One more question... What do you all use to remove some of the tougher stuff on the heads to get a nice smooth mating surface? Is a wire wheel safe? Thanks for your help
A fine wire wheel will clean up the scratches. You can even use Emery cloth to clean them up some. But personally if it's clean I'd put that son-of-a-gun together and not worry about those little scratches.
Do not use a metal intake gasket.
