Is this possible to due? Mind you my motor is only a year old and only has 4000 miles. I am swapping a vic. Jr for an RPM air gap and want to spend as little as possible. I have never done and intake swap before but I did build my car from the ground up so I am proficient at learning how to do things. Any pointers? Recomended products? Like gasket coatings? Stupid to even think of re-using gaskets? Worth getting ARP bolts? Also I am aware of the torquing improtance, but how is it done if you can't get a TQ wrench on there? I have only seen "crows feet" addapters. Thats what i have seen them called that are like horisontal extentions. I don't really want to og out and get this tool if I don't have to. Do you guys do it by feel or what? Thanks and sorry for all the newbie Qs.

It is possible to do, but it's just setting up yourself for a big vaccuum leak in the future. Buy new gaskets, they're like 8 bux. Why do you want ARP bolts on an intake manifold? It's not like it's gonna come off.

Yeah dude, don't reuse the intake gaskets, not worth the trouble. Also, don't bother with the end seals either (seals the ends of the intake to the block). Use black RTV there instead, and run the RTV about 1/4 inch up the head too. I like to use RTV again around the water passages.
You should be able to get a torque wrench on all the intake bolts without a problem. Premium fasteners (ARP) are not necessary, just make sure they're torqued properly and in sequence.
Good luck
Dave

I use a universal socket on an extension. Shorter than a universal on a socket, less likely to bind.

If you use a crows foot (which is fine), put it at 90 degrees to the torque wrench. This way it won't add to the lever arm length of the torque wrench. If you put it straight out the end of the wrench, you'll be putting more torque on the bolt than the torque wrench indicates.

I know you said you didn't want to go out and buy another tool. That you're also talking about reusing gaskets that should not be reused, sounds like you're in a money pinch. But, in these cases, it's a being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

By the way, which manifold is going on? The way you worded it, it could be taken either way.

I want to install the air gap.

I don't care about the price too much, its just that I don't know what gaskets are on there now so to make the swap just take a day I wanted to use the same gaskets again.

I was trying to avoid but will enevidably have to take the old intake off and measure the ports.

Reason is that the specs for the trickflow heasds calls out 2 different intake gaskets and they have different sizes and thicknesses. I don't know how to figure out which is on there.

Oh well.

Are you guys talking about using the RTV that you can find at pepboys and stuff? I want to make sure to use the right stuff.

Do you coat the new gaskets with anything, or do they go on dry?

Should be FelPro 1205 gaskets.

Smear silicone on the gasket around the water ports, and leave the rest dry. Put some thread sealer on all the bolts, except on the 4 corner ones it's optional. Use silicone on the ends: smear some on the block and intake, then lay a bead about the width of the China wall on each end (pay careful attention to actually put it at the place where the intake goes, like, set the intake on and mark the block first), and about the same height, and let it set for about 30 minutes; then drop the intake on, STRAIGHT, WITHOUT sliding or moving or putting it on and taking it back off. Put in the bolts.

The exact torque isn't super-critical. Needs to be something in the 25-30 ft-lb range. A double box-end 9/16"/5/8", with about a 40 lb pull, is perfect. Sneak up on it; go through the whole intake once to like 15 ft-lbs, then to 20, then to 25, then go around all the bolts 2 or 3 more times to 25 in the sequence, until you quit finding loose bolts. DO NOT overtorque it, too much torque is MUCH worse than slightly too little!!!!