Intake manifold install

D

d0n_3d

Boost is good.
Joined
Jul 14, 2001
I'm going to be putting the intake manifold on pretty soon and I bought the Felpro valley pan gasket kit (the steel shimmed one) with the rubber side rails and some black rtv sealant...

any tips I should know about when installing this thing? I've read to use RTV in the corners of the rubber rails where the intake and heads meet...should i use sealer on both sides of the intake gasket too or install dry? do i have to use sealer on the top and bottoms of the rubber rails as well or just put those on dry and go?
 
Run rtv up onto the intake gasket 1/4 on each end of rubber strip. Spread a very thin coat of rtv around the water passages on heads and gasket. Always worked for me
Mitch
 
One other thing to keep in mind. This may be obvious, but it's worth mentioning...

After you put all of the RTV on, install all of the bolts and snug them very lightly. Before you start tightening them, shine a flashlight down each of the intake runners, and see if the intake ports in the heads are lined-up with the runners. This of course requires you to remove the plenum, if you haven't already. If you can see the walls around the ports through the runner, use a rubber mallet to bump the manifold either forward or backward until all of the ports line up as best as possible.

You probably knew this already, but in case you didn't... It's free horsepower, and it only takes about 60 seconds.

Good Luck,
 
This is not critical info,...

...basically just informational. Loctite makes a product called "Right Stuff" that blows away RTV. It comes in a cheeze whiz style dispenser. I've sealed oil pans with it that had to be pryed off when the time came to remove them. They would literally have stayed on with all the bolts out once cured. I use it for valve covers, rear axle covers, anything that normally uses RTV. If both surfaces are prepped with a surface conditioning disc, and cleaned with laquer thinner of Brakleen, that stuff seals great. It has a consistancy a bit tougher than RTV, almost like rubber. Try it, you'll like it. :cool:
 
I use the felpro gasket and it is good. Here is my install and has worked for years with no leaks.

Clean all surfaces with laquer thinner. Depending on cleanliness I may use scotch brite or roto pads on drill to prep surface but aftwards clean with laquer thinner.

Next, do not use the rubber seals that come in the gaslet. I use a product called the right stuff. I build a good thick bead on each end of the block. Go under the head a little where the head overlaps the block. Let this set for about 15 - 20 minutes to get a skin on it.

Prep the intalke gasket. Use hylomar in the spray. Use just a small amount of the right stuff around the water jackets. lightly coat the intake areas with hylomar. Install gasket.

By this time the right stuff on the block ends should be ready.

install the intake and just snug the bolts. Now come back the next day and following the torque sequence and specs finish torquing the intake fasteners.

This procedure has worked flawlessly for me for years.

Prep the
 
ok here's what i ended up doing...since i have been doing everything by the book i just decided to use the rubber strips...i've heard nobody really complaining about using them so why not...i think they seal pretty good...anyways

i applied black rtv around JUST the water ports on the heads...then i put some sealer inside the rubber strips (where it meets the block) and on the very edges where they meet the heads in the corners...

then i laid the gasket in...now the gasket was kinda bowed down...i fixed it as best as i could...it sags about a couple inches down from where the intake meets the block (you can see the gasket in the pcv grommet hole)

then i laid down the intake manifold...put all the bolts in by hand first...had no troubles lining up the gasket holes with the intake holes...then i torqued in sequence all to 16 ft lbs first...then a final round of 32 ft lbs...haven't touched it since...

does this sound ok? i thought about applying some rtv on TOP of those rubber seals where it meets the bottom of the intake but it's too late to do that...i guess i am overkilling as it is...just want no leaks:mad:
 
From what I've heard/read, you are more prone to get leaks if you use the rubber strips on the front and rear of the intake. I've always heard to use only a bead of RTV on those areas instead of the rubber gasket strips.
 
Getting ready to install Felpro intake manifold gasket. I looked at Permatex website and they say the grey formulation of The Right Stuff is recommended for intake manifolds. I'm sure black works too. Anybody use the grey stuff? The felpro Valley pan gasket actually comes with a little tube of grey silicon but it has the Felpro brand name on it.
 
One more question...does anybody run the silicon along the sides of the intake manifold or is that just over kill?
 
When I did mine I used The Right Stuff Ultra Black.

Some around the water jackets, used the rubber end gaskets, & ultra blacked the 4 corners where the gasket tapers down.
 
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