FELPRO 1043 head gasket.
 

Has anyone use a Felpro 1043 head gasket with any luck on a 624 cast head? 4.080 bore .038 compressed thickness. I have a set I would like to use on my I/S 350 motor. Will buy Cometic if these are not a good choice. They say Aluminum heads or Vortec style combustion chamber, not for cast OEM heads. I have read on other forums where they claim they have used them on OEM cast heads successfully .

Thanks
Randy Wells
I/S 5628

Re: FELPRO 1043 head gasket.
 

will not fit conventional OEM type combustion chambers---according to FELPRO for small chambered aluminum race heads some Vortecs sometimes used for uneven head or block surfaces

Re: FELPRO 1043 head gasket.
 

Lay the gaskets on the block dowel pins. If the sealing ring hangs into the bore at all I wouldn’t use them.

Put dowel pins in the heads and lay the gasket on the pins.
See how it fits the chamber shape.

That should be all you need to do to see if they can be used.

Re: FELPRO 1043 head gasket.
 

Rich,

I did that, the gasket clears the bore and the combustion chamber, the fire ring on the 1043 is pre-compressed for aluminum heads. Maybe that is the issue with steel on steel. The fire ring is not as wide as a 1003 gasket. I think I will order a set of Cometic gaskets just to be on the safe side.

Thanks

Randy Wells
I/S 5628

Re: FELPRO 1043 head gasket.
 

We have used the 1043 fel pro on 350/255 sb chevy for years with no problems.

Re: FELPRO 1043 head gasket.
 

After looking at it and checking the fit, I am going to use it. Brother Bob says no problem using it also.

Thanks

Randy Wells
I/S 5628

Re: FELPRO 1043 head gasket.
 

We put the note in the catalog because the bore opening does not have the usual small block Chevy gasket shape (valve pockets). If the gasket doesn't fall into the combustion chamber in the head or the bore opening in the block the gasket will perform fine. The gasket has a pre-flatten steel wire-ring which will work fine with either aluminum or cast iron heads.