Replacing intake manifold...

[COBALT]

I'm replacing my intake manifold with one that's exactly the same. Questions:

1. How should I clean the lifter valley once I get the old one off?

2. I thought there was a gasket for the distributor? A little round one??? Duh...

3. I'm thinking I'll dab some RTV on the corners of the gaskets to keep them in place. What about around the bolt holes to keep oil from seeping up around the bolts?

4. The little gasket strips that go in the front and back of the manifold...do I RTV those? Sounds like I should (at least to keep them in place).

5. Lets see, if I pull that vaccuum line from the intake to the brake booster do I introduce air into the brake lines? It wants to "hiss" when I start to pull it. I'll have to bleed the brakes, right?

Just some concerns. I want this to go as smoooooth as possible my first time around. I want exactly ZERO oil leak vs. the seepage I have now.

[68 with 350 TPI]

Well if you are going to change your oil after you can spray the area with brake parts cleaner.

DONT use the rubber strips that come with the intake.
THEY SUCK!

Instead use black RTV sealent.

Also if you take a punch and make some small punch marks along the intake and the top of the block the RTV will have a much better hold.
I did that with my blower motor and it works very well.

[Blue68]

1. I like a razor scrapper and a shop vac working together. Helps keep the crud out of the heads and lifter valley.

2. Why yes. Yes there is.

3. Actually, most shop manuals and the intake gasket sets tell you to put RTV around the coolant passages before installing. Accomplishs your holding-in-place task as well.

4. Ditch them. Not too many people ever use them. Load up a good bead of Black RTV.

5. You are new aren't you. The booster hose that connects to the back of the intake provides vacuum assist from the engine to the brakes, thus the power vs manual brakes. There is only air (actually a vacuum) that occures in this particular hose. THe only way to introduce air into the brake lines is to open a brake line connection between the master cylinder and the brake caliper/cylinder at the wheels. OR run the mastercylinder dry of fluid.

Additional....Get a shop manual by Chiltons or Haynes. THey will contain step-by-step directions on just such endeavors. It will also provide you with the tightening/loosening sequence and torque specifications. And if you pull the plug wires loose, the shop manual will show you the order to put them back together (not to mention getting the engine to TDC before disassembly).

Good luck.

[COBALT]

Thanks.

Not so new as inexperienced with power brake boosters. lol I just didn't want to pull that line assuming it was just a simple vaccuum, and then end up having problems I couldn't solve without doing a bunch of work.

This all looks pretty simple, but my recent experience with thermostat housings is making me a bit more cautious about how I work on these old parts.

[Woody]

1) Leave it alone unless there is junk in there that is lying loose. Look in there to seee how bad the rest of the engine is sludged up, but if you start cleaning it up, change your oil soon after because you are going to stir up the crap and pump it into the filter. You might wipe some of it out with a rag, but I won't bother.

2) There is a small gasket for the Dist. Shoud be round, you might have to pop the center out of it. Don't run without a gasket, you could damage your oil pump! It may have came off with the dist.

3) I ALWAYS use Felpro for intakes, No re-torqueing needed!!
and I put a little RTV on the corners, but not around the bolts.

4) I like 68 w/ 350 TPI's idea of dimpling the top of the ridge to help hold the RTV in place. I ALWAYS use HIGH TEMP Red (orange) RVT for this. The normal RTV (like the blue stuff) doesn't like oil and will soon start leaking. The High Temp Red will out last anything else and it matches Chevy Orange Paint. Throw the rubber strips away, they will squeese out and leak, and look like #$%^!

5) NO! You are just pulling a vacuume on the booster. No need to bleed to brakes! You haven't gotten near the brake fluid's closed system. The booster just has a vacumme diaphram that helps push the rod that is between the brake pedal and the master cylinder. The Hiss is the pulling of a vacuume on the booster ( like the niose you hear when filing a tire with air only the air flow is slower and going the opposite way.

Good Luck

[COBALT]

Yeah, punching the intake and block is not a bad idea to consider.

I simply love FelPro gaskets. I ended up using a special gasket to seal the thermostat housing and I didn't even bother to torque it at all. I just hand tightened it. No leaks what so ever, and the gasket is reusable. No RTV or compound needed at all.

It's about 1/16" thick, and has an O ring embedded in it (not round, but ridged) that flattens as you tighten the housing bolts and makes a seal. It's also high temp resistant.

OldIron recomended it to me to get by until I got a new manifold. Part #35562T. I'd love to get a set for the manifold-to-head gaskets, the valve covers and the oil pan...

[Woody]

Another tip I forgot to mention. Clean the area that the gasket and RTV contact with either brake cleaner or Gasoline. It will remove oil and help everything seal.

[CE20934]

I for one like those rubber gasket things. Thousands of heat cycles later, when they're all hard and stuck to the block, THAT'S when the real fun begins.

(severe tongue-in-cheek)

Truth be told, I've never had a problem with them. Paper gaskets yes, rubber no. RTV, rarely. FelPro, never.

[Ed ke6bnl]

Originally posted by Woody
1) Leave it alone unless there is junk in there that is lying loose. Look in there to seee how bad the rest of the engine is sludged up, but if you start cleaning it up, change your oil soon after because you are going to stir up the crap and pump it into the filter. You might wipe some of it out with a rag, but I won't bother.

2) There is a small gasket for the Dist. Shoud be round, you might have to pop the center out of it. Don't run without a gasket, you could damage your oil pump! It may have came off with the dist.

3) I ALWAYS use Felpro for intakes, No re-torqueing needed!!
and I put a little RTV on the corners, but not around the bolts.

4) I like 68 w/ 350 TPI's idea of dimpling the top of the ridge to help hold the RTV in place. I ALWAYS use HIGH TEMP Red (orange) RVT for this. The normal RTV (like the blue stuff) doesn't like oil and will soon start leaking.



The High Temp Red will out last anything else and it matches Chevy Orange Paint. Throw the rubber strips away, they will squeese out and leak, and look like #$%^!


I was just joking with my boy they we didn't need to paint the water pump to match the engine just wipe the orange high temp red all over the water pump. I try to use the high temp in all project with with great succes and any bolt in the water jacket get the high temp. to the threads. Ed ked6bnl

5) NO! You are just pulling a vacuume on the booster. No need to bleed to brakes! You haven't gotten near the brake fluid's closed system. The booster just has a vacumme diaphram that helps push the rod that is between the brake pedal and the master cylinder. The Hiss is the pulling of a vacuume on the booster ( like the niose you hear when filing a tire with air only the air flow is slower and going the opposite way.

Good Luck