Pieces of steel in cylinder??

If you save the old gaskets, like the carb base gasket, and exhaust manifold gaskets, fuel pump gasket, use them to block the sealing surfaces when you paint the engine...

Unfortunately the only gaskets that came off in one piece were the head gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets. All others were pretty well stuck and brittle, came off in bits and pieces. I like that idea though.