Trying to figure out what head gaskets to buy. I have a 99 z28 but it dosent have the original block in it, i bought one from TSP. I keep seeing the head gaskets for 97-01 and 02 and up and only difference i know of is the thickness. Dose it matter which ones i use

 

What heads are you trying to use?

Ben

 

i have patriot ls6 style heads, i have to remove them to install new lifters and wasnt sure what gaskets to get

 

I have cometic .040 MLS gaskets and i gave them a light spray with permatex copper spray and they seemed to do the trick just fine. They made a great seal and on the plus side are reusable.

I would guess a MLS gasket will not blow out as easy as a graphite gasket which is a good thing if you are making a lot of power.

 

TSP recommended GM MLS gaskets on my last head swap and they worked great.

Much easier to deal with than the graphite gaskets for sure. No more scraping gaskets!

 

not sure what gaskets to get either,

im putting the 862 truck TSP PRC 5.3 2.5's on my 98.......

help?

also, what bolt kit should i get?

 

I use Cometics. Like Brad said, a little copper spray and no leaks. If you want to increase compresion and reduce quench, go with an .040 or .045 Cometic. If not, I'd just go with a stock MLS gasket.

 

ok heres the deal, im having them milled to 59cc's. and are they all the same? i heard that the head gaskets and bolts are different for 02+ heads. how do i tell what year my 5.3's are? are they different or will any ones work?

 

I thought that there was a recess or some small difference between the 97-01 heads & the 02 + heads. That may be the main reason for the different specified gaskets. With your LS6 style heads, the 02 & up GM gaskets would be the proper fit if you choose a GM gasket. I'm also a Cometic fan & agree that a copper sprayed (both sides) .045" Cometic is a good choice. The sponsor you buy from can also confirm the proper gasket for you. Good-luck

 

GM MLS gaskets have never done me wrong... Figure on .054 thickness as opposed to .060.