So I have a little delema here. I am going to do a minor rebuild(just gunna do gaskets) and I just have one quesion. Will a gasket set for any SBC work? I know I need to buy a one piece rear main seal, but is eveything else universal for SBCs?

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'86 IROC 5-speed
305 LG4
edelbrock performer rpm intake
edelbrock 600 cfm carb
msd pro billet hei distributer
'95 3.23 rearend
hotchkis rear suspension
PST front polygraphite suspension
"speed kills. buy a f@&d, live forever."

 

'86 is kind of a bastard year. One-piece rear main seal, like you say. But still had perimeter bolt valve covers. It also had a one-piece pan gasket, which typically doesn't come in an engine kit (but you really do want it).

Give Competition Products a call. They worked with me and got me the gaskets I wanted.

Warning: It ain't gonna be cheap...

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4, 2300 stall TC. Ported World 305 heads, Crane PowerMax 2050 cam. ZZ3/4 intake, oil pump, pan & baffle. Accel HEI SuperCoil & module. Hooker 2055 headers, 3" Catco cat & 3" catback w/dual-opposite Flowmaster 80. 2.93 limited slip. Spohn SFCs waiting to be installed. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily year-round driver. Best ET, speed TBD...
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. '66 396, 9.7:1 forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Holley 750VS w/4150 conversion, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlocks, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Idles smooth @ 700 RPM in D. Best 15.02/95.06 @ 5800' Bandimere (corrected 13.93/102.4 @ sea level).

 

I don't think I'm gunna do oil pan/timing cover. those don't seem to be leaking. I was going to buy a kit, and can get one for a 265-400 for $40. All I would need is the rear main seal(one piece) right? Also a carb gasket.I don't want to find one specific for my engine, that would be expensive. I just want something that will work for a few years until I can build my 327 or 383(haven't decided, but I love to rev, so I'm thinkin 327)

 

My "265-350 1967-1992 complete engine gasket kit" didn't include the one-piece rear main seal or carb gasket, if you can believe that. It did include the two piece rear main seal. I think you'll find that's typical.

You'd probably be better off just getting the gaskets and seals you want individually.

 

well I just wanna get a kit, seems cheaper. then I'll spend an extra $20 for a carb and one piece rear. that'll put me at about $60.

 

So what gaskets are you going to change? The only ones left are the valve cover gaskets. And, those are by far the most prone to leak anyway.

Go buy a set of those, and since your carb gasket will be different from stock, you'll jave to buy that separately anyway. You don't need any kind of a kit.

To change the rear main seal you have to pull the trans. Are you sure you really want to do that? Does it leak? If I were you, I'd swap the VC gaskets first; take it to the car wash and clean all the oil off of everything as well as you can first with some Engine Bright (dieael fuel in a spray can) and lots of quarters, change the VC gaskets and adjust the valves while you're there, then car wash it again afterwards and see if you really need to do a rear main seal. That's an awful lot of work to do just for the helluvit if it doesn't actually leak.

Use Fel-Pro VS12869R VC gaskets. Don't forget the R, that is the Rubber kind, don't get the regular cork ones unless you just really enjoy doing that job and want to do it again in a couple of months.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

My valve covers have red permatex only, no gasket. Only in a shop 3 times in its life. Could this be original for 83? When I put in 1.6 rockers I used the red goop again.

[This message has been edited by MD83Z (edited December 07, 2001).]

 

RB, I am am changing the rear main because I believe that's what killed my clutch. My clutch is barely usable(hell, I'm drivin it til it don't work any more though)I'm gunna have to pull the trans for that and also resurface the flywheel. So I'll do the rear main while that's at the machine shop. I don't have the $ or tools to pull the engine to replace the oil pan seal, but I'm replacing everything else(except timing cover too)I'm gunna do the valve seals too, since their leaky. I was just wondering if a fel-pro kit for up to 1980 SBC will work. It should. All I will need extra is the rear main seal and the square bore carb gasket. The head gaskets should work though right?(as well as everything else I'm using from the kit)

 

Yes, if you're going to go that far, then an early-model set will work. The later model differences are the rear main seal and the oil pan; your heads have the early-style valve covers.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Just a FYI

If you go the Fel Pro route, and the reseller doesnt attempt to hose you on the price, you can save a considerable amount by getting a gasket set rather than picking them up individually. The one piece oil pan gasket is probably the most expensive gasket on your engine. If you arent replacing everything, individually you might save some cash but it depends on what you are getting.

The difference in the early and later kit is the rear main seal, valve cover and the oil pan gasket (all of which it looks like you will be replacing too). IIRC the oil pan gasket is sold separate no matter what you do and its around 35 bucks for it. You should be able to get an early gasket set that includes everything for less than 80 bucks, I dont know specifically because I dont have a recent price sheet. Since most of what you need is not in that set, I dont know that the early set is a good idea. I do know that in the mid 90's the early 350 SBC set was 38 bucks jobber and we sold it for around 50ish. Seems to me the late set was around the same price but the oil pan gasket didnt come with it.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited December 07, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited December 07, 2001).]

 

whoops

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited December 07, 2001).]

 

I have no money to even try to lift the engine out to do the oil pan, so I don't need that seal, so that's what I was thinkin. I can get a fel pro set(full set) from summit for $38, and then just buy a rear main seal. Good news! I need to check on the cost at the parts store I work at, I get 20% off there Thanks guys!