I am putting my intake back on after changing the lifters in my camaro , and coolant leaked out of the top of the manifold . So I have to re-install the damn thing again . My friend told me to ditch the gaskets and seal the whole thing with RTV . I have never heard of doing it that way , but I would rather not have to jack with the gaskets again and i was just wondering if anyone else has done this or heard of this , and what you think , thanks

 

Use the gaskets. Just make sure you use some gasket sealer on them, especially around the water jackets.

The only place you can change to RTV sealant without the gaskets is on the "China walls". It's the front and rear walls of the lifter valley. The gaskets that go there are infamous for falling either in or out.

Just make sure when you use the RTV sealant that the metal is completely free of oil. Trial fit the intake on the heads first to give you an idea of how thick you need the bead. You want it just a little thicker than the gap.

Use too much and the sealant can also fall in or out, then you'll have a clogged oil pickup and/or filter.

One more tip, use just a little extra on the corners.