I'm doing a 243 head swap, a Comp cam swap, a carb/Edelbrock RPM intake install, and a GM Muscle car oil pan kit swap on a low mileage '05 LM7 5.3L that's going into a '67 Chevelle.

Needing oil pan, intake, front timing cover, and head gaskets. What reasonably priced gasket set do y'all recommend??

 

I always get oem...GMPP makes a head swap/cam swap gasket set . Check on eBay..thats where I got ALL of mine...or Felpro I guess, But most guys with mild builds use oem..they seem to fit/work the best..No one else has the r&d coin GM does...

Welcome to the forum BTW

 

I agree, stick with oem. Thunder Racing sells gasket kits.

 

Thanks for the suggestions...and the welcome!
Been doing Gen I small block and big block stuff for years but this is my first adventure into the LS world. And even then I'm not jumping right in with both feet...going with a carb on this engine. I don't think the fuel injection and ECM would agree with the custom ground Comp cam I've chosen.
OUCH...Looking around I've noticed that gaskets are a little pricey.

 

TSP and SDPC (links to the right>>>) both sell cam swap and cam and head swap kits...pretty sure you can get the oil pan gasket from SDPC, not sure if TSP offers that though...

 

I bought from texas speed...they have a kit for you

 

Again stick with the GM OE gaskets. They do cost more but the quality is far superior. The factory oil pan gasket is riveted to the oil pan. The Fel-Pro does not have such provisions.
Also make sure you get the "green seal" GM intake gaskets. Long term much better choice using GM gaskets.

 

I agree 100% about using the factory gaskets...Fel-Pro is good stuff, and OK when you're in a pinch or on a budget (my 96 Blazer got an aftermarket Fel-Pro intake gasket kit from NAPA, but my truck only gets 100% genuine GM part )

MrGoodwrench, does GM offer different gaskets than the "green seal", or is that the standard? Would you have to say "give me the green ones" to the parts guy?

Also, if someone was building an engine (03 LQ9 for instance, that's getting a mild hone, new rings and bearings, etc.), would it benefit them to get a complete engine gasket set, which I know is big bucks (over $600 on GMPartsDirect.com IIRC), or just get say a head and cam swap set, and piece together the other gaskets such as oil pan gasket, rear cover gaskets, etc? (I've heard that the best bet is to just get a new rear cover that is relatively cheap, and comes with the rear main seal already installed...might have learned that from you). I do believe that the complete set comes with head bolts too...and probably a bunch of gaskets that may not be necessary...

Sorry for the thread hijack...

 

I bought the kit from texas speed and it was all genuine GM parts.

 

Yep, same as with the cam swap kit that I got from SDPC