396 Gaskets?
 

Are there still small bore BBC gaskets available? Haven't been able find any through shops here in San Antonio. I pulled the heads off my 70' 402 3/4 ton truck and had a valve job and seals done. I guess most people just use a 4.250 + gasket. BTW anybody know much about the 950 heads that are on this truck?

Re: 396 Gaskets?
 

I have a 396/325 apart right now it has small bore gaskets they are cometic
Mike Taylor 3601

Re: 396 Gaskets?
 

Thanks Mike. Barney Moravits had told me to go that route. Is there any real downside to using a steel shim 4.25+ gasket in this application?

Re: 396 Gaskets?
 

If I would be towing with this truck I would use regular fel-pro blue gaskets like come in kit set gaskets, kit or head set of gaskets are going to cost less than 1 cometic head gasket and work just fine and if towing, using like a truck I would keep compression down below 9-1.
Mike Taylor3601

Re: 396 Gaskets?
 

No downside to using the steel shim gasket if the heads and block have been surfaced. Check your compression ratio first. Standard Fel-Pro blue will also work. Watch the specs on some of the hi-perf gaskets since often they are designed to be used with 4.375" bores.

Re: 396 Gaskets?
 

Heads have been surfaced but not the block. I pulled the heads because the truck sat for a long time and the gas was bad. Whatever the gas turned into got on the valves and caused them to hang up. The pistons look like 325/396 but the chambers are semi open. Not really sure what the hp rating is on this engine. Right now I just want to drive it around again, its just plain fun, 402/TH-400/4.11 Dana.

Re: 396 Gaskets?
 

I tell people about the gas getting stale now and gluing valves in heads and most don't believe it.The regular old blue fel-pro will seal a little easier on that and save you money compared to HP gaskets that you don't really need.
Mike Taylor 3601

Re: 396 Gaskets?
 

Gluing the valves in the heads is exactly what happened. Added fresh gas, started it up and it ran fine for about two minutes then started running rough. Went to restart it and it acted like the timing was off but it was the valves hanging in the guides. So now I got a new gas tank, pickup, fuel pump, filter etc. I haven't decided what to do with the carb yet. The truck will run again but what a mess.