Snowmobile Repair: Head Gasket Alignment on 88 El Tigre 440, holes in the head, head gaskets

Question
Doing seals and rings on this machine. The head gaskets are completely reversible (intake-exhaust), except that 2 of the water jacket holes on one end of the gasket are about the size of an "o", and 2 on the other end are large (almost as large as the water jacket slot). So, do the small holes point towards the intake side or the exhaust side? I'm guessing it has to do with restricting water flow, but I can't find anything that says which way to face the gaskets.

Answer
Hello Clint,

  That can be confusing and irritating on the Cats. Generally you can tell by looking at the heads, as there will be marks left on them from the gasket, showing where the holes were. All of that aside, the large holes in the head gaskets go on the intake side of the cylinders, and the small holes go on the exhaust side. I hope I have helped you. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck with the sled! --Arcticatman