badredbrd89

I'm seriously considering re-doing my intake gasket since they are so notorious for being shot after this long-120K-any tips from you guys and gals so I dont totally screw the pooch here?

MrDude_1

tip.


dont touch it until it goes bad.

badredbrd89

It already has-I keep getting the little puddles of coolant and such next to the water neck and the corners of the valley seal. So...

MrDude_1

oooh. i thought you were saying you were going to do it as preventitive thing...


tips.
pay attention to the distrib when you pull it... mark where it was and note the relation of the rotor...

but also keep a eye on how much it twists as you pull it out. that way, you know how far you have to put it so when you drop it back in, it dropps in right.

use a book to tell you what order to TQ the bolts in... you need to TQ them the correct way..


if you havent gotten silicone alredy, get the permatex stuff, either the Blue or black.... i prefer the blue, athough the black looks better.


dont use the cork end gaskets they SUCK.

you can use the rubber ones that grab on the walls... but i prefer a thick bead of silicone.


thats about it for tips that i can think of....

joshwilson3

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MrDude_1

you know, if its only right there in front, it could be that your water neck has warped



my L03s water neck warped and slowly leaked coolent there...

eventually, i just got a replacement neck, sanded the entire mounting surface with a block until i was positive it was smooth, and put the new neck on...

it hasnt leaked since.

badredbrd89

Thanks-I guess I'll replace both the gaskets and also the water neck-chrome one would look nice. And I got the Permatex black high temp gasket maker-I figured about the rotor and distributor and such because I thumbed through the service manual first. So...guess this weekend will be an interesting one.

JakeJr

Just some more stuff.

Be sure the silicone sealant you buy is marked Sensor Safe.

Be sure to sop up all the coolant that may get into the the lifter valley/heads when you pull the intake.

Change the oil and filter as soon as she's back running and has reached operating temp.

I always dimple the underside ends (both front and rear) of the intake manifold and the front and rear ends of the block with a hammer and punch to create a surface that allows the silicone to take a better bite. I ususally end up with 50 or more little indentations at each end when I'm done.

I use a very thin layer of silicone on each side of the gaskets; intake and water ports. Once applied, I use my finger to spread it to a very thin layer. Keep it away from the port openings so that it doesn't get squeezed over and cause a restriction to either air or coolant flow.

Follow the bolt torquing sequence; which bolts to torque in which sequence should be shown in your service manual. Some intakes do not call for the traditional cross pattern of torquing. I torque to 35#.

After several hours, preferably overnight, go back and retorque the bolts. Many times the gaskets will compress and take a set overnight and the bolts will lose torque when this happens.

If you object to the sight of the silicone that gets squeezed out at the manifold ends don't trim the excess until it has fully cured and is like rubber. Then use a really sharp razor blade to slice it off. It's best to leave it though.

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Jake

MrDude_1

you might want to go swap that chrome one for 2 reasons.

1... the chome ones dont seal as well.... some have that cheezy o ring thing, and it seems to seal with some intakes, but i dont trust the stock intake to still be flat and smooth enough to seal after all that time....


2. hold it over the other one.. the angle probly is wrong. howd id know? cause i just did it myself abotu 2 months ago... i was going to get the cheapie chrome one, but the angle was wrong... and i heard the leak stories...... i ended up getting a generic one ment for a truck... cast iron.. that fugger will never warp

SSC

A tip would be to skip the crap felpo intake gaskets and use either Engine Seal or Engine Pro gaskets. They are rubber coated for uneven surfaces and dont blow out like felpro's junk. If you get you gaskets from Advacned/Western or Azone just ask for engine seal, Checker should have either pro or seal.

badredbrd89

Thanks for everything evryone-didn't expect such a quick response-maybe I'll see what you all think about my noise coming from my clutch over on the drivetrain board-I never did get a reply on that one-and I put it in about 2 wks ago! But again, merci beacoups!

MrDude_1

the diff might be, everyone that works on cars at some point changes intake manifolds...


i donno about anyone else, but i try to not have to work on my clutch that much.. (esp since i have a auto in there right now, hehe )

89RsPower!

also at the front and rear of the intake I prefer to use a bead of RTV instead of china wall gaskets, those damn things always manage to leak after a while and sure are a bitch get 2 stay in the proper spot anyway.. especially the back one if your doing this in the car.. just my opinion though, I'm sure someone else will chime in and say china walls are the way to go..

joshwilson3

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MrDude_1

ive never had a problem with felpro ones either..... *shrug* then again, i havent tried any other brand of intake gasket, so there might be a better choice out there... but i do know the felpros will work fine for years and years
i wouldnt worry about it.


i got mine from autozone for about $7-$12 i dont recall exactly.

i donno what the stock one is, alum i suppose...or steel... def wasnt as heavy as the replacement.. heh. i already junked my old one.

MrDude_1

just searched autozone online...



so its $9 and thats the part number for a 91 l03.. i donno if it ever changed but i dont think so.

JakeJr

Don't worry, I thought everyone knew to use silicone on the manifold ends and then throw the end seals that come in the gasket set in the trash.

I've been doing that for well over 20 years.

The dimples are the key though, especially as the engine gets lots of miles on it and crankcase pressure increases.

Jake

JakeJr

Some are aluminum, like the stock one on my Vette. They warp over time and cause a leak. They are also prone to cracking even when carefully torqued in place.

I bought a cast iron one from Pep Boys for around $10.00

Jake

SSC

Well the reason for using a otherthen felpro gasket is.................................................thier crap.................

No well yes they are crap but the engine seal and engine pro gaskets HAVE RUBBERISED COATINGS. We all know the benifits of using rubber The heads are usually fine but your intake manifold will be pitted and most likely warped a slight bit. The rubber coating aids sealing, sealing being the problem most SBC intake manifolds encounter in thier latter years.

joshwilson3

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SSC

Just depends if you have sensors in the T-stat housing or not. Any of the chrome ones work fine if you never have to change the thermostat thier cheap enough. Actaully Felpro does have a good T-stat gasket guess they had to get one right. Theyu make one thats plastic with rubber seals on either side if your using a OE style housing. GM still sells the OEM housings.

MrDude_1

btw, i wanna add that while ive had good luck with both thermostat housing gaskets and just using silicone.... when i think somthing is warped, i like to put a nice spread of silicone down, then a gasket...... the added thickness lets it take a lil more warp without leaking....

just use your finger to spread it even.. dont use so much that it will get in the thermostat when the housing is tightened down.