Hey GMC53,
How'd the gasket replacement go? I've got a 228 that I just rebuilt (actually I rebuilt it a year ago, just haven't fired it off yet). Hopefully, if you've chosen to tackle it, all went well. If you have, you know that head is heavy, probably 60+ pounds, especially when you're in there at weird angles and bent over the fenders, etc. Heck, it was heavy just for me with the motor on a stand. Very awkward.
If you haven't done it yet, I'd also urge you to just jump right in. It's a lot of fun. When you take off the valve cover, you'll notice the rocker arm assembly. That all has to come off. Then you can get to all the head bolts. When you put the rocker assembly back in, just make sure you get the push rods seated correctly into the rocker arms and the lifters. Not difficult, but a detail that you need to pay attention to. Then adjust the valves according to the manual, put her all back together and, voila, you're done. Also, a local guy here advised me to use the copper-type head gasket along with "copper-coat" gasket sealer, which is made specifically for those types of gaskets.
Keep us posted.
