A cylinder head gasket (22) having a row of circular cut-outs (32a-32f) corresponding to the cylinder spaces, and a plurality of smaller apertures comprising holes (30) corresponding to bolt holes in the block and head; a first row of apertures (34) on one said of the cut-outs (32a-32f) and corresponding to coolant intake passages in the block and head; a second row of apertures (36a-36f and 38a-38f) which are used to orifice outlet coolant passages from the head to the block; and a third row of smaller orificing apertures (40). The second row is arranged in pairs flanking each of the cut-outs (32a-32f), an aperture (36a-36f) of each pair being larger than the other aperture (38a-38f) of that pair. From a point (I) between an intermediate pair (32b and 32c) of the cut-outs (32a-32f), the pairs of apertures (36c-36f and 38c-38f) on one side of the intermediate point (I), progressively increase in area toward one end of the row while the pairs of apertures (36a, 36b, 38a, 38b) on the other side of the intermediate point (I) progressively decrease in area toward the other end of the second row.