Better head

nitro_rat said

Here is a little background and history on the Aluminum Block Slant Six engine

You can read about it here. The aluminum block has freestanding cylinders and an open deck. It has a very narrow cylinder sealing surface and a special head gasket. The chambers have to be aligned perfectly over every cylinder bore for proper sealing!

Click to expand...

This.

And the aluminum was cast thin around the the liners...and corrosion would cause the casting to delaminate from the liner and cause the head gasket to leak.
Many suffer from this. With the casting eroded away at the top...there is only the sleeve/liner top edge to seal the gasket.
The head gasket is a copper and composite type material, greenish. Its form fit tight around the cylinders, water passages..for a reason I'm sure like maybe to deflect direct pressure in the cooling system away from the key sealing points. I have a full set, maybe I'll pull it out and take a pic of the head gasket. Think I paid 160.00 for it off ebay about 18yrs ago or so. Bought the entire car AL 225 v 200 '62 for 700.00. I drove into the wrecking yard where it was parked for 30 something years.. an old lady who knew Jerry traded it in for a more reliable car in the 80's. She said it had started overheating. I pulled it apart, stock, head gasket was weeping. Everything was cherry otherwise.