Recently purchased a tunnel ram, wasn't used for years and it seems to fit flush and flat with the heads. On previous cars I have used this Tacky Spray for extra precautions.... I'm using the .60 thick Fel Pro set... Not sure if the .60 is plenty or should I be looking for something else, if so what would you recommend. Gaskets are cheap and I'm not cinching out on putting this intake back on !
Been doing some googling, seems the only place would be around the water passages... The key to have all surfaces is a given, I actually used those SWEET 3M yellow plastic disc and cleaned up the head and intake to a like new surface !!!
I just put a couple of dabs of 3M Weatherstrip adhesive on it just to keep it in place while setting the intake onto the top end. If there's ever a "sealing" problem it's more than just the gasket.
I'll use the spray on the rail gaskets so they don't slide around when I drop the manifold on. I also use 3M weatherstrip adhesive (aka Gorilla Snot...) on the neoprene end gaskets, especially an extra dab on the corners. Bob
I always toss the end gaskets and run a 1/4" bead of Ultra Black RTV on each end. I use Felpro gasket sets with the blue imbedded sealer around the ports so I don't use any other sealer. No problems ever sealing and I've done it this way for years.
your not supposed to use any sealer...but I always have, and I've never had a leak! when I put my 350 together this winter I used the RTV only for the front and rear of the intake for the first time, so I'm interested to see how it holds up with out those crappy rubber gaskets that never fit right any way! I've always used RTV in a very thin coat around all the bolt holes, exhaust and intake ports, and on the threads of all the bolts. I'm sure this is over kill but like Mr 48 said I'd rather scrape RTV than have a leak!
Same here, I also run a flat file lightly along the intake mounting flange to make sure there are no high spots or bumps on the corners, especially on older intakes that might have been pryed on.
might be overkill, but, as stated, Ultra Black/Grey for the end seals. THIN coat of Hylomar around the intake ports. THIN coat of silicone around the water ports. Thin coat of Aviation Gasket sealer on the intake bolts. No leaks.
Running a Flat File is a GREAT IDEA !!! I have the Felpro set with nice pre-made ring, the only thing I will RTV would be the Front and Back. All my V-8 buddys stressed " Toss those POS little pieces they give you away "
.625 is 5/8 of an inch, you found intake gaskets that are .025 less that 5/8". Felpro suggests that you use sealent around the water crossovers on both ends of the gasket/head as a rule.
use a punch to make dimples on the end surface of the engine&the intake to hold the rubber gasket from moving or blowing out
Here's a Engine Builders take on the subject, you can do with it what you please. First, you don't arbitrarily pick a gasket thickness and just go with it. I'm assuming we are talking, SBC or BBC Chevrolet by your avatar. You don't know if and how many times that intake mounting surface and of end flanges might have been milled, any more than the blocks deck and or the cylinder heads. So we start with a .060" gasket and place it on and lightly snug down the intake using the 4 corner bolts. Now we are checking for two things- Port Alignment and the GAP between the intake manifold and the top of the valley mating surface. The mating surface is critical as stated you toss the rubber ducky gasket thingys in the trash and use a sealant. You want to be able to lay a nice bead just as if you were laying a nice TIG weld bead down on top of the valley end rails. Port matching the intake is a whole other topic. Some sealand around the water jacket ports if you like, nothing more. It only takes a small dab of either to give you a correct and lasting seal. Remember if this is a real performance build, you would also want to check the distributor gear to cam gear alignment. TR
First thing I would do is set the intake on to the motor and check the alignment of the intake verses the heads and block,dry fit the gaskets to make sure the bolt holes line up(that your not too high or low)then A clean level dry surface,a dab of gasket cinch on the head and the gasket's to hold it in place,a non acid cure silicone on the china wall,a little on the cooling jackets,a little copper coat on the bolts,and USE A TORQUE WRENCH follow the torque sequence.... one other thing you might want to do I DO IT!I take a knife honing stone a nice long one and rub it along the mating surfaces of the heads and intake it helps level little bumpa ans scrape marks,and never use a cleanup wheel 3M pads just my 2 cents
silicon on the ends and a small pass around the water ports and intake ports. Have always done it on blown engines and n/a.
If your bolt holes don't happen to line up, you correct that issue with correcting the bolt holes, not sacrificing port alignment or the gap at the ends of the valley. The manifold is totally worthless if you can't seal the ends up, period. A vertical milling machine, or some very careful work with some lay out dye, a machinist scale, scribe, and a die grinder is used to correct the bolt holes, not different gaskets.
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