I ran a set of GM stock replacement (not impala) headgaskets on the car last time with the ported heads and HOTcam. It never gave me any problems at all. Actually, the radiator clogged, and it cracked the block but never blew the headgaskets I was using stock GM replacement head bolts too

I'm using Fel-Pro 1074's and ARP headstuds on the new motor though.

 

What/how will a mismatch affect my motor? I also called up Fel-Pro and they told me they were the same thickness as the factory GM gaskets.

Thanks:

ZMAN

 

My factory radiator clogged up after 3 years. I'm the original owner. I went through troubleshooting, ended up pulling the heads, before I got rid of my denial it could be the radiator. Sure as spice, it was a clogged radiator. The heads needed to be shaved after being overheated anyways.

ZMAN

 

curious, why would you pull the heads before the radiator?

 

I had the same problem. Drove to Summit so I could open the package there and get two good ones.

 

Being naive, thinking the radiator is only 3 years old and was flushed at least once a year. I couldn't get it in my thick skull that sometimes it really is the easy stuff. What should have taken a few hours in labor took me a couple weeks to figure out. The heads were warped pretty good anyways. Sometimes I need a hammer instead of a guage telling me something is wrong. I also remeber doing a compression test and one cylinder was a little low compared to the rest, but not bad. Oh well, live and learn. This was back in 1998

ZMAN

 

I've heard of others on this board putting the Mr. Gasket package in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then the plastic peels off the gaskets without any problem.

Chris

 

Hate to dig this back up, I ended up going with the mr. gasket pieces, got them, sure enough the package messed up the surface of the head gasket on top. I sent summit and email, they said that it wouldnt matter and that they were still 100% useable. Also stated that this wasnt a common problem, from the looks of the posts on here i think they lied lol

 

I called Summit and had zero problems getting them to send a second set out. It had been months since the initial purchase, I told them what happened and they sent them and contaced UPS to have them do a pickup on the two worst gaskets a few days later. Actually I called Mr. Gasket first and they said to just deal with Summit. I was told that it was simply a matter of the packaging machine tension being se too tight. After that logic dictates they run these occassionally and what we are dealing with is all old stock yet. Next run I bet they don't make the same mistake.

 

I had the same problem with the Mr. Gasket gaskets. I just called summit yesterday about it and they're sending me a new set out also. Evil Eric you should try calling them, the person i spoke to didn't give me any trouble.