C2 intake gasket question - appearance

[Barry K.]

ok, i'm going thru a lot of work to make my motor look better. it's a '65 L76
cleaning up the aluminum intake, valve covers, and exhaust mainfolds.Also touching up the paint on the block.
When it's time for re-assembly i'm using FelPro gaskets (#1256 was recommended) for the intake.
The problem is that the intake gaskets are blue and the edges of them between the intake and the heads are somewhat exposed and I don't want the blue color to show.
I believe from the factory the valve covers were masked off and than that small valley along the edges of the intake were painted silver to hide the factory gaskets and match the color of the aluminun intake.

Is my best bet to re-assemble everything and follow the factory procedure of masking off the valve covers and just carefully spraying silver paint such as aluma Blast along the sides of the intake allowing the overspray to hit the intake and intake bolts also, or should I just spray the gaskets silver before installing them?
I prefer the idea of spray painting the gaskets PRIOR to installing them so I don't run the risk of any overspray on my new paintjob but not sure if that will affect the sealing of the gaskets to the intake causing leak problems.

i'm NOT going for NCRS points, just a nicer appearance of my motor

Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated as always!

[Gene M.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

Jerry,
Paint does not stick well to those blue gaskets. I would take the manifold as a pattern and cut the gasket to match it. Other option is to get the reproduction black intake gasket in place of the felpro as it matches the intake profile and has the tab.

[Barry K.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

Gene
I didn't know there was a repro gasket that fit closer to the shape of the intake but now I found it in my Paragon catalog.
Thanks!

I was going to use the FelPro gasket because many people recommended it and it's suppose to seal well. Do you know if this reproduction gasket is decent at sealing? If I have to choose, I'd rather get the better gasket for proper sealing and trim it with a utility knife if needed rather than dealing with leaks just to gain a nicer appearance.
IF the repro gasket doesn't seal well it's useless no matter how much better it may look cosmetically.

[mike mccagh]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

i've never had problems with the repo intake to head gasket and been using them for years. the tab is present like originals, as gene mentioned. one problem with the felpro is you won't be cutting it with a utility knife. it'll take a pair of tin-snips and its difficult to cut it without the tin snip scars being evident on installation. also, as gene mentioned. paint dislikes the felpro material. mike

[Barry K.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

Mike
that make a big difference in my options if I can't easily trim the FelPro gaskets.......
not knowing any better (my first time doing this kind of work), I assumed they were a rubber type of material that would slice through fairly easily with a utility knife.

If you have had good luck with the repro gaskets that that sounds like a much better option for me to go with.
Thanks!

Barry

[William V.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

Barry

FelPro is a better gasket but one can see they've been installed from across the parking lot. If you chose the reproduction gaskets, I suggest using a thin layer of Permatex ultra black on the heads and manifold. What has worked well for me is first clean all mating surfaces (manifold, block and heads) with lacquer thinner or alcohol and then apply a thin layer of sealer on the head around ports and water jackets, place the gaskets and apply a second thin coat of sealer on gasket and seals. I apply the sealer with my finger not directly from the tube. When you install and torque the intake, you should only get a very small bead of sealer squish out. This can easily be cleaned and dressed. Remember the same amount of sealer squishes on the inside so be careful not to over do the sealing.

Good luck

BV

[Barry K.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

good suggestion, thanks Bill.

still not sure which way is go yet. I like the fact that the FelPro is a better gasket and will probably seal better but appearance wise the repro works much better.
Of course, appearance won't count for anything if the repro gives me problems and leaks and i've already been bitten by repro pieces before - not gaskets, but anything repro usually gets me worried on fit, finish, and performance.
for piece of mind i'm still leaning towards the FelPro gasket and trying to do something to help make it a bit less obvious such as maybe painting the visible excess that shows but i've been told paint doesn't like to stick to the gaskets very well.
lack of leaks is a major priority of course so I may just go the safe route and live with the less than optimum appearance in this one area. It won't make me happy but leaks will make me even more unhappy.

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

Barry-----

The reproduction gaskets are the embossed type, just like the original gaskets. This type gasket provides an excellent seal and is the type I recommend for stock installations. They are as good or better than anything else on the market.

[Barry K.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

Joe

just the exact type of info I needed to know, thank you!
I was hesitating on the repros because I was afraid that while they were cut to the same shape as the originals rather than all the extra material at the edges that others have, that they weren't of good quality and would cause me sealing issues.

Sounds like the repros are the way for me to go. It solves both of my problems. no excess unsightly material sticking out like a general purpose gasket AND it's seals well. What more could I possibly ask for?

Barry

[Bernard M.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

The reproduction intake gaskets I have seen and used are cut out from Victor Reinz stock gaskets. The quality is good and they have an essentially stock appearance. Regards, Bernie Myers

[Barry K.]

Re: C2 intake gasket question - appearance

thanks Bernie, it's nice hearing yet another positive feedback on the repro gaskets. makes me feel better. i'm going to go with those rather than the FelPro gaskets