Hi,
I'm new to the forum & to Chevy V8's. Been playing with old British sports cars mostly. Now, I'm putting a 1988 TBI smallblock truck motor in an '85 Jaguar.
I've Been lurking here a while & learning what I can.
I'm currently taking all my accessories & TBI stuff of the old motor & putting it all on a goodwrench crate motor using a NAPA rebuild gasket set.

The question:
The rearmost coolant ports on my heads & on my intake manifold are full size & look like all the other coolant ports. The gaskets have these ports blocked by a metal plate that has about a 1/16 inch hole drilled in it. The plate is clearly stamped "rear port". I foolishly tossed the old gaskets without noticing how they looked. It looks like the plate could be easily removed, but I can't help wonder why it's there.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
THANKS!
Jim

 

I have built a few 350's and have never used that peice of metal in those gaskets. I think that they are just a type of restrictor but are not really needed. If you are trying to keep the water flowing for better cooling I don't think you would want them.

Just my .02

 

Thanks!

 

That is the cross over passage for the intake manifold. I would leave it alone. It does not affect the overall cooling of the engine and there is no need to have that much flow through the intake. The stock gaskets should also have the same hole/restriction.