about to put my upper intake back, tips/tricks to keep gaskets/spacer in place???

staticc

Founding Member
Sep 28, 2002
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Jupiter, FL
i just swapped out the stock 19lb injectors for 24lb injectors :D
and i noticed there was a spacer. and a 2nd gasket after i took my upper off. so i had to run back to my parts man and get a 2nd replacement gasket.

i cleaned the spacer and the lower intake off with acetone. but now i gotta hook up all the vacuum lines and put the intake back on.

does anybody have any tips or tricks to keep those gaskets and that spacer in place and not slide around? any info is appreciated, this is my first time taking it off/on :)

thanks
derek
 
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I used gasket adhesive on the spacers gaskets to keep them from moving. Worked good, just put 3 or four little dots between each layer.

Edit- Also, if you have extra intake bolts with the same thread as the upper to lower intake bolts you can use them to hold everything in place. Chop the head of the bolt off so you can drop the upper over the top of them. Then put a couple bolts in and remove the chopped bolts you used as guides. If you know what I'm saying.
 
MAKE STUDS. just get a piece of threaded rod and cut it into proper lengths. Thread them down until they but and your done. Slide the gaskets and spacer onto the studs and THEY AINT MOVING. I use studs on every intake I install now. Works awsome.
 
My favorite trick that saves time and effort is the stay in place gasket. Be sure that you scrape (don't use a wire brush) all the old gasket material off, then clean all the surfaces with acetone or MEK.

When the surfaces are clean, use weather strip adhesive on the head to manifold surface, and on the side of the gasket that mates to the head. Follow the instructions on the tube or can and when it gets tacky, press the gasket down on the head.

Clean the area where the rubber rails mount to the block in front and in the rear with more acetone or MEK and do the same trick with the weather strip adhesive that you did to the heads.

Coat the rubber seals and the gasket area around the water passages with lots of Blue Silicone gasket sealer and put it together. Wala! no leaks, and no gaskets that shifted out of place.

If you reuse the injectors from your old setup, a repair kit is available from most auto parts stores if needed. Coat the injector body "O" rings with oil before you use them and everything will slide back together.
 
Temporary studs seem to be the way to go - kind of like removable dowels. I use them for headers, lower intake, upper intake and valve covers. Makes all of those easy to work on by yourself. Costs very little. I made 2 for headers, 2 for valve covers, 2 for upper to lower, and 4 for the lower. The folks above described how to make them and use them.
 
Michael Yount said:
Temporary studs seem to be the way to go - kind of like removable dowels. I use them for headers, lower intake, upper intake and valve covers. Makes all of those easy to work on by yourself. Costs very little. I made 2 for headers, 2 for valve covers, 2 for upper to lower, and 4 for the lower. The folks above described how to make them and use them.


They are all I use. I can get GRADE 8 threaded rod from work. Just like ARP uses. I have full set for my motor. I love them. They are awsome to use. Makes everything so easy.
 
Nope. I just torque them down properly. I have never had a blown gasket.

Well I had one blown gasket....but it was the original gasket and I never touched it before that. It was 4 years ago. I have changed them 3-4 times because of combo changes....never because of a blown gasket.

I never use silicone on head gaskets.
 
Head gaskets ALWAYS dry; rubber gaskets just a bit of light grease so they slide and don't bind. Paper gaskets either dry or with a bit of gasket dressing (not silicone or rtv - gasket dressing is different stuff). Use rtv to assure seals for machined surfaces where there's no gasket (like bolting the tail shaft housing of the tranny to the main housing), or places where sealing surfaces come together in 3 dimensions - like where the lower intake, head and block all meet, or the front cover, oil pan and block. At those 'corners', I put a dab of rtv to be sure a seal is achieved.