Best method for installing Intake gasket for 0 leaks????

[BlackRat]

Well the car made the logest trip today it has made in a year and ran great!!!! Fuel issue appears fixed and temps are staying between 200 and 225. Now for this aggrevating oil leak!!! What is the best method to guarantee a no leak intake gasket install? This will be my 3rd attempt!!! I use Fel Pro Performance gaskets and toss out the ends and use black sealer on the front and back china wall. Before I had a leak at the front. Now the leak is at the back.

1. Is there a certain chape, thickness and height the bead of sealer should be?
2. Specific cure time before setting the intake in place?
3. Specific cure time after setting the intake in place and torquing?
4. Preferred angle to cut the sealer tube dispenser to get the right pattern?
5. Anything else???

Thanks
Wade

 

[TimAT]

I use a good fat bead. I've done straight out of the tube, cut the extension at 45*, cut it straight, it really dosen't seem to make a difference. The real trick is getting all the oil off everything. I usually get everything cleaned up, install the side gaskets, lay the bead on the china walls, then set the intake straight down. RTV will "skin" in about 30 minutes so that's the working time IMHO. Just make sure the bead is fat enough it'll squeeze out under the intake. Don't forget to run the bead from the china walls up onto the gaskets.
I also wipe the intake and block down with alcohol wet rags. (Cheaper than brake cleaner)

 

[big2bird]

Wade,
Clean it sterile. Use brake cleaner if you have to. ANY oil, and the silicone does NOT adhere.
Use the Felpro gaskets
Install the gaskets to the heads with Gaskacinch.
Place a small bead of silicone around the water jackets.
Place a thick, say 3/8" bead on the China walls, and in each corner. (4)
Carefully set it without moving it, torque it down in 2 steps, and let it sit 24 hrs.
I use the Permatex blue, but I hear they are all the same.
I also like the Felpro reusable stat gasket. $10, but you can flush and reinstall it later.
Do a search here. There are a few threads with pictures.

 

[mrvette]

Really good RTV will skin up pretty damn quick, so install mani very quickly, torque it down, let set up overnight....maybe put a thin layer on bottom edge of mani just before install, to keep it fresh...

a dap with fingertip....

 

[MYBAD79]

Depending on what intake and what heads you're using you might need a different thickness intake gasket. Was the block decked?

Two good methods IMO: Install the intake "dry" (no gaskets, no RTV):

1) place shims on the China walls to shim the intake up so that the bolt holes line up. Now check the required gasket thickness with feeler gauges.

2) install the intake with no gaskets on the China wall and use the old Felpro gaskets between heads and intake... now measure the gap between intake and China wall to determine how thick the bead of RTV has to be....

I used RTV and I waited 20 minutes before setting the intake in place, I set it down and tightened the intake bolts by hand only, I let the RTV cure and then torqued the intake bolts several hours later.

No leaks ....

 

[SmokinBBC]

Depending on what intake and what heads you're using you might need a different thickness intake gasket. Was the block decked?

Two good methods IMO: Install the intake "dry" (no gaskets, no RTV):

1) place shims on the China walls to shim the intake up so that the bolt holes line up. Now check the required gasket thickness with feeler gauges.

2) install the intake with no gaskets on the China wall and use the old Felpro gaskets between heads and intake... now measure the gap between intake and China wall to determine how thick the bead of RTV has to be....

I used RTV and I waited 20 minutes before setting the intake in place, I set it down and tightened the intake bolts by hand only, I let the RTV cure and then torqued the intake bolts several hours later.
No leaks ....

This is what Grumpy over at Chevytalk told me to do a few years back.

 

[AColbe01]

Depending on what intake and what heads you're using you might need a different thickness intake gasket. Was the block decked?

Two good methods IMO: Install the intake "dry" (no gaskets, no RTV):

1) place shims on the China walls to shim the intake up so that the bolt holes line up. Now check the required gasket thickness with feeler gauges.

2) install the intake with no gaskets on the China wall and use the old Felpro gaskets between heads and intake... now measure the gap between intake and China wall to determine how thick the bead of RTV has to be....

I used RTV and I waited 20 minutes before setting the intake in place, I set it down and tightened the intake bolts by hand only, I let the RTV cure and then torqued the intake bolts several hours later.

No leaks ....

MyBad79,

Good Timing, Thanks

Andy