joecool108

My sons car recently blew a head gasket. It has been torn down and rebuilt. I had to replace a head because it was cracked. Got the heads back on and tonight went to put the intake on with a fel pro gasket set and the intake doesnt sit "flush" on the engine with the gaskets installed. The front sits flush, the rear is raised. There is no way it is going to seal because of the gap. Any Ideas? When I put the intake on without the gaskets, it seems to sit flush. I spent two hours fiddling with this and finally gave up. Sounds strange... any ideas????? Help please he is bugging me to get it back running again!

Project 3.4 Camaro

If you had a cracked head chances are the engine overheated severely, and seeing as how the heads are iron and the intake manifolds are aluminum its generally safe to assume that if the block or heads god damaged from overheating that the intake manifolds did as well(ask me how I know) aka my car had a cracked block, but the heads were fine, but later when swapping in the 3.4 I noticed the intake manifolds had hairline cracks.

Sounds to me like the manifolds and or heads got warped, I would use some black rtv to seal it if its not a rediculously huge difference, rtv can only go so far.

And just to clarify, where exactly is the gap? the intake itself will sit flush on the heads, but the gap between it and the flat level spot on the block at front and back need to be sealed with rtv because for some reason the gaskets aren't made to seal that area now.(pretty sure my first set sealed it with a tab on each side of the intake gasket going halfway across) Anyways, if that is where the gap is, then its normal, you just seal it with rtv, just make sure you seal it right the first time, tearing down the engine to reseal that **** is a PITA, ask me how I know =/

joecool108

Ok, let me try to explain it. Without the intake gaskets the manifold sits flush on both heads and the front and back of the block. When I install the gaskets and try to install the manifold, there is a slight gap at the front of the manifold which can be sealed with RTV no problem. The issue is when the manifold is on with the gaskets, I can put my finger on the left and right rear of the manifold and can physically move the gasket. There is no way even if I tighten the bolts down that the water passage at the rear of the head will seal. The best way to descibe it is the manifold "rocks" somewhat with the gaskets installed... I know its driving me crazy! Any help is appreciated....

Project 3.4 Camaro

Either something is warped or you aren't installing it straight down, if you can't get it on straight or down all the way you might try lightly tapping on it with a wooden board against it and a hammer on the board.

Street Lethal

iTrader: (16)

I have to ask, which cylinder head did you replace the old one with? If the manifold is sitting flush when you lie it down onto the cylinder heads, and if it lies flush when you lie it down on top of the gaskets, but, it does not seat when you try to install it, that immediately tells me that your bolt holes aren't lined up, and when you try to torque the bolts down the manifold isn't sitting. With the manifold off, place the gaskets over the cylinder heads and make sure the bolt holes line up, then do the same thing with the intake manifold. If the bolt holes line up, check all of the "angles" of the thread in the replacement cylinder head....