is installing a new intake manifold in any way technical or is it pretty much...a bolt on mod...i know ill have to make sure it selas real good but i just noticed my intake is leaking oil from the rear and i thought it would be the perfect excuse to swap in a edlerbrock TBI manifold...anyone have one for sale or maybe a adapter plate?

 

After trial and error (lots of error) this is what I do:

Buy a bazillion razor blades to scrape old gasket and crap off the heads. Nothing works better than a brand new blade. Clean all surfaces with brake cleaner and CLEAN shop rags. I use this sealer called "The Right Stuff". It's work fantastic, it also costs $13 a can. I use that on the end seals and around the water passages. I use brush tack (also called high tack) on everything else. I use brush tack all over the cleaned heads, the The Right Stuff around the water passages. Then I lay the gasket down. Then I brush tack over the gasket, and use TRS over the water passages (gotta do both sides of the gasket). Then I lay the end seals with TRS making sure to get the corners real well (gotta get the corners and make sure the stuff goes UNDER the end of the gasket). When you do the end seals, run TRS up the the head PAST the water passage you just sealed. If you don't use TRS, substitute for Ultra Black RTV.

Then I plop the manifold down FLAT THE FIRST TIME. I learned this recently. Use pipe thread sealer on the intake bolts. I've been told to always use new bolts. I don't know if there is any basis for this but I do 'cause bolts are cheap.

EDIT: After having tried both Edelbrock Performer TBI and Holley Pro-Jection intakes, I will say that the Performer TBI was very easy to install but choked in the higher RPM. It works much better than the stock intake. The Holley intake breaths easier but IMHO will need PROM tuning and also took about $200 worth of stuff to make work (fuel lines, brackets and such).

 

how long does the swap take? i gotta have the car for school...would it take more than a weekend? ill also probably get a carb intake and run the adapter plate...probably alittle cheaper that way and itll be easier if i switch to a bigger TBI or something...what all will i have to remove to get it off? do i have to remove the distributer?

 

dont go too crazy on the sealant.. I'm sure that's what caused my early rod knock in my engine.. (intake was installed by a friend through a shop).. when the engine builder took my engine appart there was rtv in the oil pan and on the pickup.. hell there was even some on the timing chain.. the guy went nuts on the rtv and a lot of it must have got into the engine..

 

should i just do a decent bead all around?

 

Intakes are easy. Clean the old surfaces good, put a fat bead 1/4" front and back, go up the head a bit, go around the coolant ports with a small beed. Teflon tape on the threads of the coolant fittings. put oil or whatever it says on the intake bolts. 3 intakes no leaks =) so far

 

Well yeah. When I do the water passages a thin FILM of sealer is all it takes.

Tas explains "the short, short version" (if you remember Space *****?)

 

you think it would take more than a day? how long should i let the sealant sit before driving the car? think i will notice a difference if i run a eldebrock TBI manifold? or should i get a carb manifold and a adapter...i noticed the adapter is like 120$...i think ill just go eldebrock for now