Been researching Z info in anticipation of doing a Z this time next year and
at least with the L-series 6s the OEM exhaust gasket seems to work about
equally as well as the special header gaskets. I've always run OEM (FelPro)
gaskets with the Stahl header on my L-4s, but the Stahl headers may have
been built with more attention to detail than some others.
The keys, IMHO, are to have a nice fat flange that is unlikely to be warped
when it's tightened down, not to over tighten the bolts (which you often
see) and make sure there's a really flat surface on the head side of the
flange. You can check that with a long metal straight edge and clean some
things up some using sheet emery paper on a large piece of thick glass, or
just take it to a machine shop and have it surfaced the minimum amount
needed to make it really flat.
FWIW,
Ron
>adam
> Not a performance issue. There is one solid piece to the stock 1600
> manifold that surrounds both inner exhaust ports so there is no use for
> the center material. If you have a stock gasket with a header, there
> will be a pocket between the cylinders that has no material and no
> exhaust either. Depending on the header flange you could have an
> exhaust leak there.
>
> >mike
>
>> Well what's the downside of using the stock gasket w/no seperation?
>>
>> Performance issue?
>>
>> I've been using the stock gaskets for more years than I care to
>> remember
>> w/no problems.
>>
>> I also don't see the problem of using a metal reinforced gasket w/a
>> header
>> unless the manifold flanges aren't made/machined well and I've seen
>> that
>> many times. The original good ol asbestos 1600 gaskets used metal and
>> I
>> never had a problem. Cough, cough!!
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