I just replaced my intake manifold gasket last weekend and it has sprung a leak already. It HAS to have something to do with the heads. The intake bolt holes does not line up correctly with the heads. This is the same for 2 different superram bases and a stock base. It worked for a while with my original superram base because we slotted the outer 8 holes to allow the bolts to go in straight. I'm thinking about trying a different set of heads. Since I've never touched anything below my intake, how difficult is it to swap the heads with the motor in the car?

 

 

How hard is it to swap heads in car. Not very. Except for the whole leaning over the fender while you tighten the 17 head bolts in 3 steps back-strain thing. Which is even worse if you take the time to run a tap through the holes first to clean the threads up.
Really though, the heardest part is pretty much going to be the headers. The heads themselves are no big deal.

As for why it would do that. Could be something wrong wit hthe maching of the heads. Or have they been milled a lot. Or the block decked a lot? Those would be the obvious causes of misalignment. Without seeing exactly where/how it's leaking it's hard to guess beyond that.

 

If you've never touched your heads, you need to start looking at the intake as a problem. I'm a little confused about how you got AFR heads on if you've never touched anything below the intake, however.

If you search the archives, I think you might find that you're not the first one to have problems with the Accel bases.

 

When I bought the AFR heads a few years back I did not install them personally which is what I meant.
The intake problem started when the heads AND intake were initially installed. It now has a new motor (for other reasons) and the problem is the same. I tried a 2nd Accel base along with a stock base and neither of them matched up correctly with the heads which is why I feel they are the problem. When I talked to TPIS originally (I bought their Stage I AFR heads) they recommended that I have the block decked to fix the problem. I should have pursued it at the time to demand a refund of some sort for selling me a part that doesn't fit.

 

If you had your heads milled before, the intake surface of the heads should have have been milled a proportionate amount to ensure correct intake alignment.

 

TPIS may have milled them as part of their Stage I changes. If this is the case and I remove them how will I know how much to mill on the intake side (a machine shop I mean)?

 

What cc's are your heads now? Assuming they are milled, then you had to have started with their base 68cc head. My guess would be TPIS had them milled to 64cc to keep the stock compression ratio. Mine were milled from 68cc to 58cc. How ever much they milled off my heads to achieve 58cc, that I don't know. You might wanna ask AFR to see what their guidelines are. Then you should be able to tell your machine shop.

 

My heads have been angle milled from 79cc down to 63cc, and I don't have a problem with the intake bolts lining up.

Seems like TPIS sold you some screwed up heads. I don't think all those intakes would have the same 'wrong' bolt pattern, the constant here is your heads.

Yank those bad boys off and send them back. TPIS is a bunch of @@@@ anyway.