Coolant in the oil - AGAIN!

[MB43]

When installing intake gaskets I always make sure heads and intake are "VERY CLEAN" I smear a real thin coat of RED silicone on the head area and install the gaskets,then I build up the ends with RTV silicone only no gaskets and let that set about 10 to 15 minutes.Then I smear a thin coat of "RED" silicone on the intake and set it down on the engine and start all the bolts.

Where do you put it on the intake? Around all the ports, in between, etc?

But I also "ALWAYS" use FELPRO blue GASKETS and this has worked for many many years on all my engines,chevy,mopar etc. I have had people say silicone is a gasket and if you use it don't use gaskets there is no need! I have had people tell me by using that method it will leak!.All I can say is it has worked well for me for years and I continue to do it that way. I don't like fixing what ain't broke!

I was using the Fel-Pro gaskets up until a couple of years ago when I started having this issue. I switched to the Mr. Gasket intake gaskets and the problem went away. So I've been using them, up until today... I've got the Fel-Pro blue gaskets that are going on now.

 

[MB43]

Ok, today I got it all back together - I used a whole load of RTV around every port there is on the intake. I opened up the drain plug on the oil pan and about a quart of water came pouring out. I let that drip for a while and mopped up as much as I could on the top end. Put the intake back on, snugged up the bolts and let it sit for half an hour or so. Then I went back and tightened everything up.

I ran the water pump first, then checked the oil. It still looked like oil.

Then I fired it up and ran it for about 30 seconds, shut it down and checked the oil. There was a bit of a milkshake look to it - but not much - but I still freaked. Then I realized that there was probably coolant sitting on the top of the motor and that made it down to the pan once I ran the motor. I checked the coolant level, then re-checked it again half an hour later and it didn't budge a millimeter, so it's not actively leaking. The gaskets are still dry, so it doesn't seem to be leaking any more. I drained the oil (third time in two days), it didn't look anything like what it looked like yesterday so the amount of water in the oil is signifigantly less.

Tomorrow I'll change the oil filter (again), fill it with fresh oil (again) and run it some more to see if the oil stays clean this time.

 

[Guitar Jones]

I never use RTV with a gasket, they aren't meant to be used in conjuntion with each other. The RTV is a Room Temperature Vulcanizing form in place gasket meant to be used in place of a gasket. RTV tends to push the gasket out and will ooze into all kinds of places you don't want it to be, like the intake ports.

RTV is fine to use as china wall seals for milled applications such as yours and to squeeze a dab into the corners if using gaskets. I like the Magnum end seals best as they are rubber coated metal so they keep their shape and if you use some RTV to glue them in place they will work just fine on the non Magnum style intake and head. The draw back is you have to buy two sets of intake gaskets, one for the non Magnum and one for the Magnum. 3.9 Magnum V6 gaskets work though as the end seals are the same and that is all you are going to use anyway. This applies only to the Mopar gaskets that I'm aware of though.

Speaking of Mopar gaskets, the 360 set from MP or even just the regular Mopar gaskets are thicker and in my view superior to the Fel Pros and Mr. Gasket products.

There was a lot of good info in this thread from several posters, like the locating pins, manifold to head alignment, and dowel pin and bolt thread engagement and depth, always an area of concern when blocks and heads have been milled.