[ponyakr]

head gaskets are obviously very important & have caused many problems for pontiac dudes--& i'm no exception. my 1st bad experience was with our 1st stocker motors, built by a machine shop in '75. they put McCord gaskets on it, probably because they were cheaper. they, like the napa pistons, were not up 2 the task. at that time, victor pontiac gaskets were metal & looked a lot like gm's. i used them without a problem. i don't remember when, but at some point they switched 2 some type of fiber instead of metal--cheaper 2 make i suppose. at that time, i found somebody with a small stockpile of nos gm's & bought all he had. after they were gone i switched 2 fel-pro--never had a problem with them. today, for a hi comp 455(72 or less cc heads) i would recommend either the butler metal gaskets or even better, if your budget can stand it, the cometics. this may be 1 of those areas where its better 2 spend a little more now & avoid possible problems later! if you lower your comp into the 9's, then the best fel-pros will work. & if you go really low, the cheaper fel-pros should work. i'm sure opinions will vary on this subject, so i'd pose the head gasket ? for your comb 2 some on this site who have built & raced 455's in the last few years. i'd say, just 2 be on the safe side, i'd use at least 1 notch better gasket than really nescessary, for a little ins. blown head gaskets are no fun! oil pan gaskets have caused a lot of problems, especially the ones with 3 spikes. i've had em push out between the spikes. i personally like the nitemare method. use the 5-spike gasket for late 70's 400's & add extra slots 2 the 3-spike pan--they'll stay put. even cork, when properly fitted & glued is better than the 3-spike gasket. of course the only exception 2 this is the 1-piece BOP gasket--it gets my #1 vote if you can stand the $50 pricetag. i liked the rubber gaskets on the valve covers because of taking them off & on so often. for the intakes, i've already mentioned using mr.g 502g with the thin metal shims 2 block the heat risers. but for cold northern winters, you may want 2 leave the heat risers open. for headers, i used the cheapest mr.g's. but there are lots of others 2 choose from. some of the copper & others are reusable, so if you remove the headers often, these may be cheaper & more convenient in the long run. for rear seals, i used the cadillac seals sold by H-O--never had a problem. most say viton is better. but at least 1 builder says the neoprene is actually a little tuffer than viton--i don't have a clue. for most of the other gaskets i usually tried 2 glue 1 side & silicone the other. it makes the gasket reusable in most cases. that can come in handy if you have 2 remove parts at the track. i always kept a caulking gun & extra tubes of silicone, so i'd always have plenty at the shop or track. most builders now recommend ultra black silicone. you can usually find the best prices on gaskets on e-bay or amazon, unless you can give em a free ride on a larger summit order. if you're considering the butler head gaskets, see their site for special installation instructions.