Starting to reassemble the 302 (six) When taking the cyl head apart , the intake ports had a metal ring about 1/4” wide as well as the head to manifold/ exhaust gasket. The engine gasket set I bought does not have these metal rings,are they important? They are in pretty bad condition but I can make them easily enough.
They're alignment rings to make sure the the parts mate properly.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
If they are the rings shown by 8.5010 in the page from my 1955.2=60 GMC Master Parts Book, making your own is easy. Like Otto says, they are designed to align the manifold to the head. I had 2 and needed 1. My FLAPS has a selection of short exhaust pipes, some straight, some adapting some diameter pipe to another. I found one that was just a little larger diameter than what I needed, cut a short piece (make sure it is short enough that the pipe won't keep the manifold from tightening up to the head), then cut a slot across the band so you can fit it tightly into the head.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
I use a socket that's a snug slip fit into the manifold passage (not the counterbore) and use it as a forming jig to make my own alignment rings. A diagonal slot isn't a problem, since the rings don't have to seal vacuum- - - - -they're just for manifold/head alignment. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
