Now a few other things to add while its on my mind on the photo that what it looked like when I took the intake off and did not touch anything the intake runner were dry and no oil or signs of an internal vacuum leak could be found as it ran fine before minus the one other issue of the mystery carb tuning issue of the sputtering letting off the throttle but on those gaskets it looks like they was soaking up something but that happened while it was sitting over time as I noticed at the of the gaskets that stick out after I never drove it anymore it would increase over time and I noticed this happened years back on other builds I had but they never had any leaks or any sealing problems for coolant leaks or vacuum leaks other wise.

I don't know what would cause that and can only maybe think condensation perhaps. Also when I took my old intake off I saw that the printo seal was fully up against the front coolant ports as it left an imprint on the the intake. The back sides never weeped or leaked so go figure. I am this time not putting any RTV around the coolant ports and will post later on how I am going to do it for sealing and trying again.

 

Two of your photos clearly show the manifold hole not centered with the threads and at hole edge. IMHO should drill out manifold holes about .025 larger to insure bolt threads do not run against the holes in manifold after and during torquing bolts. Use teflon sealant on manifold bolts as oil walks up threads.

 

That is because I can slide it a little bit and they do center up.I think the ones your talking about are without the gaskets put on the side which makes a big difference. Its kind of a hard thing as it wants to slide one way or the other and it skews the way the photos look and the threads did not touch any intake that has been on the engine from three different ones. Its hard to get a good enough angle with my cell phone and also I don't have nothing for lighting in my garage and have to use a trouble light.

 

is that RTV around the intake runners? gasoline melts RTV

 

Yes that is and no that will not be happening again. I did not do it that way but my Father did it when he installed it for me as I don't have a heated garage and this was during the winter months with a few weird days of warmer weather it was done. I will post later when I have some time the method I am wanting to do but will need some pointers as I am not using the quick dry Right Stuff gasket maker and its been 11 years since I last did an intake seal and install deal by myself and I have had a lot of health related issues happen since then and should actually be dead but I am still here.

I am going to use Permatex number 2 around the coolant and intake ports but have questions on a few things. Not using any rtv on the bolt threads either and only permatex number 2 on the bolts as well. I feel the rtv being the problem with it being so hard and not very flexible and also the constant temperatures going up then down by over 40 degrees did a job on things for some reason. The right stuff is good for the china walls and no problem there but elsewhere it does not work well and so much more then that.

The past years I used only Ultra Black and it always cured softer vs the Right Stuff and seemed more flexible. I will post more later as I have some errands to do and things to take care off but hope some of the veterans on here which I can't list all will chime in and give me some pointers. I''ll be back.

 

Don't use anything on the intake ports. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Verbotten. The whole point of those encapsulated blue viscous lines is so you don't need sealant. Even if you're using an old all-blue printoseal fiber gasket, don't use anything on the intake ports.

Any sealant you use on intake ports will fail eventually. The constant thousands-per-minute vacuum fluctuations will leave you with a vacuum leak. Sealants are flexible and the constant vibes will eventually rip it out. Also, don't use different sealants on the same application. Ultra Black and Right Stuff might not play well together. I've even tried a combination of the same brand of blue and black and it leaked. When I pulled it apart, where the two sealants met looked like bubbly foam.

Pick one. Ultra black or Right Stuff. Use it on the china walls and up to the water passages. Water passages only get the thinnest possible skim. Put a dollop on your fingers and rub it on like you're cleaning your glasses. You want it to look damp but not have any thickness to the sealant. This is one time you definitely don't want it to squish out because you can't get to the water ports to clean up excess.

 

If the bolt threads go into water, just use teflon paste. It stays goopy. RTV cures and the next time you take that bolt out you'll have millions of shreds of RTV "dust" everywhere.

 

WAAAAYYY too much RTV. Each water port should use no more than a pearl-sized drop of RTV shared on both sides. One drop on the tip of your middle finger, smear half of it on your thumb, rub it on the water passage of the gasket like you're cleaning your glasses. Repeat for each port. Nothing on the intake ports.

 

The process I was thinking of doing is putting permatex number 2 on the coolant ports which is a gasket sealant and non hardening and also not a gasket maker or rtv type of substance. I was thinking of putting it on the intake ports to help keep the gasket in place and seal it as its a gasket sealer and non hardening and was recommended by some on this forum in other posts. I am using no rtv on any of my bolts ever again but only using permatex number 2 to seal them as a guy on here recommended that.

I want to put my permatex 2 on the coolant ports and the intake head side of the gasket if its not a problem and then let it setup for a few minutes or so but the thing is with the gasket maker. I am going to use only the right stuff 90 minute gasket maker and not the instant dry stuff as I don't like using it as I have to take my time. On the instructions it says to lay your bead down then assemble the parts immediately while still wet then install and then finger tighten until material starts to push out and then let it set for an hour and then torque to specs.

I have heard to put your silicone on and then let it skin over first then install and then just torque it down and let it cure and I am going to let it cure for a week as I won't be putting fluids inside it any ways as I have some hoses and other things to replace and am redoing some fuel lines and stuff so no need to put the antifreeze in yet and am still working on rebuilding my carb.

Now the other thing I was thinking was putting permatex 2 on the other side of the coolant ports only that faces the intake manifold as well but should I leave it alone? Or should I just put a small amount of permatex 2 on the intake manifold itself around the coolant ports?

I am just afraid if I did and I had to move the intake ever so slightly forward or rearward I will mess up the gaskets by doing so.

I know the printo seal is supposed to be left alone but dang it I need to have this sealed once and for all and have no leaks and I don't want to end up stripping out my head threads because of pulling it off and on and i don't have the best of health and for what a healthy guy can do in four hours it takes me a few days as I am limited in what I can do and some days I can't do hardly much at all cause of health stuff.

I just want to do it right the first time and not mess anything up. Don't worry Curtis73 it won't be done like that ever again trust me but like I said that was not my doing. I agree way too much rtv.

 

The process I was thinking of doing is putting permatex number 2 on the coolant ports which is a gasket sealant and non hardening and also not a gasket maker or rtv type of substance. I was thinking of putting it on the intake ports to help keep the gasket in place and seal it as its a gasket sealer and non hardening and was recommended by some on this forum in other posts. I am using no rtv on any of my bolts ever again but only using permatex number 2 to seal them as a guy on here recommended that.


I know the printo seal is supposed to be left alone but dang it I need to have this sealed once and for all and have no leaks and I don't want to end up stripping out my head threads because of pulling it off and on and i don't have the best of health and for what a healthy guy can do in four hours it takes me a few days as I am limited in what I can do and some days I can't do hardly much at all cause of health stuff.

I just want to do it right the first time and not mess anything up. Don't worry Curtis73 it won't be done like that ever again trust me but like I said that was not my doing. I agree way too much rtv.

Gotcha. I think any recommendation you may have seen for sealant on intake ports may have been for different gaskets, but there really shouldn't be any. You don't want to use a hardening sealer for obvious reasons. Expansion and contraction will cause vacuum leaks in the first week. You don't want to use a non-hardening sealant because it will eventually fail from all the motion.

There is something askew which is why you're having problems. Sealant isn't the fix. Doing it once and right means figuring out where the mismatch is. Frustrating, I know, but it's gotta be done. In your one picture with the mirror showing the china wall... is that shown with the intake gaskets in place? The gap between the intake and china wall looks awfully thin which makes me wonder if the block and/or heads were milled significantly, but honestly I didn't re-read the whole post. If the weren't done straight you could have intake sealing issues. It's also possible that the intake is just bloody warped or was incorrectly machined from the start, but it looks like it happened with two different intakes.

You obviously know that mental flowchart better than I would. You mentioned that this was a swap over from another block, so if the problem existed on both blocks then maybe it's a head issue. Figuring out which parts are common in both leaky situations might help narrow it down.

 

I prefer gaskets on the China wall with only minimum RTV in the corners where gaskets meet. I lightly dampen throughly clean surfaces that will mate with the RTV as the RTV does like and use moisture in its cure cycle, yes I’m aware that the instructions say a dry surface. I never allow any oil or left over cleaning solvent. I never use patent gasket adhesives, pastes, paints or goos with cut/stamped gaskets. I do put a thin film of grease on intake gaskets excluding the corners that get RTV’ed. My idea here is to allow the gasket to slip and slide as torque is applied so it essentially finds its own comfort the other is to make removal of the gasket at disassembly easier and cleanup less a messy chore.

I used to use Teflon Plumbers Putty to seal intake bolts on the Chevy as well as head bolts or studs but some years ago changed to Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket Number 3 or part number 80017. This forms a pliable film seal so it can maintain a seal through temperature changes and has about the same lubricating characteristics when freshly applied as engine oil so published torque values still apply. The reason for the change is I found that plumbers putty was being dissolved by some coolant formulations.

Where fastening aluminum parts I always use a hardened, ground washer between the aluminum part and the steel of a fastener with the fastener contact side with the washer lubricated but the washer to aluminum side dry. The reason for this is to allow the fastener to slip on the washer as torque is pulled but to prevent at the same time slippage between the washer and the aluminum part.

Not that this is perfect, but I have very little problem with failures over the years, and developed this technique simply because it produced the least amount of redoes of everything I’ve used for assembly techniques.

I should add that when I lived up in the Cascades where the mountain weather is more like that of the upper midwest or worse, I always used an engine heater in winter so there wasn't such a thermal stress on the engine between sitting overnight and operating temperatures.

Bogie

 

Keep sealer away from intake ports . period
Don't use print o seal gaskets with aluminum manifolds
Leave the permatex in the last century .
If you need to hold the gaskets in place , a dab of gorilla snot ( weatherstrip adhesive) far from the ports as you can .
Bead of silicone OR right stuff on China walls .
If you use silicone , a THIN coating around the water ports .
When you set the intake , right spot , first time , no wiggle , no slide .
Teflon paste ( not tape) on bolts .

WTF is " Teflon plumbers putty ??

 

Don't use print o seal gaskets with aluminum manifolds

Fel=Pro Print-o-Seal gaskets like the one in the first pic in this thread, are the correct gaskets for Aluminum intakes.


The incorrect Fel-Pro gasket for aluminum is the Perma-Torque Blue....the Teflon coated gasket, so called stock replacement application........it is only for iron-to-iron assembly's.

 

I think he intended to say teflon that comes in jar with an application brush. Threaded plumbing is often sealed with it. Good stuff actually but messy.

 

The felpro gaskets like the 1205 are what all the aluminum head and intake makers recommend for there aluminum stuff and that is what I have always used in the past without failure or problems. You can't use stock type gaskets like the felpro blue permatorque ones. Ericnova72 said it while I was typing.

 

Yeah , brain fart sorry !

 

So I know opinions will vary on here about stuff on the head to hold the gasket in place but I have Permatex aviation gasket maker number 3 80017 on hand which says to use to seal gaskets and also threads and I also got permatex number 2. My question is both of them good enough for being equal sealing the bolt threads regardless of which one I use and and a thin coat around the coolant ports?

The aviation stuff is nice but man is it messy to work with and that brush. I used some on my valve cover gaskets and it works but I don't want to have to take a long time getting things ready and want to bolt it up the right way which I guess will vary on opinion on what works. I want to have something to hold the gaskets in place and help seal that is a given but not using rtv this time around and this time will put a smudge of oil on the top of the washer before I go torquing the bolts down.

 

Eric32, I’d pull the intake so it can be tested for unseen cracks, might be a consideration with the head or head’s as well. You’ve been around this post a few times with nothing that pops out where the machining and dimensions appear pretty normal, goos, glues, gasket changes and more fastener torque don‘t help, looks like time to search for something more sinister.

Bogie

 

My experience is the china wall gap s/b substantial to allow for the GM end gaskets to be used. To small a gap and IMHO ends will hold up the interface to the heads from eminent seal. Try a GM aluminum corvette intake and chances are success will occur. Plenty of aftermarket casting/machinings fall short of spec.

Has thick intake gasket been tried?

 

Guys I had the problem with two different intakes on this build. The first intake I had on this build sealed fine on the previous block with the same heads but the difference was it did not have the right stuff quick dry gasket maker used but the loctite black rtv which was not a quick dry kind and I believe the kind that takes 24 hours but I can't say for sure. Engine lift plate was used on the intake and don't know if that would do anything or not. Don't like them myself but some use them without issue.

The gap on the china wall with gaskets in place I have .090 and I can still slide and it has some drag but not enough that I can't still move it. It would take about .100 for me to not move it without disturbing the intake. Bolt holes are excellent and I can still slide the intake a bit and the bolts do not make contact with the intake. The performer rpm I did have on the engine differs a bit from the one I am going to stick on. The performer rpm somebody gave me and it was brand new and never installed as it was clean but dusty as it sat for several years out in the open and it looked ok and never used as there was not marks from previous gaskets o fastners being put on it etc.

The difference is on the first intake I used the air gap one it weeped right off the bat both sides after sitting for a week. But the right stuff gasket maker did not cure super fast like it was supposed to when done the last three times if I am counting right and took a good 24 hours to cure to what felt right.

But as time went on the last intake used which is the performer rpm one the one side lasted three weeks but we had extreme temperatures that swung back and forth betwen 70 one day and then freezing at night the next day. The right stuff that did press out on the gasket part felt as hard as rubber and not soft like silicone normally feels and when I peeled the intake off you could see the printo seal all around the intake coolant ports so it did press on that but with all the right stuff it was as hard as a brick on the intake and cylinder heads and stuck to the gasket quite well but the parts that stuck out would peal right off but that was spots not pressed on anything though.

The rear parts never weeped any and sealed and kept sealed regardless of how it was done. This block is identical in all means and the only difference is the bore size but the deck height and piston height etc is all the same between both short blocks. Only difference was what rtv was used. I am not using the right stuff quick dry stuff after this experience with it and I want to be able to take my time and not have to rush as my shaky hands and stuff its not easy at times even just screwing in bolts.

I noticed when I put some right stuff 90 minute gasket maker compared to the right stuff instant gasket maker that the 90 minute stuff was more flexible and not as hard on a test area on the old intake as I put some 90 minute gasket maker over the top area of the performer rpm intake to keep the antifreeze from weeping out.

I did not take anything off and just put a smear on top of the tiny bit of intake gasket sticking out. It would not weep anything after that on that one spot. I knew though it had to come off as I knew I could not leave it like that.

I have never seen to where an intake is sealed up just fine for three weeks and never ran at all and just because of temperature swings of things going up and down so drastically to where one day the gasket decides to no longer seal. Only weeped when it was cold out and if it was warm then nothing and when it ran nothing came out or leaked. just up at the top corner area on the fronts only.

I had the block decked and the deck height is 9.016. Now in my findings so nobody has to look back the edelbrock eps intake which I have on hand I can hardly fit a .002 feeler gauge between the coolant ports on all four corners with the intake sitting without any gaskets. It was very tight of a drag.

On the performer rpm which has seen less then ten heat cycles and 50 miles and kept at torque I could get a .008 feeler gauge between the coolant ports at all four corners with it sitting on with no gaskets a lot easier and had less of a drag on it. A .009 was really tight and very close to the same drag of the .002 on the eps intake. Don't know if that is a big of a deal or not as I had to never deal with something like this before.

Obviously I had not sealing issues on the intake ports as it held vacuum good and ran fine minus the other tuning issue that I have not had time to try and figure out because of this issue that keeps getting in the way. The old air gap intake I sold it so I can't check and see how it fit. I would obviously try another intake of a GM one but funds are not there right now.

The only thing I can think of is the right stuff did not cure well or maybe perhaps which I know it was not good having a ton all over the place as I did not do that but perhaps with the cold and it not curing fast like it should have and then sat in the cold weather over night it just never cured right period and maybe it might have not let oil leak but the texture of it was just not right but heck the very first time when it was built last year was late summer towards early fall and sat for like a month and was used on a lift plate and I did not notice it until two months later so don't know if it weeped at the beginning or not. Stupid radiator and the rich running issue is what kept me from getting at it and also my health was in one of its bad stages and could not do much for the two month period.

The cylinder heads can't be a problem as they worked fine on the previous build. The first time I saw it with the air gap intake and checked the torque it got loose after two heat cycles and read less then 20 ftlbs. After the last few intake swap and reseal I kept checking it every day and the last time it was always 25 ftlbs and never changed while sitting. Going to try one more time with no rtv being used on the head side and only on the china wall only. Also putting on my edelbrock eps intake just to rule out anything else. Its all I got on hand and funds are not there for something else and the cam I have is not so big anyways.

Need to get it running so I can have some enjoyment with it this summer. The eps intake seems to have a way nicer fit for some reason at least on the clearance on the angle part such as a .007 difference or a hair more. Don't know if because of one being taken off and reinstalled two times and went through several heat cycles and torqued down a few times makes a difference or not. The angle on the heads looks perfect in relation to the intake and the with a flash light of what I can see it angles straight like it should.

The sealant I have is permatex number 2 and 3 which both are non hardening and flexible and is for such things and have used indian head shellac in the past on the coolant port and left everything else day and then the old Ultra black rtv on the china walls and it sealed fine for many years without issue. I also had a previous engine that had iron heads but the block was decked .010 for a height of 9.015 and the heads were flat milled .020 and I used felpro 1003 .041 compressed head gaskets and felpro 1205 intake gaskets on that motor and did not have any issues of having to get machine work done to any intake I put on it and it always sealed fine as well.

This has not had any flat milling done on the heads and all bolt holes line up well and bolts made no contact with the intake.

 

Can you pin point the source as in getting around the bolt threads and seeping out under the bolt head or is it in I suppose a more general sense leaking from coolant port past the gasket and out the edges?

Is there an internal leakage into the the valley or only to the outside. If from the outside on the upper and or end surfaces?

What is the coolant from water to some percent of commercial antifreeze and who’s?

Have you used stop leaks like Bars or something else?

Have you used water wetter?

How do you prepare the surfaces?
- Insure the coolant is drained such that it cannot contaminate the metal surfaces or the gasket during reassembly.

- Remove all traces of old silicon based RTV rubber with Permatex 80652 silicon dissolver.

- Then clean and clean plus reapply 80652 till all traces of the old RTV are for sure gone.

How do you reapply the RTV?

• Squeeze it on then commence assembly?
• Squeeze it on allow it to skin then assemble?

Lastly what kind of cap pressure is on the radiator?

Bogie

 

You got 1/32 of total material removed and the holes you say they align up with the threads. Don’t sound right. The tops of the manifold holes gotta be holding back the manifold from seating on the head surfaces. Do the math/geometry to see how much the intake drops.

 

Wow some hard questions here. Ok from what I can tell the weeping only happened while it sat in cold weather and normally did not show anything during warmer temperatures and the coolant system held pressure while running and never leaked or weeped while running and no overheating problems. If I wiped it clean it would stay clean for days. The weeping came from the very tip top part of the gasket and no signs of any at the sides or bottom. It always sat at the top of the gasket and was just a few droplets like it sweated. Happened after it was a few warm days of 70 degrees in the day and then high 40's at night.

Then the next weeks after that we had normal weather again of low 40's in the day and down to high teens and freezing windchill at night time. Then temperature swings up again in the high 50's low 60's. As far as antifreeze goes I use 50/50 mix and nothing else put in. I used an auto part store brand and its the green stuff. I did try to put some bars leak tablets inside of it several times to no avail and I could see how eventually some of the powder made its way to the gasket surface area at the tip top very faintly and would almost need a magnifying glass to see it.

When I have the different intakes off the valley was as clean as can be and no signs of antifreeze and not hardly even a drop when taking the intake off as I drain the whole radiator and also I unhook my water pump hose going to the radiator so it drains low enough to not be a problem. As far as cleanup goes the times my Father did it the last three times all rtv was cleaned up and the surfaces was cleaned up with no traces of rtv or any antifreeze or oil and wiped several times with brake clean or carb cleaner and then wiped dry with a white paper towel to confirm things are clean.

I never used any water wetter and I have not even seen it before. Never put anything in besides the bars leak tablets to try and see if it would cure it but I only got two heat cycles out of it when the other side decided to start to weep and the stupid tunning issue and had the carb off I then knew at that point I need to take it off again.

When my father put the right stuff gasket quick stuff on the very last time in February it was about 68 degrees out that day and he had the heat on in his garage. The gasket maker was put on and he while putting the rtv on around the corners and then the china wall he said it felt like it was starting to tack up some. He put the intake on and then used his air ratchet and started to snug the bolts down from the inside and then working out towards the rear and then towards the front and I then torqued it down.

The gasket maker even though it was supposed to cure and be ready for service like then and there still did not feel cured like it should have. So we put it outside to sit over night to that point it got down to the high 40's or so. The next day we filled it up with antifreeze and topped it off. Drove it home and no problems.

Kept checking the torque as it sat and then I went back to trying to tune the off idle stumbling issue I am currently having and getting the carb to run right while still checking the torque after heat cycles and always kept torque and only lost two pounds at the most. After three weeks with temperature swings the first side started to sweat or weep whatever you want to call it. I could wipe it up and hours later there was nothing there.

I have not had anything get past the bolt threads and they were all dry when I removed them. Rtv was used on them which I am not going to use this time. Hopefully Bogie I answered all your questions.

Ran it and nothing weeped or leaked anywhere. Then after seeing that I put some 90 minute gasket maker over top of the intake port over the area of the gasket that slightly stuck out which is normal and never saw anymore after that. But I knew the seal had to somehow be broken and then after working on my carb I kept checking the other side and it lasted six weeks or seven as I lost count. I saw it weeped and at that point I did not mess with it anymore and let it sit as I waited till the weather was warm enough I could work on pulling it off which I did about almost a month ago.

I don't have a heated garage and my state goes up and down in temperatures and I have been waiting for 80 plus degree weather and to where it gets no less then an average of 65 degrees at night so I can make dang sure this 90 minute gasket maker will cure well with good heat etc and not trying during the cold months.

I am going to install tomorrow and I have spent the last two weeks taking my time scraping off old rtv residue by using a scrapper made of plastic and a new razor blade with only using light finger strokes to not put any marks on the aluminum. Any markings on the picture below I did not put there. I have a few tiny areas that that the aluminum has some blemish areas of where the gaskets have sat before and I wiped and wiped for hours to get it off and it does not come off or scrape off and does not have any difference in feel to it versus a shiny spot.

I used everything I could to scrape every square inch on the heads and china wall to get all traces of gasket and rtv left over. My radiator cap pressure is 16 psi. In one of the posts I think the previous time when I still put the performer on the first time I had no weeping at first and then I hooked up a coolant pressure tester to see if I had any issues of it keeping pressure and when I pumped up to about 8 psi the hose going to the thermostat housing started to leak so I tightened it and fixed that. Then I tried again and after that and then I heard a poof and then looked at the passenger side front coolant port and it blew out at the very tip top area. The other side stayed sealed.

I then started it up a few days after that after re torquing the intake and hoped it was just that and it was off a little but its been to long to remember. I wiped it up and never saw anymore for a few days and then ran it and it was fine and no signs of leaking. Was working on carb issue. Let it sat and then a few days go by and then it was weeping there with a few droplets like 6 tiny droplets or so always on top between the intake and head surface area and nowhere else. I checked my heater hose and it was not from there.

The other side did not fail as I took it up to get it resealed in the end of February. Now as described it sealed this time on both sides for way longer versus the last time previously. The one side the passenger side did go through several heat cycles just fine and no weeping. Then after three weeks it started.

Other side stayed fine but after six weeks on it and the temperature swings up and down it started to somehow weep even though I had not drive it any as it sat the whole time since I last drove it when the passenger side leaked and I put the little dab of permatex 90 minute maker over top of the intake spot and it never weeped after that again with that small amount of finger spread covering.

Been using shop towels and rags being careful on what I am using and picking up every last particle of rtv and gasket I see even using a thread chaser and not a tap in the thread holes to clean them up. Going to do some last minute scrubbing tomorrow before I go to install.

My plan of action is this.

Wipe down with brake clean and then use a white paper towel to verify its all clean. Then use some denatured alcohol to wipe down again all surfaces then wipe clean with a paper towel to verify its super clean. I am then going to have all my bolts coated with permatex number 2 on all the threads and standing by. Then put a dab of oil to wipe on the top of the washers for proper torque lube.

Then I am putting a thin smear of permatex number 2 around the coolant ports. Then going to put a dab of permatex rtv gasket maker on all four corners before putting my intake gaskets on. Then install the gaskets and line them up good. I will then proceed to lay a bead across the china walls while overlapping the heads to make sure it seals up against the intake gasket.

I will have intake cleaned up and wiped as well before install and then will proceed to lay it down on the gaskets. According to the instructions on the Permatex package it says to install immediately and just finger tight the bolts and will do so to where it starts to just squeeze and let sit for an hour and then torque to spec as it says. Will start in the middle four bolts then the rear side then other rear side them move to the front side then other front side. Will be doing in steps 10 pounds then 15 then 20 and final of 25 which is what is been recommended on aluminum intakes and aluminum heads.

Says allow 90 minutes before use but I am not going to put anything in it for at least a week because I am rebuilding my carb as I ripped out the idle air bleeds to super fine adjust the thing and try to get rid of my other issue but because of this one I have not been able to get that far. Sorry of some things might be out of order as I had some issues with computer. Nomad I don't know how to do the math on how much it drops. Sorry but the old intake bolt holes lined up just fine without any issue and with it sitting on the gaskets the bolt holes in the intake don't touch the bolts going through and I have wiggle room around the whole circle.

I researched today that the stock deck height of an undecked block is 9.025 which I already knew but I looked up the gasket thickness GM uses on there crate motors and they are normally .029 or so so that gives a stack height of about .059 to .060 on average. Mine stacked up is .056.

 

I will snap some more photos tomorrow of the bolt holes with different configurations and you can judge for yourself and I will put some bolt studs in and let everyone see again. I did not loose .031 or 1/32. That amount I mentioned was on a very older motor I once had and it sealed and lined up without issues or sealing problems. That was in an old truck I sold years ago.

Now on an off subject I have had two windows open trying to answer Bogies questions and when trying to hit my tab button the page would screw up and end up putting me in a different comment spot that I was typing at and I accidentally hit the report button on 57Nomad and it came up with a dang window on explain why and I did not in any mean to do that so to any moderator who might see that please it was not meant. I did not press anything to send as I freaked out and closed the window and lost all I typed.

57Nomad please I would never do that and have never done that to anyone on here in all the year I have been here. Wow what a horrible day its been. Problems everywhere. PC and engine etc.

 

Please use the Permatex 80652 for a cleaner. A problem with siliconized rubber is it leaves molecular levels of silicon hydrocarbons behind. In a way similar to how you have to prep for paint after the vehicle has been waxed and polished with silicon waxes, the surface the paint has to adhere to needs to be treated with silicon wax remover, even after being sanded to bare metal or you get unbonded areas called fish eyes.

You will note that new RTV doesn’t bond with old RTV this for similar reasons being unable to bond with the cured silicon structures. When it comes to bonding to metal the previous RTV needs to be chemically gone at the molecular level which you can’t see or feel plus it gets into the pores of the surface material. So clean at the molecular level depends on using the right chemistry and techniques.

I know there are people that say to use lacquer thinner, gasoline, brake clean, etc. while this stuff certainly makes visual damage to RTV, my experience leaves doubts as to how clean is clean when going on your own, and don’t get me wrong I love lacquer thinner as a general cleaner and disinfectant.

Bogie

 

Please use the Permatex 80652 for a cleaner.

It looks like that has been discontinued.
The one currently on their site is 80645, Low VOC.
Hopefully it works well...

 

I will make sure to use some of that Bogie and thanks for the tips.

 

As a final clean after everything else on bare metal surfaces, brake cleaner is my favorite to wipe down. The odd thing is the manufacturers of many intake gaskets do not recommend any dressing be applied. One thing one needs to know the engine should not be started for a couple days when dressing is applied. The RTV especially takes that long to cure so oil/gas don’t lift it’s way under it. Does anybody here use the brown “Indian glue” it is my favorite on paper gaskets. I’ve used it around water holes on heads and prefer it to other “stick‘em”. Another thing I’ll share is when installing the intake tighten all bolts to only very finger tight. Then next day (24 hrs later) i complete all bolts torque. I learned this all from guys even older than me.