A friend of mine told me instead of buying a complete gasket kit for my rebuild to just buy the head gaskets and oil pan gasket, everything else I can use rtv for, is this a wise decision?

I mean, yeah it would save me a lot of money that I dont have.

 

You need gaskets for the timing chain cover, intake manifold and headers (unless you have stock manifolds which don't need anything). RTV can be used for the thermostat and valve covers but it is messy and not the wisest way to go. It is also not a good idea to install an intake manifold dry on our cars. Many people have internal vacuum leaks even with standard gaskets. Replacement gaskets are cheap and effective and make for easy clean-up/changing down the road. When it comes to taking your motor apart you want to be cost effective but certainly not cheap.

 

Alright, thanks for that help, I didnt even think about the timing chain gasket, I never went that far south on an engine before.

thanks for the help

 

the prior owner of my 350 used this "wisdom", and the intake not only leaked, but it took me a good hour and a half with a razor to scrape all of that crap off. Then I had to do it again to get a good quality rubber gasket on the valve covers... what a pain.

Do yourself a favor... your time is worth more than 30 dollars for 5 hours of work. 30 dollars is how much I paid for valve cover gaskets and intake gasket set. I did put some RTV on my intake gaskets to hold them in spot, and on the front and rear of the intake so the gaskets wouldnt budge while I put the intake on.

 

yeah I noticed when i pulled my intake off it had some orange rtv, not a lot but just a little, that crap was a pain in the *** to scrape off.

I guess ill just buy the gaskets

 

Newbies tend ot overuse RTV and create a giant blob. Long as it don't break free and plug something up, it's fine. Leave it alone.

 

Try FEL-KS2600, it's only $40 and it comes with every gasket you can imagine you'd ever need for any Gen-1 small block chevy engine.

 

I've used RTV for my timing cover. I usually use a combination of both. RTV is no good in areas where it gets hot, like headers and exhaust manifolds.

I use rtv for my intake (have to at the front and back), waterpump, and timing cover.

 

I wouldnt have ended up using it for the exhaust ..

but token, damn, thanks! Autozone wants like 100 for it, murrys 89, and ramchargers 110...

You just saved me a crap load of money, I love it.

Thanks!

 

when you mentioned ramchargers I had to look and see your location... always my pleasure to help out some local F-body owners!

 

Every gasket for any stock Gen-1 small block.

 

I've been to ann arbor twice, and it was with my old job counting inventory. We had to count a gigantinormous store called hillars and that was the biggest pain in the ***. I allways regreted going to ann arbor because of that. But hey, its all about the hash bash I guess >

oh yeah, my engine is all stock, too bad it is. Its just a plain old crate goodwrench 350.