Hey all, I've done just about everything to solve the intake leak on my 64 C10. The problem is, the damn leak keeps coming back. 292 I6 with Offenhauser 4bbl intake, and Langdon Cast headers. I'm running those fancy Remflex gaskets AND I got some of the McMaster Carr spherical washers to account for the difference in flange thickness between the headers and intake. I installed the gaskets dry as per the Remflex instructions. Due to the position of the bolts, it is nearly impossible to torque them to 20 ft lbs, with any torque wrench I own. The truck seems to develop an intake leak after a couple hundred miles. Upon the typical loose intake symptoms showing up I constantly find that the intake bolts are loose. I'm contstantly re-tightening these things. Anyone ever use lock washers with these McMaster Carr washers? The design seems like it may hinder the ability of the lock washer. How about Loc-Tite? What are you guys doing to get some distance without carrying a 9/16" endwrench in your pocket, and burning your forearms on the tube headers?
I had the same problem with my 292, it is expected when using aftermarket intakes and/or exhausts. I used the spherical washers from McMaster with great success, use elastic stop nuts to stop them from getting loose. Try and find the REAL elastic stopnuts, not cheap CHinese shit, there's a big difference! You might even put a thin smear of hitemp silicone sealer on the gaskets, though it's usually not recommended for use near gasoline. It helped with mine. Oh....and if you can, take out the locator dowels and use bolts (or studs and nuts) to help tighten things up!
On my old I6 i had to get the gasket surface faced after I took the manifolds off, no problem after that. I would suggest that you put longer studs in place of the bolts, run your nuts down on the washers you have then put a lock nut on top of it to hold it in place. If that doesn't work, look at making a stepped washer that will compensate for the different thickness of the 2 manifolds so both will have the same clamping pressure on them. Jason
I had to do just that for the rear, but, on the other bolts I was able to use special washers designed to compensate for different flange thicknesses. Good idea on doubling up on the lock nuts. I may have to do that soon.
One more thought to get better torque on those bolts... can you find hexagon head bolts (i.e. ones that use a hex wrench to tighten, not a socket wrench)? That should solve the ability to really get in there and torque them... Marc
The Jalopy Journal
