i am ready to put the heads on my 215. the felpro head gaskets have metal on one side and fiber on the other. what side goes up? i googled it and i see people say both ways. felpro web site don't say, that i can find. my directions say that if it is not marked "top" then it don't matter. if it don't matter then why the two differant materials for each side? i have never seen a head gasket this way.

 

I don't have any experience with a lopsided gasket like that...but I can offer you some rational as to which way I might place it.

The steel side I would put against the better of the two surfaces, and the fiber side I would put against the worst of the two surfaces so that any imperfections in the surface will be sealed by the fiber.

If fel-pro doesn't specify, that is what I would do. If they are both newly surfaced surfaces then I would just put the gasket on and run with it.

 

looks like i messed up. i was thinking the same thing as you and ended up putting it together before i even read your post. i also used copper on the metal side like the directions in the felpro set said to do. i just talked to Mark from D&D and he side i have to pull the heads and flip them over. i put the metal side to the head and he said it is very important to put the metal side to the block. if it is that important i would think that felpro would have marked them. he also said not to use a sealer on the metal side? i am all confused now. He is the expert on these engines and builds alot of them so i am going to redo it. i will get new gaskets and not just flip these. now i have to get a new intake gasket also. i guess this is what i get for reading directions with the gasket set and not holding off for more info. now it will be Wednesday evening before i have the parts.

 

Good thing you spotted the problem now, or maybe you don't even have one. Can't believe, contacting Fel-Pro won't help you out. Everyone seems to have different opinion's on the Permatex copper spray. On BB's I've built using Fel-Pro Perma-Tourqe gaskets that are blue on both sides, the head builder says to use a light coat on both sides. Did what he said, and all has been fine for years. Some builders say not to use it, so go figure. Agree common sense, would probably dictate putting the insulated blue side to the aluminum heads though.

 

Does it have aluminum heads?

 

Will all of the bolt holes line up both ways on a 215? I've never had my hands on one of those but would like to know.

 

it is all aluminum. heads, block, and intake. the head gaskets will line up any direction. the old head gaskets for the 215 were all fiber with rings around the cylinders. everything for the past 5 years are metal on one side and fiber on the other.

 

If both block and heads are aluminum then why the hell does it matter what side the metal side of the gasket goes on? That doesn't make sense...I would need someone to really explain that to me before I did all the work again and wasted good gaskets.

Also, copper gasket coating has never turned out bad for me. I don't know why it would all of a sudden be detrimental to a head gasket.