3500 Exhuast Gaskets

[caffeine]

Hey I'm in the process of installing a 3500 into my Fiero and I just wanted to ask if the 3500 exhaust gaskets have to be for a 3500. It seems like it's cheaper to buy gaskets for a 3400 and I'm on a budget.

And has anyone tried 1966 VW Beetle exhaust gaskets? On the Fiero forums people have used them with the stock 2.8L with success, but I didn't want to buy them without checking.

[Superdave]

it depends on the manifolds you are using, 3500 heads with 3400 manifolds and 3400 gaskets are ok.... 3500 heads with 3500 manifolds and you should use the 3500 gaskets to get a good seal.



If you have headers then 3400 gaskets work well. Also, they are re-useable so if you didn't destroy the old ones you can use them quite a few times before they'll leak.

[neophile_17]

3400 stuff is bigger than 2.8L stuff and 3500 stuff is bigger than 3400 stuff. Those VW gaskets are almost certainly a no-go.

~sam

[caffeine]

it depends on the manifolds you are using, 3500 heads with 3400 manifolds and 3400 gaskets are ok.... 3500 heads with 3500 manifolds and you should use the 3500 gaskets to get a good seal.



If you have headers then 3400 gaskets work well. Also, they are re-useable so if you didn't destroy the old ones you can use them quite a few times before they'll leak.

I'm almost 100% using two front(?) 3500 manifolds (the ones that point down) and the engine came with one manifold attached with the gasket and the other side has no gasket. Which is kinda annoying because I expect the gaskets will cost at least $100 here in Canada. Is it possible to just open up the 3400 gaskets?

[Starglow]

Is it possible to just open up the 3400 gaskets?

I don't think that would work very well due to the higher leak potential. The last thing you'll want to do is have to pull the manifolds back off due to a gasket leak after everything is put together. I'd say just get the 3500 gaskets and you'll sleep better.

[Superdave]

Maybe someone who has done the swap in another car has a spare gasket...

[ForcedFirebird]

We have some used gaskets if you need, but aren;t very expensive to buy new.

The VW gaskets won't fit the bolt pattern on the aluminum heads, they work great on the small round ports of the iron heads.

[caffeine]

We have some used gaskets if you need, but aren;t very expensive to buy new.

The VW gaskets won't fit the bolt pattern on the aluminum heads, they work great on the small round ports of the iron heads.

Well the cheapest set I can get around here are $100 new. I think that's atrocious compared to something like sbc gaskets which I can get for $20. Maybe I'll check some wreckers and see what I can find

[caffeine]

I don't think that would work very well due to the higher leak potential. The last thing you'll want to do is have to pull the manifolds back off due to a gasket leak after everything is put together. I'd say just get the 3500 gaskets and you'll sleep better.

On the other hand the side that's missing a gasket is the trunk side so if I did need to change it in the future it wouldn't be a terribly difficult job. It's the front/firewall side on fieros that's a real pain to access

[caffeine]

My friend just suggested getting some thin sheet aluminum and cutting it into a gasket. Is this a bad idea?