need help with my intake

[kwplot34]

I pulled my intake today because of a small oil leak that appeared while in CA,it was on the rear almost under the dizzy,when i pulled it i found the RTV very thin in that spot and suspect that is why it was leaking.
While i had it off i noticed a little water seapage at the water ports on all 4 corners,it must have just started as there was no signs of oil in the coolant or the oil. I also noticed the the intake runners on all 4 corners had an oil film in them while the 4 in the center were as clean as could be.

Is it possible that i need to run the coolant lines off all 4 corners, my intake has the holes for them but i have them capped off right now.
I was thinking that maybe the corners are getting too hot and causing gasket problems.
Or maybe it was just a fluke and the gaskets were not installed correctly.

What do you guys think????????

 

[MYBAD79]

I've posted this before and I have a pic somewhere that might be easier to understand than my verbiage.....
install the intake 'dry' with shims between the intake and the chinese wall at the end of the intake and towards the water pump. Shim it up until all the intake bolts line up.
I found that I needed a .120" thick intake gasket to get the intake where it needed to be (stock is .060").
With decked blocks and reworked heads it's pretty much impossible to tell what gasket thickness you need to get the intake sealing good....
I used RTV at the two chinese walls, the gap was almost bigger than the rubber strips were thick....
These intake gaskets come in several thicknesses (Summit).

So far no leaks, no problems.....

 

[TimAT]

MYBAD's solution looks good- set the intake on with just the side gaskets an see how far off the holes are- or call your builder and see how much he took off the deck, if any.
A good fat bead of RTV is as good as it gets for sealing the china walls, but they have to be 100% clean and oil free.
Back in my dealer days I used to put a bead of yellow death around all the water passages- on both sides of the intake gasket. Made it a real biotch to get the intake off, but they didn't leak either.

 

[BarryK]

I've never had a intake leak doing it this way myself:

nice bead of RTV on both end rails that wrapped up and around each of the outside water jacket ports. I make sure each bead of RTV is one continuous bead with no breaks in it and I make sure the bead is thicker in the corners where the rails meet the heads as these are common leak areas.
I let the RTV set up for about 10-15 minutes before dropping the intake down and I use a broom handle stuck in the distributor hole in the block than slide the intake down the handle when dropping it on the block. This keeps it perfectly aligned so once it touches the RTV bead it does need to be moved or adjusted to align it and disturb the RTV bead.

if you look carefully you can see the extra RTV in each corner.

 

[big2bird]

I've never had a intake leak doing it this way myself:

nice bead of RTV on both end rails that wrapped up and around each of the outside water jacket ports. I make sure each bead of RTV is one continuous bead with no breaks in it and I make sure the bead is thicker in the corners where the rails meet the heads as these are common leak areas.
I let the RTV set up for about 10-15 minutes before dropping the intake down and I use a broom handle stuck in the distributor hole in the block than slide the intake down the handle when dropping it on the block. This keeps it perfectly aligned so once it touches the RTV bead it does need to be moved or adjusted to align it and disturb the RTV bead.

if you look carefully you can see the extra RTV in each corner.

I like that. What make/model/part # broom?:lol:

 

[kwplot34]

Sitting the intake on dry the holes line up enough to get a bolt in all the holes,but the holes are not centered,the head holes are high in the intake holes. With the gaskets on the holes are dead nut center (eyeballing it anyway):lol:.

Like i posted earlier its only on the corners where i saw some sepage,that's what make me think that maybe i need to run the coolant lines off the corners.
This all started while in CA,i pushed the car hard for 2 days it never got over 200* but since the corners are blocked maybe they got hot????

 

[big2bird]

Sitting the intake on dry the holes line up enough to get a bolt in all the holes,but the holes are not centered,the head holes are high in the intake holes. With the gaskets on the holes are dead nut center (eyeballing it anyway):lol:.

Like i posted earlier its only on the corners where i saw some sepage,that's what make me think that maybe i need to run the coolant lines off the corners.
This all started while in CA,i pushed the car hard for 2 days it never got over 200* but since the corners are blocked maybe they got hot????

Did you ever re-torque them?

 

[kwplot34]

I've never had a intake leak doing it this way myself:

nice bead of RTV on both end rails that wrapped up and around each of the outside water jacket ports. I make sure each bead of RTV is one continuous bead with no breaks in it and I make sure the bead is thicker in the corners where the rails meet the heads as these are common leak areas.
I let the RTV set up for about 10-15 minutes before dropping the intake down and I use a broom handle stuck in the distributor hole in the block than slide the intake down the handle when dropping it on the block. This keeps it perfectly aligned so once it touches the RTV bead it does need to be moved or adjusted to align it and disturb the RTV bead.

if you look carefully you can see the extra RTV in each corner.

That's exactly what i did this time,and appeared that the builder did too,but right under the dizzy it was thin and had breaks in it like he did not put enough there or the intake moved on him.
I like the broom handle idea,i have 4 studs that i put in each corner to make sure the intake goes on right.

 

[kwplot34]

Sitting the intake on dry the holes line up enough to get a bolt in all the holes,but the holes are not centered,the head holes are high in the intake holes. With the gaskets on the holes are dead nut center (eyeballing it anyway):lol:.

Like i posted earlier its only on the corners where i saw some sepage,that's what make me think that maybe i need to run the coolant lines off the corners.
This all started while in CA,i pushed the car hard for 2 days it never got over 200* but since the corners are blocked maybe they got hot????

Did you ever re-torque them?

Yeah i have probably put the torque wrench to them about 4 diffrent times in 1200 miles.

 

[010752]

I pulled my intake today because of a small oil leak that appeared while in CA,it was on the rear almost under the dizzy,when i pulled it i found the RTV very thin in that spot and suspect that is why it was leaking.

If the rtv was very thin in that area then it sounds like it might be necessary to machine off a little at the ends of the intake so that the intake will seat properly at the rest of the ports. Actually the exact opposite problem than MYBAD79 was describing. His scenario is much more common.
That will cure your 4 corner sealing.
4 corner cooling has nothing to do with your problem. Gazillions of small blocks out there without it.

 

[big2bird]

I pulled my intake today because of a small oil leak that appeared while in CA,it was on the rear almost under the dizzy,when i pulled it i found the RTV very thin in that spot and suspect that is why it was leaking.

If the rtv was very thin in that area then it sounds like it might be necessary to machine off a little at the ends of the intake so that the intake will seat properly at the rest of the ports. Actually the exact opposite problem than MYBAD79 was describing. His scenario is much more common.
That will cure your 4 corner sealing.
4 corner cooling has nothing to do with your problem. Gazillions of small blocks out there without it.

Good call Noonie. It does sound like the outer ports are being held up by the ends, while the centers bow down and seat.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

How can a broom handle align the manifold? the broom handle is much smaller in diameter than the hole in the manifold and the block so you can still move it quite a bit, and on top of that, if it even were to fit snugly and thus act as a positive guide, the distributor is not perpendicular in the block, it's angled to the drivers side.

The RTV bead is a good way to do it, but you'll need more than just that thin bead in the pic if you want to make sure it never leaks.

I always run a bead over the china walls and around the coolant ports, then lay on the gasket and add some more rtv in the corners and smear some around the gaskets coolant hole. Never had a leak, ever.

 

[mrvette]

I've never had a intake leak doing it this way myself:

nice bead of RTV on both end rails that wrapped up and around each of the outside water jacket ports. I make sure each bead of RTV is one continuous bead with no breaks in it and I make sure the bead is thicker in the corners where the rails meet the heads as these are common leak areas.
I let the RTV set up for about 10-15 minutes before dropping the intake down and I use a broom handle stuck in the distributor hole in the block than slide the intake down the handle when dropping it on the block. This keeps it perfectly aligned so once it touches the RTV bead it does need to be moved or adjusted to align it and disturb the RTV bead.

if you look carefully you can see the extra RTV in each corner.

I like that. What make/model/part # broom?:lol:

Eh, you problem there is you need modify the said handle, as it is WAY too long,, I find it easier to just eyeball it....and lower carefully, but if that intake is iron....better have a good back...

did one Saturday on that boat engine....on the stand....iron and by myself...hurt my back, not up for this shit anymore....

:gurney::gurney::ill::clobbered:

 

[BarryK]

hey, the broom handle trick works for me, what can I tell you.

BTW, it's even better for installing those heavy iron intakes. Both of my Vettes have aluminum intakes which are much lighter and easier to deal with so it's not as imperitive but I still use the broom handle. On an iron intake I wouldn't try it any other way.

Like anything else, use whatever method works for you but I've found this one works for me.

BTW, the broom handle isn't too long, I use one cut down for this purpose, not one full length!

 

[kwplot34]

Heart Attack is all back together now :smash: no more oil leak from the intake,new carb is on and dialed in,and the hesitation i had is gone :thumbs:
All and all it was a succesful surgery and the patient is better than new again ush:
Now to go out and get rid of some of that old rubber on the rear tires

 

[BRUTAL64]

Heart Attack is all back together now :smash: no more oil leak from the intake,new carb is on and dialed in,and the hesitation i had is gone :thumbs:
All and all it was a succesful surgery and the patient is better than new again ush:
Now to go out and get rid of some of that old rubber on the rear tires

Hell, it was all I could do to keep up with you before. Now, I'm going to have too put in that 496 BB.ush:

 

[kwplot34]

Heart Attack is all back together now :smash: no more oil leak from the intake,new carb is on and dialed in,and the hesitation i had is gone :thumbs:
All and all it was a succesful surgery and the patient is better than new again ush:
Now to go out and get rid of some of that old rubber on the rear tires

Hell, it was all I could do to keep up with you before. Now, I'm going to have too put in that 496 BB.ush:

Well,i'm just trying to keep everybody on their toe's. If you sit back and relax they will pass you by.
A 496 BB, i will be in trouble then :flash: i don't think i can do anything to present motor to match that :goodnight:

Go to the Restoration section and check out what i did to my carb,well a diffrent carb anyway got rid of the 725vs and put on a 750 DP.

 

[BRUTAL64]

Heart Attack is all back together now :smash: no more oil leak from the intake,new carb is on and dialed in,and the hesitation i had is gone :thumbs:
All and all it was a succesful surgery and the patient is better than new again ush:
Now to go out and get rid of some of that old rubber on the rear tires

Hell, it was all I could do to keep up with you before. Now, I'm going to have too put in that 496 BB.ush:

Well,i'm just trying to keep everybody on their toe's. If you sit back and relax they will pass you by.
A 496 BB, i will be in trouble then :flash: i don't think i can do anything to present motor to match that :goodnight:

Go to the Restoration section and check out what i did to my carb,well a diffrent carb anyway got rid of the 725vs and put on a 750 DP.

That is REALLY Red. I'm glad Edlebrock made my 500s shiny and easy to clean.

That was a lot of work for you, but it is sure pretty.:friends:

 

[kwplot34]

It was very time consumming,took 3 days to finish it,with all the cleaning,masking off,pc and baking,and then putting it all back together. But it's worth it :thumbs:

 

[BRUTAL64]

It was very time consumming,took 3 days to finish it,with all the cleaning,masking off,pc and baking,and then putting it all back together. But it's worth it :thumbs:

I don't believe I've ever worked on anything for three days.....no ......wait there was Stephanie in 1995- July 4th week end.:evil: