Lou C
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2002
- Messages
- 13,023
OK these are 2 general questions, applicable to either Merc, Volvo or OMC....anyone had experience with Fel Pro Marine gasket sets? I ask because I am about to put my 4.3 back together with a set of re-man heads, and all new gaskets. I called Fel Pro to ask about installing the intake gaskets and the tech I spoke to thought that the ones in the marine set might be only for an aluminum intake, not cast iron. This did not make sense to me, because all the 4.3 marine intakes I have ever seen, were cast iron, be they non vortec or vortec. He got me to thinking they may have put the wrong gaskets in the marine set, but it just doesn't make sense. I know I can get regular gaskets for 4.3s and you can still get the ones that came on Merc or OMC engines, but this does not make sense.
The other thing that was odd to me is this, on the 4.3 intake there are 2 cyls on the intake side that are siamesed together. However, on the cyl head, the divider between these same 2 ports does not come all the way to the sealing surface. Some intake gaskets have no divider between the 2 ports, some do. I know the OE ones on my engine did not, but the ones in the Fel Pro kit do.....On the Vortec cyl heads, this divider between the intake ports does come up to the sealing surface. Another GM mystery.
The other thing that was odd to me is this, on the 4.3 intake there are 2 cyls on the intake side that are siamesed together. However, on the cyl head, the divider between these same 2 ports does not come all the way to the sealing surface. Some intake gaskets have no divider between the 2 ports, some do. I know the OE ones on my engine did not, but the ones in the Fel Pro kit do.....On the Vortec cyl heads, this divider between the intake ports does come up to the sealing surface. Another GM mystery.
