[railroaderman]

Not Nova, my 94 GMC Truck. OEM everything on the truck.

Replacing Head and Intake gaskets due to coolant leak. The original intake gaskets had a Block-Off plate on each of the rear coolant ports. Each plate has small hole. New intake gasket is solid with no openings for same locations.

Do I :
Put the plates back in and solid gasket over them?
Put the plates back in and add small hole to gasket?
Leave the plates out and open up the gasket?

What the basis of the rear coolant ports being blocked off. The intake does have a rear connection to heater core, is that the reason? But, driver's side was also block off. ??

Picture of plate below.

 

[67 canso sd]

Wong gasket? If I remember correctly on the pass rear has that quick connector fitting…that always like to leak. if you want heat, need some coolant flow.
Why the general slowed the coolant flow down with those restrictor plates, I don’t know. Maybe some else can chime in on that.

 

[Stroker Ace Ventura]

Wong gasket? If I remember correctly on the pass rear has that quick connector fitting…that always like to leak. if you want heat, need some coolant flow.
Why the general slowed the coolant flow down with those restrictor plates, I don’t know. Maybe some else can chime in on that.

On that TBI motor, those heads do not have a coolant restrictor, there is no coolant passage back there if I recall due to the TBI not needing fuel to be preheated for cold start/run conditions (this was handled by the temp control switch in the manifold/block telling the archaic "computer" to fatten things up). If there's a space in the new gasket for it, replace the plate. If there isn't, leave it out. Victor Reintz (SP) typically makes two different gasket kits for that TBI setup (different bolt pattern... still damn near the same) and I for the life of me cannot find out why.

Here's the VR set with the blockoffs installed in the gasket itself:

Then here's a Fel Pro without them (in the small baggie that comes with the kit...):

Personally, if the gasket kit comes with the plates already installed, you're far better off. I would however add the RTV around the port on the head (not on the gasket) then apply the gasket and manifold.

 

[railroaderman]

Well, the intake and heads on this engine have water ports. Gaskets that were on the engine had block plates on driver and passenger side for the rear ports. I really believe the intake/gaskets are original to the motor. It's a 1994 GMC I bought in 1999 with about 60,000 miles when bought.

It does have quick connection for heater hose to the heater on the rear of passenger side of intake.

Guess I looking for the pro's and con's of not putting the block off plates back in. Got to be a reason that the ports were blocked off, just don't know what it is. What say Ye?

Intake and gasket I removed.

Head

 

[67 canso sd]

Drill same size hole in the set you have now or if it were me, get gskt set with proper metal insert, for better crush, and of course back it up with some sealant, especially if heads and intake have a bit of pitting. I’ve replaced many of those gaskets and quick connectors, but never really thought why they put restrictors in… it works, so never questioned it… plus i was flat rate back in the day…..just getr done was the way.

edit: could be a bring it up to op temp quicker “emissions” and rely on T stat to maintain, along with higher press cap…

your doing good if those were actually orig.👍
I won’t get into the Dexcool crap….

 

[railroaderman]

Agree. That's the way it was. That's the way it will be.