[66beaumont]

69 ys factory head gaskets were they steel or composite.also is it possible for an april 69 engine to have an august 68 water pump when built? thanks for any info.

[dmac]

In August of 68, they would have been making parts for 69. The model year started usually in September, with factory changeover in July/august, if there were any big changes. Between 68-69, there were mostly sheetmetal changes for the Firebirds/GTOs/Lemans, and as a former GM auto assembly plant worker, there wasn't any big reason to stop assembly for very long for those models. Depending on sales, plants may have only been shutdown for a week or two, but parts like water pumps, cylinder heads, etc, came into the assembly plants as finished assembled motors, so I wouldn't be surprised if you found a July68 dated part on a 69 vehicle. I wasn't even aware that water pumps had a date code.

But you have a 45 year old part that may have been changed 3-4-5 times over the decades. But if you are into number matching, you are better off with a 1968 part than a 1970 part. I can't imagine that the water pump manufacture date would be any issue.Your water pump could have been in a bin of water pumps that just kept getting pushed back, or one they found at the back of the shelf.

What are the dates of the heads and block?

[66beaumont]

Originally Posted by dmac

In August of 68, they would have been making parts for 69. The model year started usually in September, with factory changeover in July/august, if there were any big changes. Between 68-69, there were mostly sheetmetal changes for the Firebirds/GTOs/Lemans, and as a former GM auto assembly plant worker, there wasn't any big reason to stop assembly for very long for those models. Depending on sales, plants may have only been shutdown for a week or two, but parts like water pumps, cylinder heads, etc, came into the assembly plants as finished assembled motors, so I wouldn't be surprised if you found a July68 dated part on a 69 vehicle. I wasn't even aware that water pumps had a date code.

But you have a 45 year old part that may have been changed 3-4-5 times over the decades. But if you are into number matching, you are better off with a 1968 part than a 1970 part. I can't imagine that the water pump manufacture date would be any issue.Your water pump could have been in a bin of water pumps that just kept getting pushed back, or one they found at the back of the shelf.

What are the dates of the heads and block?

heads areC259 andC269 intake D089 block is too dirty but is original water pump is H138 just trying to determine if this engine has ever been opened up beyond regular maintenance. Could be replacement pump I guess,Car build is 04C 3rd week april

[steve25]

I have taken apart a lot of YS motors and have never seen a plan steel shim head gasket come out of a stock motor!

[66beaumont]

thanks pulled motor apart today has been rebuilt 8vr pistons and cam bearings look like they sre chipped and delaminating.will check some rod bearings tonite.maybe time for that Butler stroker kit

[Mr. P-Body]

The original gaskets were "laminated", with a layer of steel on one side with a fiber middle and another layer of steel. The modern fiber gaskets are more desirable. Victor were OEM, today represented by Victor/Reinz. They "look" more like stock, but still aren't exactly like the old stuff. The head gaskets are fiber and excellent. Intake gaskets are "correct", though. IMO, better overall than Felpro.

FWIW

Jim