On head gaskets, is it normal to have the gasket have a much smaller opening than the head and block? These are the closest gaskets I can find, and they appear similar to the ones that came off, but they are missing some water jacket holes entirely, and others seem to be severely restricted. Looking at the old gasket, you can see rust transfers onto the gasket so it looks like they blocked the openings, also. Should I open them up? Should I try to find a closer match to the head and block water jackets? Never had any overheating issues, but it seems odd to have the openings restricted like this. According to the cross-references, these are the right gaskets, but I seem to have a frankenstein engine, much like the one in @Wes Harden's burb. It's a gen vi without a roller cam or fuel injection. Another question: why are the cylinder holes on the old gasket so out-of-round? the cylinders are round, so how did these things get so deformed?
