Torque specs for intake

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Dave Haertel

Dave Haertel

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Had to pull the intake and looking for torque specs.

360 and a Weiand Action + intake. Are all intakes the same torque specs?
 
Dave Haertel said:
Had to pull the intake and looking for torque specs.

360 and a Weiand Action + intake. Are all intakes the same torque specs?
Click to expand...

It varies between iron and aluminum heads, but 25ft lbs is an average for iron heads and an aluminum intake.
18 for aluminum heads.
This is per Edelbrock instructions.
Of course the criss cross pattern needs to be used.
 
TrailBeast said:
It varies between iron and aluminum heads, but 25ft lbs is an average for iron heads and an aluminum intake.
18 for aluminum heads.
This is per Edelbrock instructions.
Of course the criss cross pattern needs to be used.
Click to expand...
Ok so aluminum intake and iron head I still use 25 since the heads are iron?
 
I guess that is one of the problems of teaching yourself engine building. Over 40 years of high performance engine building and I’ve never torqued an intake manifold with a torque wrench yet. Going out on a limb here but I’ll bet 50.00 I never will. Lol
 
pittsburghracer said:
I guess that is one of the problems of teaching yourself engine building. Over 40 years of high performance engine building and I’ve never torqued an intake manifold with a torque wrench yet. Going out on a limb here but I’ll bet 50.00 I never will. Lol
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Yep Mains rods and head bolts
 
pittsburghracer said:
I guess that is one of the problems of teaching yourself engine building. Over 40 years of high performance engine building and I’ve never torqued an intake manifold with a torque wrench yet. Going out on a limb here but I’ll bet 50.00 I never will. Lol
Click to expand...

I tightened them fairly consistently when putting it back together, but when I got everything back together and the car was running again warmed up to temp, I was leaking coolant out the front corner of the driver's side where the intake and head corners meet. When I tightened each of those down a little more, it sealed off the leak. I'm assuming that I was too light on the rest of them so I wanted to double check all the rest and make sure there's no question that they were tight.
 
pittsburghracer said:
I guess that is one of the problems of teaching yourself engine building. Over 40 years of high performance engine building and I’ve never torqued an intake manifold with a torque wrench yet. Going out on a limb here but I’ll bet 50.00 I never will. Lol
Click to expand...
Me either
 
I use a torque wrench on the ones it can reach then tighten them just a tad more with a box-end wrench to get a feel for how much torque that is, then use the wrench on the hard-to-reach bolts. I'm pretty O-C (leave out the D because that's bad grammar!) so I tend to go over all the bolts in order once or twice again once they've been torqued just to be sure.

Not sure about everyone else but when I use composite intake gaskets I can feel when the gaskets stop compressing and that's when I know it's tight enough. Usually ends up being a few lb-ft more than spec but more often than not I use feel more than torque readings, or both. The way a bolt or nut snugs down can tell you a lot about how it's clamping up.
 
I was a Millwright in a steel mill for 33 years so we tightened everything as tight as it would go the hung a 5000 pound weight from a crane and smacked it with that. Research Super bolts and Super Nuts sometime if you are bored.
 
MopaR&D said:
I use a torque wrench on the ones it can reach then tighten them just a tad more with a box-end wrench to get a feel for how much torque that is, then use the wrench on the hard-to-reach bolts. I'm pretty O-C (leave out the D because that's bad grammar!) so I tend to go over all the bolts in order once or twice again once they've been torqued just to be sure.

Not sure about everyone else but when I use composite intake gaskets I can feel when the gaskets stop compressing and that's when I know it's tight enough. Usually ends up being a few lb-ft more than spec but more often than not I use feel more than torque readings, or both. The way a bolt or nut snugs down can tell you a lot about how it's clamping up.
Click to expand...
recheck after a couple of heat cycles------
 
The torque needed is usually dependent on the fastener used. Pretty universal....you tighten a 3/8 bolt the same on an intake as you would on a lawnmower.

With some exceptions...
 
Just a note on this post. I’m not an engine builder and don’t want to insinuate that in any way. I’m someone who bought a car from my youth because I love them and they “just don’t make ‘em like they used to” and because I feel myself wanting to learn more about doing it myself.

I apologize if some of you think it’s foolish to use a method that manufactures have suggested and that I should just do it by feel. Maybe if I was an engine builder this would have been a non issue, but that’s not the case here. I prefer to correct my mistake, the one that got me in this position and since my “feel game” was obviously way off, I want to use a more scientific and proven method, a torque wrench.

Thanks for the specs from those posts that have them and thanks to those who didn’t provide specs but suggestions of their best methods.
 
AH...lighten up Francis....
lol
I think these guys were just having fun and kinda mocking themselves in a way.
I have alway tightened by feel in the past but my last 2 motors I torqued to spec.

I was actually surprised by the low ft/lbs required !
 
Dave Haertel said:
Just a note on this post. I’m not an engine builder and don’t want to insinuate that in any way. I’m someone who bought a car from my youth because I love them and they “just don’t make ‘em like they used to” and because I feel myself wanting to learn more about doing it myself.

I apologize if some of you think it’s foolish to use a method that manufactures have suggested and that I should just do it by feel. Maybe if I was an engine builder this would have been a non issue, but that’s not the case here. I prefer to correct my mistake, the one that got me in this position and since my “feel game” was obviously way off, I want to use a more scientific and proven method, a torque wrench.

Thanks for the specs from those posts that have them and thanks to those who didn’t provide specs but suggestions of their best methods.
Click to expand...



Hey look at it this way. At least you had the balls to do the work yourself and learn from your mistakes. Even an engine builder that was taught by the best can and will make mistakes. I know I’ve done some “real dozzies” over the years and I promise you I have more left in me. Keep up the great work and enjoy your car.
 
Dave Haertel said:
Just a note on this post. I’m not an engine builder and don’t want to insinuate that in any way. I’m someone who bought a car from my youth because I love them and they “just don’t make ‘em like they used to” and because I feel myself wanting to learn more about doing it myself.

I apologize if some of you think it’s foolish to use a method that manufactures have suggested and that I should just do it by feel. Maybe if I was an engine builder this would have been a non issue, but that’s not the case here. I prefer to correct my mistake, the one that got me in this position and since my “feel game” was obviously way off, I want to use a more scientific and proven method, a torque wrench.

Thanks for the specs from those posts that have them and thanks to those who didn’t provide specs but suggestions of their best methods.
Click to expand...

Don't let anyone rag on you for using a torque wrench and wanting to do it right. Too many people like to ignore torque specs in favor of good enough.

For future reference, I do like this website for torque specs: Mopar Bolt Torque Specifications – Small Block

Those specs are for all stock components, so if you do something with a different metal than stock, follow the new manufacturer's recommendations.
 
Thanks for the assist on this one. I got everything torqued up and have no issues now with coolant on the run.
 
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