What started out as a manifold replacement hasturned into that plus an A/C delete project but my question has to do with the donut gaket. Here is a pic of what I a looking at.


Needless to say the new one came with the manifol and the old metal thing was what was on the car. After doing all of the work I now think this is where my leak was all along or possibly a bad manifold gasket at the rear. You might be able to see the new one is about half the thickness of the old one and I was just going to use it until I realized needed that inch or so to be able to mate up the pipe to the manifold and the manifold make it to the head. I would rather not put the old metal thing backe on since the two flat metals together wasn't sealed up so well in the first place which is why I am where I am now.
Any ideas? Is there possibly a larger donut I could buy? A really good exhaust gasket to put between he manifold and the old metal donut thing so they stick together and don't allow nother leak?
First time I've done this job so any help is appreciated.