Lower Intake Leak??

[asecretfile]

Im having a hard time getting the back of my lower intake to seal. At first they were on E7 heads and leaked coolant both when I used the cork gaskets and also when I tried using RTV only

Now Im on GT40P heads, same lower, I used the rubber gaskets AND the RTV. Plus I had the surfaces super clean too. You would thing that if there was a imperfection in the lower intake that the massive bead of RTV would compensate a little.

any ideas?

thanks

 

[93 LX]

better check the sealing surfaces for trueness. Also are you following the torque pattern? Did you chase the intake bolt holes on the head before doing this? Sometimes they have buildup inside and will not allow the bolt to tighten all the way. Are you using the right length of bolt?

 

[asecretfile]

better check the sealing surfaces for trueness. Also are you following the torque pattern? Did you chase the intake bolt holes on the head before doing this? Sometimes they have buildup inside and will not allow the bolt to tighten all the way. Are you using the right length of bolt?

I followed the tightening sequence and all the bolts were the same length 2 inches long but I did notice when tightening that the bolts in the back where its leaking tightened up quicker than the rest of them. In other words tighened up to final torque quick whereas the others still had another 1/4 turn to final torque.

Broke a stud off in the back on the first try wasnt even at 11 ft/lbs yet but it broke up top so I was able to just unscrew it out

Maybe the threads in the head in the back arent quite as deep as the others?

thanks

 

[skunk21]

pull it apart and make sure everything is clean. what intake gasket set you using? try the felpro 1250S-3 I have had good luck with this set. use some regular black rtv and smear a skim coat of it around the coolant ports on the head( for xtra insurance you can also do this to the intake side as well)not to thick though just a nice thin coat, then put a small dab at each spot where the head and block meet. Let it tack a little not to much then lay the gasket on the head. I use pertma tex right stuff for the end seal on the block, I don't use the cork or rubber end gaskets I hate them, right stuff is a very good gasket maker. I haven't had my intake leak yet or my buddies when we did his.Make a nice 1/4 inck bead across the block following the same pattern on the block and then go up the gasket on the heads a little bit.

next you can use the studs that are in the upper intake that hold the egr spacer/TB, they screw right into the heads and can be used to guide the intake down nice and straight w/o messing up the gaskets. you can also get some bolts from the hardware store and cut the heads off too. next set the intake down nice and straight and start the bolts in then remove the guide bolts. follow the torque pattern but go over the same pattern a couple of times, the first sets of bolts you tightened will be loose again until they all are set to the right torque spec. you should be good to go after this.

 

[asecretfile]

pull it apart and make sure everything is clean. what intake gasket set you using? try the felpro 1250S-3 I have had good luck with this set. use some regular black rtv and smear a skim coat of it around the coolant ports on the head( for xtra insurance you can also do this to the intake side as well)not to thick though just a nice thin coat, then put a small dab at each spot where the head and block meet. Let it tack a little not to much then lay the gasket on the head. I use pertma tex right stuff for the end seal on the block, I don't use the cork or rubber end gaskets I hate them, right stuff is a very good gasket maker. I haven't had my intake leak yet or my buddies when we did his.Make a nice 1/4 inck bead across the block following the same pattern on the block and then go up the gasket on the heads a little bit.

next you can use the studs that are in the upper intake that hold the egr spacer/TB, they screw right into the heads and can be used to guide the intake down nice and straight w/o messing up the gaskets. you can also get some bolts from the hardware store and cut the heads off too. next set the intake down nice and straight and start the bolts in then remove the guide bolts. follow the torque pattern but go over the same pattern a couple of times, the first sets of bolts you tightened will be loose again until they all are set to the right torque spec. you should be good to go after this.

Thanks for the detailed response...Ive been using a felpro MS93334 but Ill try the one you said

Thanks again

 

[skunk21]

some guys like the felpro 1250s-3's some don't most don't like the regular 1250's. I would maybe do a search on intake gaskets, mainly for the gt40 set up and see what other used, I don't think they are that much different, mine where used on a stock T-Moss ported upper/lower and ported E7's. best of luck .

 

[vikingpower]

Buy an ARP intake manifold stud kit, the studs align the manifold when you put it on the engine and the manifold will be evenly seated after you torque it down.

 

[asecretfile]

Well Im sure thats part of my problem I didnt RTV around the coolant ports and the MS93334 doesnt have it on the gasket. So when I get a new gasket, only around the coolant ports I RTV thinly between the heads and gasket and then again from gasket to lower...then of course the end seals?

thanks again

 

[monte87]

CORRECT-A-MUNDO!!!!!!

Well Im sure thats part of my problem I didnt RTV around the coolant ports and the MS93334 doesnt have it on the gasket. So when I get a new gasket, only around the coolant ports I RTV thinly between the heads and gasket and then again from gasket to lower...then of course the end seals?

thanks again

 

[ShortThrow50]

you have to let that rtv sealant dry over night