Dumb question (about intake manifold gasket) for the day

-
buffoni88

buffoni88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2011
Messages
202
Reaction score
4
Location
Dover AFB, DE
Ok, so I'm doing my intake manifold again, for the THIRD time. Trial and error, I'm learning. It seemed to be running great before, but I noticed a vacuum leak on the side of the intake. I just got done heli-coiling all the head mounts, I want to make sure this is the LAST TIME I take this thing off. Now, my question. The block has 2 studs, to hold the gasket in place, note the picture below. I am installing a performer intake. The original intake had drill-outs for these studs, but the performer does NOT have the cutouts for it on the mating surface. Should I remove the studs? Should I still use the cork gaskets that came with the intake gasket kit? Dude at advance said not to even bother with them, use RTV instead. I want some advice though, my wife is coming home soon and this is my daily driver! Thanks ahead of time!

View attachment 265267
 
Those are small roll pins. I remove them and use a good quality RTV to seal the ends and forget the gaskets.
 
If you were using those cork gaskets you would want those pins to help hold the gasket in place. Toss the cork and use RTV. Remove the pins and clean those holes. Apply the RTV so it goes into the hole creating a finger to help hold it in place. Hope that makes sense.
 
Thanks for the advice. I just removed them and will hopefully get my last two heli-coils in tomorrow after work. Now, new question. To the left and right of these dowels, there are two metal clips on the mating surface on each side. Should I leave those? Will it interfere with the sealing surface WITHOUT using the gaskets? I circled them in yellow, in case you're wondering what in the world I'm talking about (which I'm sure you are!). I'm also wondering if there's a way to delete a thread once I get my question answered, I feel stupid asking these questions! I just want to make sure it gets done PROPERLY this time, instead of trying to rush through it like last time!!
 
Those are made on the head gasket and meant to help hold the cork in place also.
I cut those off.
 
That's what I figured, just wanted to be absolutely sure before I did something stupid!! Where else can you get legit answers this quickly? NOWHERE!!!!!!! THANK YOU! I love this place
 
I here ya bud, don't worry about deleteing them i'm learnin too and i ask stupid questions also. Beleive me there's no stupid question that's how we learn. Good luck bud!!!
 
Those end gaskets are too thick to use on an Aluminum intake. I have been there myself and it is near impossible to line up the bolt holes!

86 the end gaskets and use RTV on a clean and dry surface, let everything sit overnight after you bolt it together so the RTV sets up. DONE DEAL!
 
I don't use the cork end gaskets either. Just RTV. Clean things super good and lay on a bead about 3/16" thick making sure to get it in the corner's good.
 
I had a mell of a hess putting a Performer on a teen. I was getting water everywhere. My problem was not sealing the ends, it was sealing at the head. I told my old school machine shop what kind of experience I was having. They set me up with that they called a "thick, soft" intake gasket. Problem solved.

I see that Eddy sells a gasket meant for their intakes. I don't know if this is similar to what I got, but it may be worth a look.
 
you may also want to install the intake without any gaskets and look between the head and intake to make sure they are flat to each other...
 
I'm going to use the fel-pro I got at o-reilly's, we'll see what happens. I will NOT be using the cork gaskets though. I'm glad I'm not the only one that had this problem. I swear it was sealed when I did it the second time around, but I was getting HORRIBLE mileage driving moderately, and my heater stopped working (not that I needed it yet, just wanted to check if everything worked). New questions:
1) A vacuum leak at the intake would cause no coolant flow through the heater, thus causing no heat, correct?
2) What's the best drill bit to use to drill on the head and prep for heli-coils? I've tried two bits already, got all done but 2. Luckily, they are exchanging them for me. I put oil on them, didn't go to quick, but they still keep snapping without even much pressure. The second bit was a $16 titanium one, 25/64. Luckily I got it out! Also, might as well post this in here. I'm looking at getting a new distributor, and found this one. Thoughts/opinions? I'd like to delete the ECU and ballast resistor completely, and clean up all the melted insulation behind it and all down the engine bay! This distributor is CHEAP (money wise), would I be getting what I paid for?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd...40281&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_5916wt_1162
 
someone here swears by that distributor , says it works well . Sure is cheap , but might be worth taking a chance at that price and LIFETIME warranty
 
I have never had any issues using the cork gaskets ,you just have to know how to put them on.
 
buffoni88 said:
I'm going to use the fel-pro I got at o-reilly's, we'll see what happens. I will NOT be using the cork gaskets though. I'm glad I'm not the only one that had this problem. I swear it was sealed when I did it the second time around, but I was getting HORRIBLE mileage driving moderately, and my heater stopped working (not that I needed it yet, just wanted to check if everything worked). New questions:
1) A vacuum leak at the intake would cause no coolant flow through the heater, thus causing no heat, correct?
2) What's the best drill bit to use to drill on the head and prep for heli-coils? I've tried two bits already, got all done but 2. Luckily, they are exchanging them for me. I put oil on them, didn't go to quick, but they still keep snapping without even much pressure. The second bit was a $16 titanium one, 25/64. Luckily I got it out! Also, might as well post this in here. I'm looking at getting a new distributor, and found this one. Thoughts/opinions? I'd like to delete the ECU and ballast resistor completely, and clean up all the melted insulation behind it and all down the engine bay! This distributor is CHEAP (money wise), would I be getting what I paid for?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd...40281&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_5916wt_1162
Click to expand...


Question 1, no. A vac leak will not cause a no heat condition.

Question 2, I use the titanium coated drill bits all the time and have no issue with snapping, they should work for what you are doing just fine.

As far as that distributor assy., it sounds like a cheep quick alternative to points or a failing system but if it were me I would opt for the mopar performance system. Keep in mind that cap is gm style so you will have to buy new wires too if you do go with it. Looks like some kind of cheezy chinese dist. to me.

As far as the intake gaskets go, never use end gaskets with an aluminum intake, the dissimilar metals expand and contract at different rates and the gaskets will work themselves out and you will have a leak. Cut the head gasket tabs off, careful not to lose them into the engine, use black RTV or The Right Stuff on the ends and dont look back.

One more thing , the only way a vac leak could possibly affect heat is if your heater control valve is vac operated and the vac loss was causing it to not operate but I would think you would have other complaints too if that were the case of that big of a vac leak.
 
Never had any problems with the end gaskets on an aluminum or cast iron intake. Can't stand silicone sealer smeared and oozing out the end of the intake.
 
crlush said:
Never had any problems with the end gaskets on an aluminum or cast iron intake. Can't stand silicone sealer smeared and oozing out the end of the intake.
Click to expand...

Same here, I use the cork with a little Gray RTV on both sides along with a bead in the corners, if anything oozes out I clean it up as soon as the intake is torqued down, it is always only a little bit if any.
 
Thanks for the input, I think I'm going to opt for no end gaskets. As far as the heater goes...It's just weird that it got FIRE hot before I changed the intake, now it doesn't work. It was a pretty big vac leak, about 6 inches alongside the intake. Also, the temperature started reading at around 230, even while cruising, with a 190 thermostat. Not sure if the vac leak was causing that. My mileage was also HORRIBLE, I'd lose a quarter tank just driving around town for 10 minutes, casually cruising. I sure have learned a lot, mostly lessons of what NOT to do in the future! Again, thanks for all the advice, it's always much appreciated
 
I'm not ready to install yet, still need to go get another drill bit, 2 more heli-coils left. I will definitely check that out before I do perm. install it though. Now, with the metal gaskets around the ports, should I put rtv on both sides? Or just the intake side?
 
crlush said:
Never had any problems with the end gaskets on an aluminum or cast iron intake. Can't stand silicone sealer smeared and oozing out the end of the intake.
Click to expand...

when done right it won't be smeared and oozing out. When I do mine you can't tell it's even there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top