So I am buttoning things up nicely on my '76 302 V8, next to go on is the intake manifold (part # D50E-9425-GA). You all helped me before with similar questions so you shouldn't even flinch when reading these. What are the little pieces for in the middle of the second gasket picture below? Does the intake gasket go on dry or do I put some concocktion on it, if so what? What's the sheet metal cover on it's belly for, can you take it off, if so how? The small hole in the middle in addition to routing some exhaust back in, to be burned again, is it to balance the exhaust flow in the two heads? Aside from not having the EGR port on the top do the First Generation 60's 2V intakes flow better than the Mustang II era ones?
Apparently my questions 1 and 4 are related: What are the little pieces for in the middle of the second gasket picture below? "They are to open or block the heat riser passages. If you live in a warm area, block 'em off. If you're going to run it in the cold, leave 'em open." Thanks 23Alt from another forum. The small hole in the middle in addition to routing some exhaust back in, to be burned again, is it to balance the exhaust flow in the two heads? The small port in the middle is an exhaust crossover to help atomize the fuel better when cold, nearly all factory intakes have it. If you live in a warmer climate, you can block off that crossover and help performance slightly by keeping the intake charge cooler, so goes the theory anyway. The exhaust "crossover" or "heat riser passage" is not there for the EGR. It is there to heat the carb to prevent icing and help engine warm up. When the EGR came along they just taped into the crossover passage.
summary of replies from other forums: Does the intake gasket go on dry or do I put some concocktion on it, if so what? "I'd recommend either "Indian Head" Shellac from Permatex, or Edelbrock's 'Gasgasinch". Both work well for sealing intake manifolds to the heads." " ... put a little silicon on the corners, you can use high tack or similar to hold the end cork gaskets in place while installing the manifold." " i never use the cork end gaskets. i just put about a 1/4 inch thick line of gasket sealer on the ends. i have seen to many problems with that cork gasket squeezing out of place and leaking." What's the sheet metal cover on it's belly for, can you take it off, if so how? "The metal cover is a heat shield to try to keep oil from contacting the hot exhaust cross-over in the manifold..." "Its an oil splash shield to cover the exhaust crossover. In the days before the shields, oil would splash up around the crossover and be burned and cake onto the manifold. This helps keep the manifold and oil cleaner by keeping it away from the intense heat of the crossover. " Aside from not having the EGR port on the top do the First Generation 60's 2V intakes flow better than the Mustang II era ones? "Flow wise I think they are all about the same..." "They are the same castings, with minor differences so no, they don't flow better or worse. "
intake manifold going back on well it's been a while, but after a couple detours, like learning how to weld, and building my own engine test stand, I finally got back to matters at hand, so here's a picture update of the intake manifold going back on, and don't be afraid to visit my web page where you can see more pictures of this project, and thanks for looking and your comments Small Block Ford 302 V8 look at all the crud that came out when I pressure washed the water passage cleaning up the gasket surface someone gave me a great tip to use four studs as guides, see if you can spot them I used Permatex Ultra Copper RTV Silicone, just because that's what I had left over, not sure I dabbed it right, you be the judge.
As Gredski said "The cork gaskets I would throw away and put a thick bead of silicone." I second that. Make sure both the block and intake are dry so the silicone will adhere.
I always run the cork center gaskets unless the heads or block deck have been milled significantly. Then I custom make them out of thinner cork material. The trick to making the cork stay is to 1st use 3M weatherstrip adhesive (yellow snot), which I use all over the rest of the engines gaskets too. Run a thin film/bead across the block ends under where the cork gasket goes, I don't use any on the intake side. Never had one spit/leak yet. The only silicone stuff I'd ever use, especially for the intake ends would be Permatex's "Great Stuff" silicone sealant. Everything else is inferior in my opinion. You can remove that lower steel shield from the intake by backing out the 2 steel rivets. The rivets have a twisted like knurl to them so they'd back out like a screw. Whenever the intake is cleaned or hot-tanked, it is very important to remove this shield as there is significant oil residue/carbon buildup inside. Just use a chisel and make a mark on the edge of the rivet. Then use a small drift and hammer and turn the rivet CCW (like you would a screw) using that mark you made and it will back out.
