If you already have that one might as well use it.

 

yeah, they go straight to my head in a bad way

Just sinch down those bolts real tight and I think you'll be alright.

 

I had one of those gaskets blow out. They are two very thin pieces of metal with a piece of paper in-between and stamped with that grid pattern to hold them together.
Go with the OEM solid metal one with the raised lip.

 

Mine blew out, just pulled apart my setup from last year, gasket is toast, almost 25% of the gasket gone

Go oem ot atleast metal

Mine one one of the composite ones you have picutred in the first post

 

the 89 t25 has a 5 bolt dp

 

The earlier T3's used the 7 bolt, your right about the `88 and `89 though, they used the 5 bolt like every other Nissan T2 series turbo.

 

i may just go down to the local ford dealer and get an oem gasket for $5.
id rather not risk it if several people on here have had bad experiances with them.

 

For less than $10 you can get the main gasket along with the complete turbo gasket kit. Just go to Checker or vatozone.

I have used one of the "soft" gaskets between the head and manifold, but it had metal reenforcing the holes. It worked great for a one-time, but now I use a metal one b/c they can be re-used much more easily.

 

YEs the chinese "stuffed" gaskets do blow a lot. The stuffing in the middle simply flies away as soon as the bolts get slack or if the flange isn't 100% flat. When a small leak develops, these gaskets quikly fail.
THe stainless crush-bead ones are much better IMO. Yes, they can be had at most dealerships. Don'T foget: all pickup trucks from ford, gm, dodge are using t3 flanged turbos!

Generally, THere'S no downpipe gasket on garrett turbos. AFAIAAO, it'S like that on all their t3 and t4 factory setups.
a gasket there is a band aid for warped flange! if both surfaces are flat, it shouldn'T leak.
if you use a dp gasket with an internal wastegate system, it's thickness will impede proper swingvalve operation.