2G 95 Eclipse GSX questions

[AgustinGSXTribute]

INTRO
This is the very first time I've signed up on a car forum, and I'm very new to the automotive world. I have schooling in brakes, suspension, electrical, and general automotive practices. I purchased my dream car, which I've wanted since I was very young, a 2G Eclipse GSX, and plan to create a tribute and possibly a replica of the Fast and the Furious Eclipse. It has 144k miles, and most of the work I've done up to this point has been cleaning and cosmetic touchups.

Now I've removed the cylinder head and machined it (they said it was good). I'm about to reassemble it; however, there is this strange gasket inside the coolant housing that has a key shape. I've not been able to find this type of gasket anywhere. Can anyone help?

I'll also list various questions and Hurdles I've come across down below. If anyone is willing to be my "sensei" on my journey of learning more about this car LMK I'm extremely eager to learn more. Thank you for reading, and best of luck on your builds as well.

QUESTIONS
Weird coolant housing gasket that looks like a key? Can't find anywhere.
Anything I should tackle now that the cylinder head is off?
Any must checks on the 4G63 T engine?
Have Sparco R100 seats but need reupholstering, any locations in California?
Oil filter housing orientation? What direction are those tubes supposed to face?
How do I approach putting the belts back on? timing, cam, and AC belts. (new belts)
How do I use the belt tension pulley I bought on Amazon?
Cams look scorched. Buy new ones or take it to a machine shop for inspection/repair?

Replacement parts so far (not put on yet)
Alternator
AC compressor
Timing belt kit
Water pump

New parts (Put on)
AC condenser
Intercooler
Coldair intake
Exhaust manifold
Turbo
Power steering reservoir
Spark plugs
Ignition coils
MAF sensor

PS: Most of my questions are engine, electrical, and cosmetic related because I haven't taken an engine class yet. Currently in an autobody class.

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[AgustinGSXTribute]

Lots of stuff around cylinder 1 and 2 will come off. what are you using?

ultra fine scotch brite, brake cleaner, and a lot of elbow grease. 1/3rd of the way there so far.

 

[pauleyman]

ultra fine scotch brite, break cleaner, and a lot of elbow grease. 1/3rd of the way there so far.

Carbide scraper works well. Its made for that. But!!! You have to pay attention and stay flat. .makes fast work of it.

 

[AgustinGSXTribute]

Carbide scraper works well. Its made for that. But!!! You have to pay attention and stay flat. .makes fast work of it.

I'm having a lot of trouble finding OEM cams for my GSX. From what I've read online, evo 8 cams are a suitable replacement. Should I go for evo8 cams? Is it plug and play, or do I have to modify my setup at all?

 

[r3dmak]

Are you looking for new or used gsx cams? Evo 8 cams will require modifications as the evo motor is rotated 180 degrees.

 

[AgustinGSXTribute]

Are you looking for new or used gsx cams? Evo 8 cams will require modifications as the evo motor is rotated 180 degrees.

I honestly don't care as long as they're in good condition. Prefer stock

 

[pauleyman]

I'm reattaching my cylinder head and wanted to know if this is the correct sequence for tightening, and if it's okay to use shop towels and brake cleaner to clean the surface of the short block?

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Read the directions carefully. Those are torque to yield head bolts. The procedure is specific. I like to use an angle gauge. You should also run a clean out tap through the holes and blow them out. I use a bottoming tap or I make a clean out from an old head bolt.

 

[AgustinGSXTribute]

Read the directions carefully. Those are torque to yield head bolts. The procedure is specific. I like to use an angle gauge. You should also run a clean out tap through the holes and blow them out. I use a bottoming tap or I make a clean out from an old head bolt.

Are these cams okay? Joined a group on Facebook called dsm nation and a guy is selling these oem 2g cams

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[pauleyman]

Those look like trash. Look at the lobes.

 

[AgustinGSXTribute]

Those look like trash. Look at

Those look like trash. Look at the lobes.

so I’m at the stage where I tq to 58ft lbs but trying to undo them 10 and 9 started slipping. I used 3 different sockets and they all won’t work. The other bolts will do 9 and 10 are probably rounded off. I used
FEL-PRO ES 71177 for the headstuds. I should have used APR ? Any ideas or solutions?

 

[pauleyman]

so I’m at the stage where I tq to 58ft lbs but trying to undo them 10 and 9 started slipping. I used 3 different sockets and they all won’t work. The other bolts will do 9 and 10 are probably rounded off. I used
FEL-PRO ES 71177 for the headstuds. I should have used APR ? Any ideas or solutions?

If i recall those are 12 pt bolts. I assume yiure using the proper size metric socket?

 

[AgustinGSXTribute]

If i recall those are 12 pt bolts. I assume yiure using the proper size metric socket?

I just double checked, and I was using the wrong size -_-. Upon further inspection its the cheap sockets stripping, not the bolt. false alarm.

 

[voodoogsx]

Out of curiosity, what was the reason for pulling the head? Most of what it looks like you've done could have been done with just the valve cover off.
What issues were you trying to resolve?
Was the car running?
Were there any compression issues?

Since you're in Ca, was this originally a Cali car? Are you going to register it or keep i as a track car?
Registering can be a pita if you have any aftermarket stuff.