Gasket set for a 383 with 902 head

[66Satellite47]

Not factory pistons or any sort of normal aftermarket I've ever seen.
If you can find the steel shim gaskets, use them. The 452 head is about 3-4 CC's larger than the stock 906 in general so the stock steel gasket is a better choice CR wise.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

I disagree. The pistons are flat tops, and the valves crashed. It is possible that someone free handed a valve notch, but I doubt a machine shop did that (unless a hack machine shop did it). I get asked to machine piston tops and valve notches some times, but say I can't as I do not have a piston vise to do the job properly and accurately.

The piston that looked like that in my motor was a flat top. That must have been quite the failure to cave in the tops of the 2 pistons I can see in the original photo.
fred_flag, do all 8 pistons look like that ?

 

[fred_flag]

The piston that looked like that in my motor was a flat top. That must have been quite the failure to cave in the tops of the 2 pistons I can see in the original photo.
fred_flag, do all 8 pistons look like that ?

Yes all the pistons look the same and are all kind of equal.

 

[69Bee]

They are not even or consistent, so I would have to lean to a "Hand Job"...

 

[66Satellite47]

I guess that might have seen a high speed timing chain failure. Maybe the nastiest over rev and valve contact.
Over the years I broke many valve springs and could see perfect light contact marks in the valve notches, no dents or bent valves.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

I have to believe somebody cut those valve reliefs into the pistons and probably not a machine shop.

 

[fred_flag]

They are not even or consistent, so I would have to lean to a "Hand Job"...

Even an hand job can be satisfying...
I would test it when I bolt the heads on it and see if everything clear properly.

 

[RemCharger]

Nobody noticed the L2315 on the piston?

Not factory pistons or any sort of normal aftermarket I've ever seen.
If you can find the steel shim gaskets, use them. The 452 head is about 3-4 CC's larger than the stock 906 in general so the stock steel gasket is a better choice CR wise.

 

[69Bee]

Nobody noticed the L2315 on the piston?

Yes, that is why I said that the pistons were originally flat tops.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

Nobody noticed the L2315 on the piston?

What is the small (bolt)or depression looking thing in the center of the piston ?
I had the #4 piston on a 383 I found looked like that and all the other pistons were solid flat tops.
My machinest had never seen one like that either and thought it was some cheap aftermarket piston.