Simple design methods were developed to control the coolant flow rates through cylinder head gasket holes. Applying the concept of flow through an obstruction the ratio of intake to exhaust side flow rates could be easily controlled while maintaining the flow rates per cylinder of the original model. Flow distribution in the coolant passage of the original model was calculated by CFD and the flow rates at the gasket holes were modified based on the calculation results. The calculated flow rated of the modified gasket holes were reasonably close to target values. For more accurate control of the flow rate distribution, a design method with iterative CFD calculations was also suggested. The final size of gasket holes for the target flow rates were obtained just after a few optimization iterations. These methods can be very useful for the optimization of heat transfer characteristics in engine cylinder head and block.