake was on before. I am surprised the Weiand 8007 holes line up with the dowel pins on your 340 china wall.

 

[toolmanmike]

You said the intake was on before. I am surprised the Weiand 8007 holes line up with the dowel pins on your 340 china wall.

I bought a stroker that some bozo put together.. He left the pins in and cranked the intake down then slathered silicone on both ends to seal it. I just laughed when I saw it.

 

[nm9stheham]

Oh that’s awesome! Thank you so much for that. The vid seals the deal for me, ha ha. I simply could not understand how it could have been wrong when the dowels on the block lined up. Flipping them over would make the dowel location on the gasket all wrong.

I can go to sleep happy now.

You just gotta remember the orientation if you have the block decked, they toss the dowel pins, and you don't have any to replace them!

 

[trigger_andy]

You said the intake was on before. I am surprised the Weiand 8007 holes line up with the dowel pins on your 340 china wall.

Im not sure that they do, I'll look later today. The place I had the 340 and 4 speed installed at knows nothing about these engines but is well known throughout Scotland as one of the best places to go for engine work. He has people driving 4 hours to see him. I dont think i'll be going back though, he did mention that he struggled to get a seal with the intake and has to really nip it down. Ive never done any of this before but Id rather learn and do it myself.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Im not sure that they do, I'll look later today. The place I had the 340 and 4 speed installed at knows nothing about these engines but is well known throughout Scotland as one of the best places to go for engine work. He has people driving 4 hours to see him. I dont think i'll be going back though, he did mention that he struggled to get a seal with the intake and has to really nip it down. Ive never done any of this before but Id rather learn and do it myself.

Pull the dowel pins in the china wall and it will fit much better!