I'm swapping in a Gen 1 sbc with vortec heads into my 89 RS. I was wondering what kind of head gaskets you guys are running with your vortec heads? Stock vortec compression was like 9.4 i believe, so if my motor is under 10.1 (probably around 9.5) will I be ok to use a stock vortec head gasket? I don't see what the problem would be. What do you guys think??

 

Unless the block has been decked, use FelPro 1094 rubber-coated steel-shims for best quench and least detonation. The goal is 0.035" - 0.045" piston-to-head, and stock pistons are supposed to be 0.025" in-the-hole at top dead center, but usually check between 0.020"-0.035", so the 0.015" FelPros are ideal. Thicker gaskets drop the static compression, but the loss of quench makes detonation more likely.

 

The heads were milled just enough to clean up the gasket surface to get a good seal. Its a 327 block so I don't know what the piston to head clearance should be. Don't I need a vortec specific head gasket, or can I just buy a Gen 1 set of gaskets? I was under the impression I needed a gasket for the Gen III vortec? Maybe I'm just a noob

 

nevermind, i'm an idiot. For some reason I thought I had to use a head gasket made for the vortec heads. So when I would search for "vortec head gasket" I would get limited results, mostly stock replacements.

 

on the 355 in my Nova, i ran the thinnest shim gaskets that Mr Gasket makes- .015, i think- sprayed with a good coat of the gold sealer stuff on each side.