396 Gaskets?

brian schuetta · 05-28-2015, 04:05 PM

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?

Mike Taylor 3601 · 05-29-2015, 07:47 AM

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

brian schuetta · 05-29-2015, 09:31 AM

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?

Mike Taylor 3601 · 06-01-2015, 08:37 AM

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

Dwight Southerland · 06-02-2015, 08:07 AM

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.

brian schuetta · 06-02-2015, 08:16 AM

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.

Mike Taylor 3601 · 06-02-2015, 02:07 PM

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

05-28-2015, 04:05 PM	#1
brian schuetta Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: san antonio tx Posts: 259 Likes: 5 Liked 28 Times in 15 Posts	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?

05-29-2015, 07:47 AM	#2
Mike Taylor 3601 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Somerset,Ky Posts: 1,371 Likes: 352 Liked 304 Times in 102 Posts	Re: 396 Gaskets? I have a 396/325 apart right now it has small bore gaskets they are cometic Mike Taylor 3601

05-29-2015, 09:31 AM	#3
brian schuetta Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: san antonio tx Posts: 259 Likes: 5 Liked 28 Times in 15 Posts	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?

06-01-2015, 08:37 AM	#4
Mike Taylor 3601 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Somerset,Ky Posts: 1,371 Likes: 352 Liked 304 Times in 102 Posts	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

06-02-2015, 08:07 AM	#5
Dwight Southerland VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Arkansas - In the middle of everything. Posts: 2,000 Likes: 64 Liked 777 Times in 193 Posts	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. __________________

06-02-2015, 08:16 AM	#6
brian schuetta Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: san antonio tx Posts: 259 Likes: 5 Liked 28 Times in 15 Posts	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.

06-02-2015, 02:07 PM	#7
Mike Taylor 3601 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Somerset,Ky Posts: 1,371 Likes: 352 Liked 304 Times in 102 Posts	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