finally got the new proper gasket only difference as far as I can tell is that it seems to be made out of black rubber where as the first one was blue plastic
O'Reilly's also had that High Tack gasket glue spray stuff that AutoZone didn't so I snatched a can of it too (the intake manifold instructions suggest we use it on the cylinder heads)
I built a wall out of cardboard (being lazy and not wanting to take the valve covers off AGAIN) since the gasket spray adhesive is pink and not clear for some reason
this time I wasn't taking any chances so I put some orange RTV around the water galleys around the cylinder heads and around the intake manifold ports
followed this dudes video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wVL0cjGmdI