I'm replacing the intake on my 289 and when I was cleaning the head surfaces I noticed the tab on the drivers side head gasket has a crack. Does it affect anything being the outside edge?

 

No, it shouldn't be a worry. That tab sticking out tells you the gasket is installed as it should be, with the front coolant ports blocked off to force coolant to go all the way back through the passages before migrating up to the heads.

 

This is the first time doing a intake on a Ford. Do the new intake gaskets have to hook over those tabs?

 

Oh, those tabs. Thought you were talking about the ones in the front of the heads. Yea, the gaskets hook over those, but make sure the gasket seals all around the ports. I use a thin film of RTV sealer around the coolant ports and a dab in the corners where the end seals and gaskets meet.

 

I made sure the gaskets were flush with the heads and the bolt holes/passages lined up. I used Permatex black on the cooling ports on the intake side of the gaskets and Gasgacinch on the head and intake sides as well