Guest Anonymous Posted November 8, 2001 Share Posted November 8, 2001 Hello everyone, Here's my problem. I can't get my intake to seal up. I thought it was my intake so I bought a Victor Jr. Looks great but it still won't seal up either. I have tried using red silicone, construction grade silcon and the crappy gaskets you get with them. It is leaking on the rear seal. The distributer was not tight tight when I started the engine, we left it a touch loose to set the engine. Anyway. Does anyone have any other advice or ideas on how to get it to seal. I am out of ideas and patience so I guess I'm gonnna have to take it to a shop. Don't want to but I have to get my car before it gets cold. If anyone lives near Oklahoma City I could help out with gas or buy pizza or beer or something to compensate for your time. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have holly systemax heads. Another concern of mine is that the engine is warped, don't know how that could happen since I have never overheated it once. Is there a way I could tell? I don't want to take it to the shop and have them tell me I need a new engine. I can put that in myself. I wouldn't think mine is bad. It's not even 3 yrs old with under 4000 miles. Anyway Anyone with help I'm greatly appreciated. Oh yeah when I pulled the old manifold off the silcone was stuck great to the block but not really stuck to the manifold that is why I thought it was cracked. Again thanks sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted November 8, 2001 Share Posted November 8, 2001 Are you just talking about the seal between the block and rear of intake leaking oil? Or is it a vacuum leak or a leak into a port? I use FelPro gasket and GM gasket sealer in the can with a brush. Throw the rubber seals in the trash. Clean all surfaces with a wire brush and lacquer thinner/Acetone/Brake cleaner, etc (Keep trash out of the motor however). Paint the heads and intake with the GM sealer. Then run a bead of silicone, approximately 3/8" thick along the front and rear seals (I use Permatex black exclusively. I have had BAD luck with Red and Blue, Ultra Leak I call it). You can even score the intake with a screw driver parallel to the block to get the silicone something to hold on to. Install the gaskets and set the intake down. Align and install all of the bolts finger tight. I usually wait about 1/2 an hour before torquing them down and wait overnight before starting it up. If your engine has been decked, it can screw up the relationship of the intake and heads, and it might be necessary to machine the intake. Also, you should check to make sure the distributor is not bottoming out on the oil pump drive and preloading it. Moroso makes distributor spacers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 8, 2001 Share Posted November 8, 2001 How do you check to see if the distributer is bottomed out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted November 8, 2001 Share Posted November 8, 2001 Drop the distributor in the hole without the gasket. If it fits down on the intake, it's not bottomed. If their is a gap, it is. Measure the gap. Measure the gasket. Allow a reasonable amount for gasket compression. Subtract measured gap from compressed gasket thickness. If it is negative, get a shim kit from Moroso and pick one that will give you a few thousandths clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted November 8, 2001 Share Posted November 8, 2001 all good advise in the above posts (just use a solvent that leaves no residue)(aceatone works well as a cleaning fluid,thats finger nail polish remover if the wifes not looking guys) when cleaning the surfaces the silicone goes on and I have found both the black and the red high heat silicone work ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted November 8, 2001 Share Posted November 8, 2001 Careful - some women like to use the polish remover that has lemon oil and other nasty but interestig smelling compunds in it. If you use these it will leave an oily residue. Best to buy the really cheap but plain stuff. Not that I'd know. Really Melts plexiglass for use as a "glue" too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Shasteen Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 ellobo, If I remember correctly didnt you have a pair of cast iron heads about a year ago that blew a gasket? Are you the original owner of that V8? The heads you have now; did you purchase them new? Are you the original owner of those heads? Could possibly be that either the engine is not square from the previous owner (providing you're not the original owner) & possibly the cyl.heads have been agressively milled by a previous owner (providing you're not the original owner) & thus one or both of those aforementioned possibilities are contributing to your intake leaking. If the heads have been milled excessively by a previous owner to increase the comp.ratio then the intake would need milling as well. The other possibility; your block not being square-may contribute to a leaking intake as well. The only way to check for non-squareness of cyl.heads is to check them when they are off the engine w/a straight edge & feeler gauges. The only way to check for squareness of the block is...well to be a machinest & to have extremely expensive tools specifically for that purpose: you can check the deck the same way as the cyl.heads but to crank centerline to crank centerline squareness involves expensive tools. Hope you figure it out; prob's like this can wear on a guy after awhile. Let us know what you find out-your solution may help someone if/when they find themselves in the exact same predicament. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 Kevin On the engine I bought it new as well as the heads and the intake. SO it should all be fine. The old cast Iron heads I had it turned out that one was cracked. So if anyone needs one double hump head let me know sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.