where to buy fel-pro gaskets & head bolts online?

[tomsepe]

I've just pulled the heads on my '86 suburban 6.2L diesel and I need to get gaskets and bolts by the weekend... any suggestions?

also how do I know if I have a "j" type or "c" type engine?

Thanks!

Tom Sepe

p.s. I'm in california if that makes a dif

[ 07-27-2005, 07:23 AM: Message edited by: tomsepe ]

[dieseldummy]

gmpartsdirect.com has always been good for me. It would definately be quicker to get some from a local parts house, probably just about the same price too.

[wthif]

There are quite a few auto parts stores in this area that stock the parts you are looking for and if they don't have them most can get them the same day or the next. I'm not sure if Winchester auto parts is up in Oakland but they usually have a good price on felpro parts.

[BobND]

"C" or "J" will be the 8TH digit of your VIN code.

Northern Auto Parts 1-800-831-0884

or

http://www.northernautoparts.com/

has been a good supplier for me.

[DmaxMaverick]

Autozone. If they don't have them in stock, they can get them the same day or next. Prices are about as good as you'll find anywhere.

Autozone's Fel-Pro part#'s,
Gasket:
(C)--HSU8726
(J)--HSU8726-1

Bolts--HS33871 (C or J)

[tomsepe]

So I guess Napa or Kragen is not a choice?

[tomsepe]

I tried the autozone and they can order the gaskets, but the part number you gave me for the bolts came up blank... are you sure you have the right number?

Thanks!

Tom Sepe

[DmaxMaverick]

Originally posted by tomsepe:
So I guess Napa or Kragen is not a choice? Could be. Autozone and Kragen seem to be everywhere in the bay area. According to their websites, the part #'s are the same at Kragen, and Napa's part # crosses to the same part. Kragen is $8 higher on both the gaskets and bolts. Napa shows the same parts at 3X the price, but a "compatible" brand. Not sure what that means.

Your choice. Autozone has been a good source of engine parts, for me. But I do my homework before I go to the store.

[tomsepe]

ok got the autozone gaskets - fel-pro 8726-PT but the cylinder holes are not perfectly round... they flare out slightly in two places! the old ones, also fel-pro, are perfectly round.... what gives did I buy the right ones?

[tomsepe]

Napa in Oakland has the gaskets in stock, but made by Victor. The person on the phone said they looked round in the picture on his screen but he was unwilling to look at the actual gaskets for me. hmmmm

[DmaxMaverick]

Anything other than Fel-Pro, is not Fel-Pro. It's your call, but my experience, as well as others here, has shown it to be a mistake to use any other.

I don't understand what you mean by "flared". Are both gaskets the same? Compare the gaskets to others they have in stock. The "flare" may be what makes them superior. If you are refering to the fire ring, it only needs to contact the clamping area of the head/deck. Unless the "flared" area is off the mark, I wouldn't worry about it.

[tomsepe]

Ok so, the new fel-pro gaskets that I got at Autozone for the 6.2L the holes for the cylinder are not perfectly round like the gasket that came off the truck. I guess the ones on the truck may have been the 6.5L gasket type (part number 9701-PT) which is superior to the 6.2L gaskets because hte have and extra metal reinforcement where they are prone to failure. This is covered in the 6.2/6.4 Troubleshooting and Repair Guide... I'm finding out.

Ok now I have to see if I can track down these gaskets!

[wthif]

make sure you don't have the extra cooling passage in your heads or you will be replacing your gaskets sooner than you like. The 6.2 gaskets you have will work fine, so will 6.5s as long as you don't have the coolant passage in the heads.

[john8662]

Go with the Felpro 6.2 gaskets.

Like wthif said, pay close attention to whether your heads to see if you have the extra cooling clean out ports in the heads. As I'm discovering most of these engines have these heads.

[tomsepe]

Thanks! The 6.5 gaskets I bought today are identical to the old ones (the engine only has 84,000 miles on it) but the heads are at the machinists, so I'll take another look tomorrow.