FE Intake Manifold/Gasket Installation

[car4jim]

I've been reading all the treads I can find in the FE forum on intake manifold installation, but still not sure on some of the details to install the manifold/gaskets; but first, a little background on my problem. I have a Blue Thunder medium rise on a Pond Alum block (482 KC). I have a leaking intake manifold gasket (assuming) with coolant getting into Cylinder #8 (after about 1,600 miles). Inspecting the gasket around #8, the gasket creeped creating a leak path from the cooling passage to the intake port. There isn't much gasket between the water port and the intake port. I can lift the gasket in this area. I think this is the smoking gun.

Anyway, now I need to reinstall the manifold. I bought the Felpro 1246 steel reinforced gaskets, The Right Stuff Sealer. I assume I will need to match the gasket to the intake port holes. The intake ports are massive in the KC heads.

1. What’s the best way to match cut a steel sandwich gasket to the exact port size of the head/intake port?

2. What’s the rubber disk in the gasket set use for?

3. Where do you apply “The Right Stuff”? Around all intake and cooling passage port openings, Only around cooling passage ports.

4. Is it best to use the Cork gaskets included in the kit for the front and back of the valley. If yes, I assume I should apply a beat of “The Right Stuff” on both sides?

Your Best Practices for installing gaskets appreciated. Thanks in advance for the help!

[Excaliber]

I've never seen those heads but am wondering if a set of high riser intake gaskets might be a closer fit than and standard FE gasket. The high riser ports are very tall and they require specific intake gaskets. I don't use anything fancy, just what ever NAPA can order, typically no steel insert, just regular gasket material. Never had a leak and I've had the heads off several times (always used new gaskets of course).

[undy]

You'll destroy any metal sandwiched intake gasket if you try to enlarge the intake ports. If the heads are CNC'd you'll not find a off-the-shelf intake gasket that'll fit.

Like the Eboks I think Keith has Cometic making custom "composition" intake gaskets made for the porting on his CNC'd BT heads. These are superior to his paper gaskets he used to have made. If so, get some of the yellow weather strip adhesive (called: Gorilla snot ). Apply a coat of it to the heads and then apply a coat to the head side of the intake gaskets. Let dry a bit and then stick the gasket to the heads. That WILL prevent gasket creep. On the intake side of the gasket you can apply a very thin coat of The Right Stuff or RTV and place the manifold.

You might also want to set the intake on prior to gasketing and check clearance all the way around the head/gasket sealing surface with a feeler gauge. This will ensure your intake will have uniform gasket "crush" when torqued.

[Barry_R]

First - the gasket choice. The steel lined gaskets are great. I am the guy that brought them into the market. If you have heavily ported heads they are not going to work. The steel will take you forever to trim and you'll likely destroy the gasket trying.

For ported heads we use a gasket made from an Interface/Armstrong paper material that has the consistancy of floor tile. It can be trimmed for ports, but you need a new and extremely sharp X-Acto blade.

As to installation:
First make sure that all surfaces are extremely clean. Make sure that the locating dowel has been removed from any OEM blocks. Lay the gaskets on the heads dry. Set the intake into position and use the disributor as a locator to establish front to back and side to side position. Level the end seal surfaces to the block using feeler guages.

Use a .010 feeler guage to verify that all the machined interfaces between heads and intake are parallel to each other - measure top and bottom at each corner and write your notes on the intake with a Sharpie. Then look at the valve cover rail alignment - measure and make note of any variances from intake to heads. Use a small flashlight to inspect for bolt hole position - they need to be centered. On first time assemblies this is also the time when you test install the pushrods and check for tube clearance.

Sometimes everything fits and you go to the next step. Usually I go to the guy running the Bridgeport and explain what the notes written all over the intake mean, where to remove the material, what angles to cut at, and how much to cut. If the intake is not square and flat with bolt holes that are inline it ill never seal correctly, will leak again, and will break off bolt bosses. Check a swap meet and se how many FE intakes have broken bolt bosses.

(Optionally you can listen to some guys on the internet as they cry that somehow its better to cut on a $3000 pair of heads than to cut a $400 intake that's warped and wont fit anything. Then you can go and cut the intake anyways because it's your engine, it's the right thing to do, and you're fixing the engine you have now - not some if/come mystery engine for a theoretical somebody else in the distant future. Buy the internet guys a digital beer).

Now - assuming all the magic is done - we install it for real. I prefer no end seals. I use and sell only Motorcraft TA-31 silicone sealer. It comes in a caulk tube. Its gray, looks nice, and hardens to a plastic like consistancy. Intended for diesel use, it is highly oil resistant. I apply a film as thin as possible - like a coat of paint everywhere first - using my finger to get solid adhesion, install the gaskets, and then add a thick front and rear seal bead. Another thin film of goo on the gaskets and set the intake in place.

With the intake setting in position use a mallet (or your fist) to tap it into proper location. Again use the distributor as a locator. All the fasteners should go in with ease. Use washers. Get all of them started before tightening. Once everything is tight and together you can use a razor blade to clean up the end seal silicone for a really nice cosmetic appearance. Don't forget to use a finger to remove any squeezed out silicone from the distributor hole - its a real bugger to remove the distributor if it hardens.

[RICK LAKE]

car4jim Jim I have been a mechanic for over 35 years. Have seen alot of failures of motors that are not assemblied correctly. I am going to give you a basic setup to work with.
I am not a fan of right stuff. Over time it losses it's ability to hold gaskets in location. They are called heat cycles. Aluminum expands faster and greated than iron. I have 2 shelby blocks. One I have been racing for 13 years, the other is being built next year. I have not lost a head gasket or intake gasket due to walking of parts. I am going to asume that the angles of the block, heads, and intake are all close.
Here is what and how I do when setting up an intake on my motor,
Start with the gaskets, place them on the heads and check for ALL holes lining up to the heads and intake manifold. The oil returns on most motors need to be trimmed with 1246 gasket for full flow back to the motor. High speed deremel tools works the best with file for me 24,000 rpm. After this is done, I spray on 2 coats of Hi-Tac on the gaskets and let dry over night. Next day put on intake manifold, you need another person to set it on evenly. I use the distributor for alignment on to the heads. Use gray RTV sealer on both ends of the block to seal motor instead of cork strips. Give sealer about 2-4 minutes to setup. A also put a VERY thin coat of sealer on both sides of the intake gasket around coolant passages and let set for 1 minute. Install intake gasket and then manifold. Drop in distributor. Install all 4 corner bolts and just leave about 2-3 threads showing on them. Make sure the gasket is not slipping from location you installed it at. Start in the middle of the manifold and take the bolts down to 10-15 ft pounds of torque. There is a tightening pattern, follow it. Increase to 25 ft pounds, then 35. Let motor sit over night for sealer to cure. Check the next day for firmness of RTV. I also mark the gasket edges and the heads and block to make sure the gaskets have not moved from where you put them. If the marks line up you are fine it not and more than 1/16" off, you may need to redo. You will need new gaskets. I autocross and road race. I was running a 452 motor for 8 years before going to a stroker kit of 482. No gasket failures, this is a hard abuse motor. Wish the rocker arm shafts and mounting bolts where as good without failures. CLEAN SURFACES is the most important thing about sealing any motor and tightening pattern. Run motor and recheck torque on bolts. Remember that this motor is a living,breathing, thing. Good luck, take your time, it's not a race. Make sure the angle are correct on the matching surfaces. Rick L.

[car4jim]

Thanks for the responses from everyone. It seems the issue with gasket creep is the gasket essentially squeezing out between the two metal surfaces. I can see this is what happened with my intake manifold installation. There seems to be two strategies to avoid this: a) Bond the gasket to the head, or b) use a steel reinforced (composite) gasket. Using an adhesive such as Hi-Tack or Gorilla snot (which I believe is essentially a contact adhesive) to adhere the gasket to the head side of the gasket makes sense. I can see the theory if you bond the gasket to the head surface, then the gasket cannot creep out, assuming the adhesive itself doesn't creep! Makes me wonder if using some WeldWood contact adhesive would be a good solution? This stuff has great holding power and would allow quick bonding, assuming you accurately place the gasket before the stuff takes hold! Would it impact the sealing ability of the gasket? I'm assuming the HiTack is a type of spray on contact adhesive, but I've never used this product. HiTack appears to be a Loctite product to seal and to keep gaskets in place during installation. The other strategy to avoid gasket creep is to use a steel reinforced gasket. The strategy here is to make the gasket rigid across the plane of the gasket to resist the squeezing force of the two metal surfaces. The down-side to the steel reinforced gasket is you cannot easily trim to match the custom porting of the KC heads. I’m thinking the composite gaskets mentioned by Undy that KC is using fall under this category.

Today I will carefully clean the gasket off the manifold and head surfaces and perform the measuring process which seems to be good advice from most of the respondents above. I don’t think I have interface issues since the mating surfaces are good enough to squeeze the gasket out, but I will check anyway. I assume that KC verifies and machines the manifold, but cannot confirm. I also plan to call KC Monday to inquire about their new composite gaskets and discuss in general. There customer service is awesome for help on problems like this!

I’m surprised on the difference of opinion on “The Right Stuff? The issue appears to be its ability to resist thermal cycling associated with the high thermal coefficient of expansion of Aluminum. I’ve heard this product is great, but I don’t have any personal experience. The main purpose of this stuff for an FE appears to be to provide additional sealing around the four cooling ports and the front and rear rails of the valley. Anyone have any additional thoughts on this product. Stuff is bloody expensive!

[Excaliber]

...guess I been lucky, never had a creepy intake gasket. I use a little sealant around the water jackets, usually whatever is handy. Silicone maybe.

I DO NOT use a gasket at the front or rear of the intake, as suggested, big old bead of silicone works well there, never had a leak.