China Gap/Air Gap. bolts, plugs, torque.

[ddart cart]

Good day, Mopar people.

The china gap has LA, and Magnum bolt holes. The magnum intake bolts seem a little weak, and slim. The torque spec is 23-25 ft/lbs. No ac, no problem.
Is the torque spec identical for aluminum and steel manifold, in this application?

I got a few bolts to tighten within spec, but the other few approach 20ft/lbs, then turn some more, and feels like a bolt about to snap. After being terrified by that, the bolts got turned more without breaking, thankfully, but they still turn more as I approach 20ft/lbs without showing a higher torque. I stopped before I cause a problem.

My other question is the press plugs for the unused bolt holes. I had to hammer the crap out of the ones I got in, but the 4 around the carb plenum are not hammerable. Are these plugs necessary, and if so is there an easy alternative?

 

[remytherat]

20ft lbs is way too tight!!

The spec is everything to 72in lbs, and then to 12ft lbs.

Don’t worry about the plug things.

 

[Bobzilla]

The Magnum engines do not require a lot of torque. I forget the exact number but it does also require several steps because each time around it cinches the gasket a little more. Assembly line had a fixture to turn them all to correct torque at the same time in one step but we cannot do that, so the procedure is a compromise.

Check out post 8 in the thread below, since I don't have the service manual in front of me.

Intake manifold torque

 

[ddart cart]

Thanks! Magnumswap.com wants me to break bolts off in the head I guess! Lame!

Magnumswap.com screenshot:

 

[ddart cart]

I’ll leave them all where they are at (15-20 ft/lbs) now. Fingers crossed. I guess the extra bolt holes do not create any internal breach.