Technical Buick 320 - Fel Pro Head Gasket - Metal one side, Fibre on other- Which Way Up?

Hello Everyone

Real quick question - I'm going to replace the head gasket on my '51 Buick 320. I have a 40 year old Fel Pro kit (use what 'ya got, right?) but I have a question about the kit head gasket - one side is fiber, the other is smooth metal. There are no makings on it what so ever. Does it matter which side goes against the block and which goes against the head?

Thanks in advance,
Thom

 

Metal down fiber up....
There should be a metal fire ring for the cylinder bores on the fiber side..... That goes up^towards the cylinder head....

 

Deuces, thank you very much.

 

Not a problem....

 

I'm not a Buick expert, but I have installed head gaskets on other makes that would have one side of the motor with the metal up, and the opposite side with the metal down. The oil or water passages in the block were what dictated gasket placement.

 

As @dalesnyder said: Oil & water passages dictate head gasket placement.
Classic example is a warm running FE (Ford 332, 353, 390, 406, 410, 427, 428)
Normally cool runner ran warm after head gasket replacement.
Gaskets were on backward.

 

Numbers generally face up.