Did you see all the rusty water dumb out of the head. This is why we don't use tap water. If you can't even follow the most basic steps of owning a car (I know Americans use it for some reason shame) I don't think you really know how to use gasket maker for the general. But you know how to make it work for yourself. Without understanding the repercussions. Literally have my oil pan right in front of me there was no gasket on it disappointingly it wasn't leaking but there's lots of material on the inside. Made me feel not so good when there was none in the joint
I love any video that reminds me of my dad who's now gone... Replace the intake gas gets on an Oldsmobile and my old man went golfing. He gave me some advice etc. But like usual I was hoping he'd be over my shoulder. I did the work anyways thought I put the gaskets on pretty well. I started it, said "look dad I fixed it." Coolant started spewing out a split second later 🤣🤣 "Yeah, now you gotta do it again! I'll show yah what you missed." Didn't use enough gasket maker to hold the gaskets in place and they shifted when I installed intake. When I ask my old man why he just didn't do it for me. The first time the right way... he explained. "You learn from making mistakes!" Miss the hell out of him 😪
With your finger, smear a dab of gasket maker on both mating surfaces really thoroughly. That gets the gasket maker strongly bonded to the surfaces. Then place your bead. Then install the manifold. This is essentially like putting glue on both mating surfaces, making sure its tightly bonded into the material on both sides. Then placing them together. This method helps with this area more than most since as you install the manifold, there really isn't much mating presure applied to the gasket maker (since it would rather sqeaze out than crush tighly into place), but since you have already rubbed that thin smear of gasket maker thoroughly onto the block and manifold, once that bead lightly crushes into place, it bonds to those thin areas you rubbed in prior to install. Its 100% bonded tough to both sides the second they touch.
The most important part before using liquid gasket is making sure the mating surfaces are prepped correctly. There can't be a single trace of oil. If you wipe the surface with a paper towel and it leaves a black smudge, the surface isn't clean enough. Then of course make sure you lay down a thick enough bead. Typically the service manual will give you an exact measurement of how large the bead should be if you aren't sure
I use brakleen or acetone to remove oil residue then smear a thin layer on both sides and let it cure for a bit before doing the bead, then let it cure completely after assembly.
@@AreaThirteenThirteen Brake clean works great to remove old sealant but it will give you a false sense of security. In my experience brake clean will leave a really thin film on aluminum surfaces for way longer than you would expect it to. Finishing the prep with a scotch brite pad works perfectly since you are effectively sanding off any leftover sealant or oil residue. You just have to be mindful of the dust
another tip is to use a finger and smear a thin film of rtv on both clean surfaces before applying the bead of rtv to one side. this ensures the rtv will adhere to both surfaces rather than touch but not bond properly.
I think the biggest problem here is that the gaskets on the intake are thicker than OEM, which is why you have such a big gap where you apllied the silicon gasket maker. For a normall sized gap/mating surface, the amount of silicone would have definitely been enough. So i think your conclusion at 4:35 is absolutely correct.
no, it's always got that gap on these engines. He keeps saying "more than you think you need...." Well, if you would have just looked at it when you took it off....or test fit it to check that gap, or anything other than assume you know what it needs, you would have seen the amount of space you had to fill. It's a thing. Just check that gap if you don't know. I like to see gasket squish out evenly all the way along the mating surfaces. But, I'd also use the Right Stuff, not the stuff in the package w the gaskets.
older small blocks used a rubber gasket on the front/back wall, hence the large gap, but you still needed a dab of RTV in the corners to prevent leaks. It's possible that they found the RTV to be more effective than the rubber gasket, or maybe it's simply cheaper
Prepping the surface is your most critical aspect. Absolutely no oil residue or anything else can be on the surface. Wipe multiple times with a solvent such as acetone, brake clean, starting fluid, or carb cleaner. Do not use mineral spirits as that dries it leaves a residue. A narrow bead is fine but I always run two layers of bead, one on top of the other.
If you imagine your intake manifold as a V with a flat bottom. It MUST seal on the V sides against the heads. Since there's no real adjustment on the sides of the V, the manufacturer made clearance on the flat bottom to ensure the sides properly mate with the heads and seal. As you stated, gasket thickness is also a major factor in the bottom gap. This is the one place where a tall thick bead needs to be used. This is completely different than sealing a thermostat housing for example where only two surfaces are involved, there you need to use a thin bead. Otherwise, the sealant will intrude into the internals. Great video!
The same exact thing happened to me a little more than a month ago. Another mistake I made was starting the vehicle too soon to purge the air out of the coolant system. I gave the RTV 48 hours to cure the second time. I approach this with the same logic as you. Hey you live and you learn. At least you had a positive attitude and made a video for others to learn from.
The first time I installed an intake gasket set was on a Chevy 327 many years ago. At that time they were still supplying rubber end gaskets in the hasket sets. Using silicone was the new thing back then. I wasn't sure how much to put on, so with all surfaces clean, I set the two gaskets in place then layed the manifold in place to actually see in my mind how large the end gaps were. I'm a visual person so seeing how big the gaps were told me how much silicone was needed. This time around, you put on exactly the right amount. A tad to much is better than a tad too little. If there's a little too much squeezing out, its never going to get brittle and "flake" off inside the manifold and clog anything up.
I think it was big mistake to do away with the rubber gasket in a place that was designed with a gap that was made large enough to accommodate one. It should have the rubber and a small amount of sealant at the corners.
*I went from owning a buick lesabre to owning an acura RSX - to owning a K1500 (1998) and subaru impreza (2005),* the biggest thing i noticed between japanese cars and american cars was the gaskets, specifically honda/acura uses this stuff called "honda bond" -it works every. single. time. (just a pain to get off) -i actually use the stuff anytime something calls for "gasket maker" unless its high heat. the other thing i wanted to say is that 1. honda parts usually mate way closer than whats seen in the video, i've literally never seen something not squish a bead that big down nearly flat 2. regardless of how smashed the rtv gets, the two mating surfaces need to be cleaned very well, always wipe dry with paper towels
An intake manifold is one job you need RTV silicone for sure, as a proper vacuum is needed for function and efficiency (just like the heads). I don't know personally which silicone is best, as every mechanic seems to have their favorite that they believe is best. Nice re-do and thanks for showing us, Jimmy!
According to a test performed by Project Farm, the black RTV from Mopar is the best. It is significatly better than the gray stuff from Permatex which I used to use.
Always use black silicone when your working with oil. Dont let it skin. Put the silicone on, put the parts together, and torque them down. Those old lt1 blocks are some of the worst to do. I did my camaro twice in one day once because i forgot a ⅝ wrench in the lifter Valley.
The funny thing about mistakes is that it sticks with you and you remember it forever. Its been a while since Ive seen a mechanical distributor. Good job.
When I worked for a GM dealership as an auto tech they recommended using a healthy amount of the RTV Ultra Black and it comes in a "squeeze cheese" canister so you don't have to squeeze the toothpaste style tube. Run the RTV about an inch and a half up the head BEFORE you put the intake gaskets down. I did my GMC Sonoma 4 years ago and she's still dry. I've done literally hundreds of these intake reseals. All the front wheel drive vehicles AND the 3rd Gen LT's used plastic intake gaskets which are junk and very susceptible to breaking and leaking. Mainly because it's stupid but sometimes from over torquing. Happy wrenching.
I’m glad you mentioned too much sealant, during the torque sequence of the manifold. When I was a mechanic I discovered so many vehicles with clogged or partially clogged engine oil sump screens with pieces of silicone and other debris from the assembly line.
@@stupidbird4U It's needed still in some situations. On honda's, a bit is needed on mating surfaces between two parts, like your cam towers in the front and back of the head where the valve cover gasket seats, and the mating surface of the oil pan between the oil pump and engine block (and iirc, the rear main seal plate) if you don't use it, you'll never seal in those locations since it's a meeting point between two different parts. You can't get away from it no matter what due to how the engine is assembled.
I suspect it's caused more by rushing the job and not allowing a full and proper cure time. Also not using clean or new parts. For example, a new or well cleaned oil pan, given proper cure time even with too much sealant should be fine. If the sealant drips, it's not cured. If it drips into the inside of the oil pan and oil is added, then yes, the oil will float the sealant and the pickup tube will get clogged. If you don't rush, the dripped sealant will cure on the inside of the oil pan and not come off when you add oil back. Lots of places do the bare minimum, including waiting on cure time. That is more than likely the main culprit. Also more sealant means a longer cure time. Best case scenario is if you can let it cure overnight or longer.
Dude it isnt just silicone. Cork can do it too. Ive taken oil pans off 50 year old engines where the cork broke apart in the valve covers and oil pan and clogged 90% of the pickup.
Protip: since those were basically new parts, You could have easily as well reused those felpro intake gaskets if someone was in a pinch and in your shoes and couldn’t find them in stock by the time you reopen the engine to reseal the rtv for a second time
@@GregariousAntithesis If you follow the directions and allow up to 3 hours before starting the engine, RTV holds extremely well. Use an adequate amount and you won't have issues.
So like if you use a thick bead of rtv? What would you do if a lot of it squished out inside your engine? How do you remedy this problem or and even ends up in the oil pan as a result of heat cycles
Put a nice thick bead on let it set a while then set manifold on put all bolts in with fingers let set a bit more so silicone starts setting up then torque bolts to specs
WOW, I was wondering when I watched the first time about that thin layer of sealer... now we both know. Sorry you had to learn that the hard way but, think of how many guys (like me) you saved from having to do it twice! I was excited to see the intake video since I have a slight leak on the front of my manifold. Unfortunately, that job will have to wait until I recover from rotator cuff surgery. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise I got hurt because I was going to do this job on my '99 K2500 Suburban (7.4L) and would have followed your video and ended up in the same boat. It takes a honest person to show their mistakes on YT. Thanks for sharing, can't wait to see what's next.
10 years as a mechanic another thing you can do is use studs to set the intake/ keep it from sliding/ hold gasket in place, install a few bolts remove the studs and reinstall factory bolts torque to spec.
This is exactly what just to me. I can’t thank you enough for your suggestions. I’ll be doing my 93 LT1 intake manifold gasket again. I see my mistakes thanks to your video. Especially the part where u wait before torque sequence and of course liberal amount of gasket sealer.
THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION. I always liked using gaskets. One time I had to use form a gasket and was concerned about it as you were. Also, when putting in new spark plugs I use a piece of neoprene hose and put it on the top of the plug and screw it in by hand then I'll use the wrench to tighten it down. I always use the air compressor and blow around the plug then use a shop/vac to suck out any debris before pulling the plug.
This video is completely wrong. If you use the amount of RTV this guy uses you will destroy your engine due to oil starvation. Only a very thin bead is needed. If you use the amount this video suggests it will squeeze out into the internal side of the engine and will eventually break off and enter your oil ways. Be warned.
Not on old FE engines. Putting a thin bead on the back and front of the manifold would be a huge mistake and you are going to find yourself ruining multiple gaskets pulling that 1000 pounds manifold on and off because it won't stop leaking due to "conventional" advice.
@1ROAD I applaud your willingness to show your mistake on camera, and to jump right back in and fix it right. One side note, check your PCV system. If the crankcase is over pressurizing due to a clogged or stuck PCV valve, then these RTV seals will see a lot of pressure, and they are the weak spot in the system. They could blow out and cause another oil leak issue. Just a heads up.
I know people talk about "scraping" gaskets, but its easier to use a brass brush for alot of it. Also don't wipe with a dry towel, use brake cleaner or whatever solvent.
I did a valve cover gasket on a 2002 5.9 magnum truck, I very frustrated because I obviously didn’t do a good job and I’d leaking. The rear on engine one can barely get your hands in there to even see in what condition out is. Can I also use RTV ultra Permatex black along with gasket? I’m not a mechanic, just learning as I go, any advise I can get from anybody is welcomed.
@@Gabriellariz what type of gasket is it? RTV, pressed tin, paper, composite, cork? And yes for cleaning rtv up nothing is quicker than brake cleaner and brass brush. It just melts off. Tapping paper gaskets gets them off pronto too
That’s an insane amount of RTV you had to put on there. I’m a professional mechanic and I’m afraid I might not have put enough on the first go-round either.
Some people get a little self conscious about revealing their mistakes, but at the end of the day we're all here to learn and grow. Thanks for sharing! Hopefully I can now avoid the same mistake when I change the valve cover gasket on my 2012 Ford Focus.
I use permatex for many years and doesn't wait for that 1 hour dry time Just torque everything to spec right away and let it dry , never have a problem
When I did mine, I made the same mistake. Mahle made a video about the Vortec intake gasket (which are notorious for failing) and cited "using too much rtv" as the number one mistake installers make. With that in mind, I used too little, and in the wrong spots. I've been putting off fixing it, but making quite the mess of my parking spot.
Yep, saw that in a few different videos too. It’s definitely good advice but being a perfectionist I took it a little too far and used about 1/4 of what it needed.
its what of those things you just got to experience. to much RTV gasket maker on a trans or diff rebuilt destroys them. To little on a intake causes a leak. Just got to experience it sometimes.
I recently had to repair a Rover K-series engine that someone used standard silicone sealant for the cam carrier. The excess had hardened and blocked oilways and damaged the hydraulic tappets. Anaerobic sealant is needed for anywhere it could get into oilways. Any excess doesn't harden and just mixes in with the oil
@@TheBlaert That's interesting.. I never thought about the adhesive needing to be anaerobic, or of it being a danger to oil circulation if otherwise. I have heard of mechanics who will only use clear silicone (although I've never seen an automotive clear RTV adhesive for sale anywhere).
Have these heads and block been decked before? If so it beings the intake manifold faces closer together, which makes the intake manifold sit higher in the valley, and makes a larger gap between the bottom of the manifold and the block. That would be why you had such a large gap and needed so much RTV.
You also want to run the gasket maker from the China walls onto the Felpro Gaskets that overlap The China Walls It will help seal the gap between The Manifold the gasket and the China Walls @1Road
My take: You used enough, coulda used a bit more on that thin strand, but either 1. You didn't tighten enough on the initial tighten that you sit to let it set up before the final tighten, or 2. your parts are so warped that there was a non-standard gap needing to be filled. The resulting smooshed bead was too tall. But using that monster bead, the inside of your front looks like the outside of your back, (8:25) If any of those formed individualized globules that fall off inside. . . major bumming (cussword) especially in the head oil routing, (yeah odds are it ends up in the oil pump intake and you don't notice, but it can get stuck in an oil restrictor and kill oil to an entire set of lash adjusters.) Maybe a step of like modeling clay in the gap to see if you're warped or what the smoosh will actually achieve when the parts are mated?
Ya, I saw those yuge beads and was thinking... man that would clog an pickup in a jiffy if I used that much on an oil pan. You shouldn't have a 1/4" gap to fill with RTV, that's the issue here.
In general also be mindful of where the extra hardening material is going to go when it squeezes out on the inside. For some gasket locations, like ones with tiny oil channels on the interior, this is worth paying attention to.
What you need is some 1/8"-1/4" hard cork to make the gaskets for either end of of the manifold. That is what the manuals used to specify back in the 70's. Then you can use a THIN coating of RTV on either side. Filling up the space with RTV is not the way to handle that.
At 10:35 you're using your torque wrench to torque to 10ftlbs in hopes of getting 35ftlbs. I only see an extension inline with the wrench, so your 10ftlbs is only giving you 10ftlbs. If the arm was longer, that's when you need to calculate the final torque. Or have I been doing it wrong?
i had my intake manifold put back on my motor and curing when i came inside and watched this video. after watching it, i had a bad gut feeling so i took off my manifold. come to my surprise i ran into the same issue. There was about a 1mm long spot that had no gasket material on it. long story short i cleaned, then reapplied the gasket maker and now praying it holds
After laying the intake gaskets down, the corner protruded ends of the gaskets lay on top of the gasket maker material. So the gaskets are bare in those corners. You should put a dab of gasket maker over each exposed corner of the gasket, to blend it in with the rest of your gasket maker application to make sure it is completely sealed on those ends.
I had to replace my whole oil pan recently, about 15 bolts just holding the pan. also a very tight squeeze getting it in and working under the car on jack stands was a real pain. I used enough gasket maker the first time but after letting it sit for the 24 hours I realized there was a little section inside the pan that was supposed to get gasket maker too that I forgot so I had to remove the pan and scrape all that gasket maker off again and redo the entire project. Just like you said now i go SLOW and make sure I'm taking my time and doing it right the first time so I don't have to go through that kind of mess again lol. Great video!
don't beat yourself up brother sometimes doing a job twice is a great learning experience. It looks like you did a hell of job the second time, nice work.
Most liquid gaskets wipe off with paint thinner and a shop rag. Paint stripper”aircraft stripper” worked on the Honda factory rtb. Scraping is a nightmare on these jobs. Thanks for sharing this video
As pitted as the coolant ports are, it’s a good idea to use rtv around the ports on the heads and intake manifold. In the meantime I would keep tabs on your oil & coolant cross contamination.
On the small block Chevy engine, the front and rear intake rails, the manifold was never designed to "sit" down to the block rail. A small rail gasket was typically used, that also had notches for the ends of the intake port gaskets. Traditionally, all you had to do was apply a bead of sealer where the rail gaskets and port gaskets met up. I didn't see you do it, but naturally as with any gasket sealer/maker, you wan to clean both surfaces with alcohol or brake cleaner to remove any oily residue, so that the RTV will stick. You also want to apply a higher bead of RTV at the ends/corners of the rails. After you're applied your bead to the front/rear rails (if no rail gaskets are present), you want to sit the manifold down and just hand thread the manifold bolts in-place. Do not tighten at this point. Let the assembly sit for an hour or so to allow the RTV to set up a little. Then, snug down and torque your fasteners. Let cure for the recommended period before operating the engine. Granted, nobody wants to perform work a second time, but I just can't characterize an SBC intake manifold gasket as a difficult job. First one I did was when I was 12-years old, on my first car. I do like how you explain things, but I wouldn't characterize this as a difficult task, as long as you made match-marks on the base of the distributor to the manifold, and then at the distributor rotor to a spot below it. If you've done that, it should be easy-peasy. Lastly, I was surprised at the amount of coolant that ran into the engine valley when you pulled the manifold, which made me question if you drained the coolant before starting the job? Kind regards, Terry
That Engine Could gain a bit more Reliability and Power if you grab a Electronic Distributor and a Holly sniper fuel injected Carb would give ya more power for towing @1Road
That's a pretty thick bead of rtv. When too much it will end up in the oil strainer. Always clean and double clean the surface. As a tech I will say this, too much rtv will become an oil restriction in the oil system. Specifically the strainer.
It's only a problem if you rush the job and put fluids in before everything is cured enough. If given the proper time, everything should be cured enough to not fall off into the oil pan or engine, depending on what you're sealing. If the sealant isn't dripping on the outside where it pushed out, then its not dripping on the inside. If everything is clean or new like it should be, even if it drips before curing, it will stay stuck to whatever it dripped on. If it dripped onto the inside of a clean/new oil pan, if you wait the proper curing time, it will cure on the inside of the pan, and you wont have to worry about it floating and being sucked into the engine.
You dunno what yoire talking about... yes too much on surfaces that TOUCH eachother could maybe possibly break apart.. but on an intake the front and back for a lot of engines have a huge gap between them and the block. You have to make a huge bead to fill the gap
I prefer using Loctite one minute black RTV. It sets up really quick so you have to work somewhat fast but it is a lot more oil resistant. It’s also a little bit more tacky to if your trying to hold a gasket in place while you set something like an intake without the gasket moving on you. The ultra gray is good but takes too long for me to set up. The one minute rtv is also better with high vibration high torque and high heat. Down side to it is if you have to take something back off the one minute is really tough. Sets up harder than the gray too
The gray rtv from international for the power strokes is some wicked stuff ,smokes that permatex all to heck. I think it's called t-442 and ya get what you pay for.
@@MrTheHillfolk i think they all copied the rtv chemistry from the japs. the honda bond, subaru, Yamaha, all were good stuff and it became the ones to try and copy, i found permatex grey to sorta copy the subaru and honda bond so that a selant locally found would substitute.
I have pretty much gone exclusively to “the right stuff” gasket maker in the pressurized can, it makes it sooo much easier to get the correct bead, as well as it is an excellent sealer material.
Tip for using those coin-type spark plug gap measuring tools. Us a pair of calipers to check the calibration. Some of the gappers are bare as-cast, and some are plated. I don't think they compensate for the plating. I've found some gappers are off by .010" from actual measurements (treating the caliper as "standard"). The gappers are still useful, you just need to know what to add/subtract to correct the scale on the gapper.
Better to not have enough than too much. Back in the 90s i worked in a machine shop and had to tear down hundreds of engines and you would be amazed at how muany times the oil holes and jurnels were cloged with rtv its worse than a cloged filter. Any time i have a intake like that i usually use great stuff instant and after hand tightening the bolts wait until the next day to tighten i used to use instant tub grey and black permatex but it doesn't dry as fast as its supposed to especially if its cold out. Good job on the intake!!!!!!
I did one years ago on a gen 1 350 prior to internet and the old guy that told me to use silicone I made the bead exactly like yours there only one thing he told me to different was to let it skin over first. So it didn’t all squeeze out all over the place. I still drive the same 350 once or twice a year it was my daily driver for years built motor at least 25 years ago still doesn’t leak at the intake manifold. But it does leak everywhere else. Hahaha great video.
Same thing happened to me ONCE on a chevy 4.3. I learned from that mistake and now make sure it is VERY clean absolutely no oil on the surface where the gasket maker goes and let it dry overnight.
I don't think I've ever seen that large of a gap between manifold and block before. That seems like about 3/32 or something. Sucks to have to redo, and I think you were right to be concerned about squish. So IMO, everyone should proably dry fit parts to ensure they know how much to apply.
The engine is designed to have a rubber or rubberized cork gasket there,but no one uses them because they always leak or blow out completely. No one uses them so gasket makers stopped providing them and just put a small tube of gasket maker in the kit.
im pretty sure its a big block. so its a small block just alot bigger. therefore the gap is alot bigger too. cork gaskets suck and sillycone is better as it doesnt just blow out one day and fill your engine bay with oil. even with the cork gaskets you still needed silicone but its just better to make it out of the same stuff.
@@chehystpewpur4754 It looked like a small block to me, most likely guessing 350 based on the vehicle it's in (looks l90s, which 5.7s were very common)). But I could be wrong, and I'm not sure it matters. I hadn't considered why there were none of the usual (or at least years ago the usual) black rubber/silicone gaskets for the front and rear of the manifold.
@@rimfire2642 the 7.4l 454 big block from the 90's looked exactly like the l31 vortec aside from the intake. valve covers and all just its an absolute chonker when you see them side by side. the intake is diff so im just guessing based on things.
I get jobs in often that are messed up by the owner. Leaks, fluids or vacuum, often appear after people fix things. Having a missfire is a common issue after repairs are done by owners. It usually boils down to either not cleaning the surface, using the wrong rtv, not torquing correctly, or not allowing enough cure time. I see rtv squeezed out everywhere pretty often. It doesn't matter how much you put on if you didn't clean the surface. Most people tell me they got it back together, put fluids in and went to work the same day. Why do you think auto shops have your vehicle for more than a day? They know it will spring a leak if the gasket maker doesn't cure. I use permatex 90min pretty often. It also states finger tight for an hr before torquing. It's the experience you may be paying for, not necessarily getting the work done. Any mechanic can replace a gasket. It's the ones that has did it 100 times who do it right the first time instead of having the vehicle back soon after the repair. Knowing the products and how to use them is pretty important. I use brake cleaner pretty often to clean surfaces. It is made to clean grease and fluids and evaporate quickly. No other cleaner gets grease off quickly and is cost effective. For the $5 I charge for the cleaner, every owner saves 100's if not 1000's.
Reminds me of the time in the 1980's I bought a water pump for my Fiat. That evening I discovered it came with no gasket. Not wanting to wait, I laid the gasket sealer on very thick, and hand tightened only, then let it set until the next day, when I tightened the bolts fully. It held!
ive had a few of these intakes off to say the least. i was able to pull off and put back on these guys in a few hrs tops depending on what i was doing for the repair. and i never had to remove one for oil leaks or coolant. one of the best things you can do when applying silicone sealant. put a big ole thick glob on. then go in circles with your finger smoothing it out and smearing it around. it should look like a nice weld a bunch or dimes stacked on eachother. i also put a ring of it around the coolant passages on the heads then put the gasket on so both sides of it get the silicone on it in the front and back. then one more ring of silicone around the coolant passages on the top of the gasket and set intake smoosh it around a little and start the bolts let it sit 5-10 mins till the outside gets a little tacky but doesnt come off on your finger when you touch it. you want it to have a skin but still be pliable and wet inside the skin. then torque it down. the last part of lettting it skin is almost as important as smearing it around neatly. no bubbles. the skin lets it compress before it squishes out so it really fills in the gaps instead of just push out. also when cleaning mating surfaces always try to scrape along the surface and not across. on the back of the motor i seen a gouge going from the lifter valley cavity to the outside of the motor. those can cause leak channels and may never seal. one of my friends learned that the hard way recently and created a fire hazard that leaked about 8 quarts of oil in an oil change interval.
I can tell you the best sealer there was which is FORD Liquid Neoprene which was bulletproof to seal and glue down anything. Shame you cannot buy it anymore. Also, make sure you use a small round carbide burr about 1/16 inch size to grove the middle of the RTV sealant which give it dome then to hold itself in place. Worked for me fella. Peace v
Just at it down and smooth it out. Works for an air/fluid tight seal on all of the jobs I’ve done and it prevents excess amount from forming into the case
Tip: Tech taught me a trick to get gaskets to stay put for assembly. 3M super 77 spray adhesive. Spray light coat on both gasket and surface, wait a moment for it to tack, then apply gasket. Word of caution, get the alignment right on first shot as this stuff sticks really good. Have done this many times since the early 90s' when he shared this tip. No more gasket squirting around at the slightest touch or gasket sliding down on a vertical surface etc.
Good camera work.. i view your stuff every few months or more when u pop up on phone while viewing car categories.l like your narration and you,like Scotty ,seem like a great guy ....thx for doing your videos
When it comes to pushrod V8s/V6s you need to set the intake manifold on the intake gaskets first to see what the gap will be between the block & manifold. THEN remove to lay your bead of gasket maker. Some engines will have 1/16" gap here while others have nearly 1/4" of gap. THAT gap dictates how much gasket maker uou use, using a huge bead every time is foolish because an excessive amount will go down into the valley of the engine.
I have used this method of just laying a bead of RTV down and its hit or miss no matter how you prep. The fel pro adhesive cork rail gaskets work much better, they dont move and are solid. Just add some rtv at the ends and a thin bead on top of the cork.
Great video! I would add a couple other small details that will help get a good seal on those difficult manifold ends: 1. After cleaning sand both the block and intake with sandpaper. 2. Apply a thin layer of RTV on the intake in addition to the thick layer on the block.
Bro, absolutely not, never under any circumstance use sandpaper, or Emery cloth on gasket surfaces, gasket surfaces are machine to a certain flatness, and a certain tolerance, using sandpaper, can absolutely destroy those tolerances, use a non-maring material removing disc. or a surface safe razor blade. you were only trying to remove the varnish, fats, and previous gasket making material you are not trying to remove any amount of metal.
If you need use rtv on component seams like…for example, a small block Chevy intake manifold…three options… use RTV on the four corners of seams. Wait a specified amount of time for the sealer to cure, then torque to spec. 2. with the appropriate cork gasket, use the cork gasket, apply RTV to to the seams and the entire top of the cork gasket. You can even apply RTV to the entire front and rear gasket service of those intake manifold. Make sure you apply a very large amount as you said in the video almost too much, finger tight the manifold, come back within the specified amount of time and torque the manifold. I recommend “Permax the right stuff black” don’t you dare use sandpaper.
And just what is so terrible about it? Nothing wrong with cleaning the end surfaces with a fine sandpaper. And yes don't be stupid and dish the surface out with sandpaper just lightly clean it up.
I’m honestly surprised that this guy didn’t know to put a nice caterpillar type bead of RTV on the China rails of a sbc when doing an intake/intake gasket replacement. Thats really humble of this man to not only post this an admit to a mistake but allow others who may not mess with engines all that much a chance of learning from his mistake so they don’t gotta learn the hard way but mistakes is how we learn but we should always minimize those mistakes as to not make them or at the very least so it’s not a catastrophic mistakes being made.
So surfaces have to be clean of no oil. I use "the right stuff" by permatex. And every intake I do, I make damn sure the pcv system is functioning properly!! Let's say there is a leak on the china rail. It's from splash oil. Not pressurized oil. So if there is a leak, with a pcv that is evacuating the crank case pressure like it should, then there would be a vacuum applied on that leak. Pulling air in and not allowing oil to come out said leak....... With modern cars and the wicked amount of blow by they all have, even new, we don't do much about the pcv system like we use too. Ever seen an engine that leaks from everywhere? Well, pressure inside the crank case is pushing the oil out. When the crank case should ve under vacuum and not allowing the oil to get out. Of course this does not take into fact about seepage when the engine is sitting.
So true on these PCV valves, no one, and I mean no one ever replaces, even the dealerships that may service the vehicle its entire life. Every used vehicle I have ever bought, the PCV is shot. I like older, well cared for high mileage vehicles, much easier to keep on the road then this garbage they are putting out today. My last new vehicle, 2017 Silverado, on a lease, the transmission leaked and the rear end had a mean clunk. I turned it in with ony 13,000 miles at the end of three years... Then Covid hit, not a car on the lot, I swore off new vehicles right then and there.
@@Steven-cs5cw yeah it's even worse these days as the pvc is integrated into the intake manifold or the valave cover. GM makes and engine that the crankshaft seal can whistle because of a bad pcv. The air gets sucked in the seal and it whistles......... If engines didn't have blow by, and hydrocarbons never entered the crank case, we would never have to change the oil. The faster the oil get black, the more in need of crankcase vacuum the engine needs. Aka, pcv!!
I remember on older engines like that the gasket set included a rubber gasket for the front and rear with rtv for the corners to fill any small gap at the ends of the rubber gasket.
To replace the intake gaskets on this small block Chevy is baby stuff. Try it on an FE Ford. Especially one that still has the cast iron 100 lb intake manifold. You have to remove the valve covers and the rocker arm shaft assemblies and the pushrods, along with the carb and distributor and whatever else is in the way of all that to get down to the block and cylinder head surfaces.
Felpro makes legendary intake manifold gaskets, as for "gasket maker" there's using it to seal something up, then there's "making a gasket" with the stuff, letting it skin up as opposed to not and when
Before starting a job like this, drain all the coolant and replace with water. Then, use a shop vac set to blow and push as much water as possible out of the intake (disconnect lower rad hose). Won't have to do an oil change because nothing should fall into the engine pulling the intake, and if a small amount does, it's just water and will burn off without damaging anything.
I have done this job many times for many years I put a 3/8 bead across and go up onto the intake gaskets just a bit and I spread a thin amount on the water ports with my finger
Before removing the manifold, 1) remove block water plugs 2) blow air through coolant ports on the manifold 3) using a wet/dry vacuum, suck anything that comes from the upper hose on the manifold. Chances you will not drop coolant anywhere
That sealing are has been a PITA on every small block engine I've touched. Almost made me want to fly cut the sides of the intake, just a few thousandths, to get that area to close down a bit more. But, I was afraid the ports wouldn't line up or I'd run into another issue so I never experimented with it...
6:45 After applying the generous bead of silicon give it 5 minutes to 'skin' before installing manifold. You also need a thin layer of silicon around the coolant ports, heads and manifold. I give the silicon at least 24 hours to dry before adding coolant. I also install my water pump this way, just silicon no gasket, works every time.
Here's An EPIC 4 Year BFG KO2 Tire Update In The Snow: ua-cam.com/video/niIG7e_wK8E/v-deo.html
This guy shouldn’t be working on engines
The Engine looks fantastic. An Amateur who cares about what they are doing will always exceed a professional who doesnt.
Did you see all the rusty water dumb out of the head. This is why we don't use tap water. If you can't even follow the most basic steps of owning a car (I know Americans use it for some reason shame) I don't think you really know how to use gasket maker for the general. But you know how to make it work for yourself. Without understanding the repercussions. Literally have my oil pan right in front of me there was no gasket on it disappointingly it wasn't leaking but there's lots of material on the inside. Made me feel not so good when there was none in the joint
Thread also keeps it from leaking. Should do a video on that.
It's amazing how much can be learned when mistakes are made and you maintain a positive demeanor.
Facts! L's aren't loses but lessons actually.
I'm amazed he put that little lol
Yep, his mistakes to our benefit.
Watching this video, someone (hopefully) will learn of this mistake before making it themselves ☝
That is so truthful!
I love any video that reminds me of my dad who's now gone... Replace the intake gas gets on an Oldsmobile and my old man went golfing. He gave me some advice etc. But like usual I was hoping he'd be over my shoulder. I did the work anyways thought I put the gaskets on pretty well. I started it, said "look dad I fixed it."
Coolant started spewing out a split second later 🤣🤣
"Yeah, now you gotta do it again! I'll show yah what you missed."
Didn't use enough gasket maker to hold the gaskets in place and they shifted when I installed intake.
When I ask my old man why he just didn't do it for me. The first time the right way... he explained. "You learn from making mistakes!"
Miss the hell out of him 😪
With your finger, smear a dab of gasket maker on both mating surfaces really thoroughly. That gets the gasket maker strongly bonded to the surfaces. Then place your bead. Then install the manifold.
This is essentially like putting glue on both mating surfaces, making sure its tightly bonded into the material on both sides. Then placing them together.
This method helps with this area more than most since as you install the manifold, there really isn't much mating presure applied to the gasket maker (since it would rather sqeaze out than crush tighly into place), but since you have already rubbed that thin smear of gasket maker thoroughly onto the block and manifold, once that bead lightly crushes into place, it bonds to those thin areas you rubbed in prior to install. Its 100% bonded tough to both sides the second they touch.
Pro tip. Thanks
The most important part before using liquid gasket is making sure the mating surfaces are prepped correctly. There can't be a single trace of oil. If you wipe the surface with a paper towel and it leaves a black smudge, the surface isn't clean enough. Then of course make sure you lay down a thick enough bead. Typically the service manual will give you an exact measurement of how large the bead should be if you aren't sure
I use brakleen or acetone to remove oil residue then smear a thin layer on both sides and let it cure for a bit before doing the bead, then let it cure completely after assembly.
@@AreaThirteenThirteen Brake clean works great to remove old sealant but it will give you a false sense of security. In my experience brake clean will leave a really thin film on aluminum surfaces for way longer than you would expect it to. Finishing the prep with a scotch brite pad works perfectly since you are effectively sanding off any leftover sealant or oil residue. You just have to be mindful of the dust
I’ve been a mechanic for 57 years full time
I still ruff up surface with electric engraver to help hold silicone in place
Just hate come back or leaks
If silicone says 12 hours to cue I double it
I find the best in my opinion, after removing old residues, clean the surface with Thinner, it doesn't leave traces.
another tip is to use a finger and smear a thin film of rtv on both clean surfaces before applying the bead of rtv to one side. this ensures the rtv will adhere to both surfaces rather than touch but not bond properly.
Been wrenching for 20 years, that's how I do it gotta make sure learned my lesson on a 7.3 oil pan 😂.
seems like i fit tacks up it should bond properly regardless??
This is the ONLY way to do it!
That makes a great difference and minimizes chance of a gob falling off during installation
I think the biggest problem here is that the gaskets on the intake are thicker than OEM, which is why you have such a big gap where you apllied the silicon gasket maker. For a normall sized gap/mating surface, the amount of silicone would have definitely been enough. So i think your conclusion at 4:35 is absolutely correct.
no, it's always got that gap on these engines. He keeps saying "more than you think you need...." Well, if you would have just looked at it when you took it off....or test fit it to check that gap, or anything other than assume you know what it needs, you would have seen the amount of space you had to fill. It's a thing. Just check that gap if you don't know. I like to see gasket squish out evenly all the way along the mating surfaces. But, I'd also use the Right Stuff, not the stuff in the package w the gaskets.
older small blocks used a rubber gasket on the front/back wall, hence the large gap, but you still needed a dab of RTV in the corners to prevent leaks. It's possible that they found the RTV to be more effective than the rubber gasket, or maybe it's simply cheaper
@@ckl8a i think its just cheaper. the old rubber gaskets would get brittle over time but i never had one leak.
Always humbling when can admit you didn't do something right or good enough. And it's nice to learn from a mistake. Appreciate you Jimmy
Haha, yep. Thanks! 👍
Prepping the surface is your most critical aspect. Absolutely no oil residue or anything else can be on the surface. Wipe multiple times with a solvent such as acetone, brake clean, starting fluid, or carb cleaner. Do not use mineral spirits as that dries it leaves a residue.
A narrow bead is fine but I always run two layers of bead, one on top of the other.
If you imagine your intake manifold as a V with a flat bottom. It MUST seal on the V sides against the heads. Since there's no real adjustment on the sides of the V, the manufacturer made clearance on the flat bottom to ensure the sides properly mate with the heads and seal. As you stated, gasket thickness is also a major factor in the bottom gap. This is the one place where a tall thick bead needs to be used. This is completely different than sealing a thermostat housing for example where only two surfaces are involved, there you need to use a thin bead. Otherwise, the sealant will intrude into the internals. Great video!
The same exact thing happened to me a little more than a month ago. Another mistake I made was starting the vehicle too soon to purge the air out of the coolant system. I gave the RTV 48 hours to cure the second time.
I approach this with the same logic as you. Hey you live and you learn. At least you had a positive attitude and made a video for others to learn from.
I've never waited for my front covers or oil pans to cure 24 or 48 hours and I've never had a leak 😅
Good information.. The vacuum created by just turning the engine over a time or two can potentially ruin the seal.
@@jjunderwood4095same, bolt it together, start it up. Shops aren't letting a car occupy a bay for 24 hours to allow it to cure
"Right Stuff " costs more but it's benefit is a faster working time.
The first time I installed an intake gasket set was on a Chevy 327 many years ago.
At that time they were still supplying rubber end gaskets in the hasket sets. Using silicone was the new thing back then. I wasn't sure how much to put on, so with all surfaces clean, I set the two gaskets in place then layed the manifold in place to actually see in my mind how large the end gaps were. I'm a visual person so seeing how big the gaps were told me how much silicone was needed.
This time around, you put on exactly the right amount. A tad to much is better than a tad too little.
If there's a little too much squeezing out, its never going to get brittle and "flake" off inside the manifold and clog anything up.
I think it was big mistake to do away with the rubber gasket in a place that was designed with a gap that was made large enough to accommodate one. It should have the rubber and a small amount of sealant at the corners.
*I went from owning a buick lesabre to owning an acura RSX - to owning a K1500 (1998) and subaru impreza (2005),* the biggest thing i noticed between japanese cars and american cars was the gaskets, specifically honda/acura uses this stuff called "honda bond" -it works every. single. time. (just a pain to get off) -i actually use the stuff anytime something calls for "gasket maker" unless its high heat.
the other thing i wanted to say is that
1. honda parts usually mate way closer than whats seen in the video, i've literally never seen something not squish a bead that big down nearly flat
2. regardless of how smashed the rtv gets, the two mating surfaces need to be cleaned very well, always wipe dry with paper towels
No person starts off out of the starting gate a master/pro/expert at this stuff.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.
Really appreciate you showing the reality of how DIY projects don't always go smoothly, but we learn from our mistakes, and move on.
Im no mechanic and it sucks having to redo a job like this. But at least you're able to do it and learn from your mistake. I sure did! Great job!
An intake manifold is one job you need RTV silicone for sure, as a proper vacuum is needed for function and efficiency (just like the heads). I don't know personally which silicone is best, as every mechanic seems to have their favorite that they believe is best. Nice re-do and thanks for showing us, Jimmy!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🤙
I use ONLY the gray silicone for this purpose. It is much more robust that the orange, blue or black.
@@x-man5056no it’s not. Ultra Black/ The Right Stuff, is the most robust RTV you can get. And that’s not an opinion, that’s a fact
@@95roadie Incorrect
According to a test performed by Project Farm, the black RTV from Mopar is the best. It is significatly better than the gray stuff from Permatex which I used to use.
Always use black silicone when your working with oil. Dont let it skin. Put the silicone on, put the parts together, and torque them down. Those old lt1 blocks are some of the worst to do. I did my camaro twice in one day once because i forgot a ⅝ wrench in the lifter Valley.
The funny thing about mistakes is that it sticks with you and you remember it forever.
Its been a while since Ive seen a mechanical distributor.
Good job.
When I worked for a GM dealership as an auto tech they recommended using a healthy amount of the RTV Ultra Black and it comes in a "squeeze cheese" canister so you don't have to squeeze the toothpaste style tube. Run the RTV about an inch and a half up the head BEFORE you put the intake gaskets down. I did my GMC Sonoma 4 years ago and she's still dry. I've done literally hundreds of these intake reseals. All the front wheel drive vehicles AND the 3rd Gen LT's used plastic intake gaskets which are junk and very susceptible to breaking and leaking. Mainly because it's stupid but sometimes from over torquing. Happy wrenching.
I wish you were in Co!❤😮
I’m glad you mentioned too much sealant, during the torque sequence of the manifold. When I was a mechanic I discovered so many vehicles with clogged or partially clogged engine oil sump screens with pieces of silicone and other debris from the assembly line.
And that is exactly why I never use silicone sealant anywhere on an engine where it may migrate into the oil system. I call that crap no more skill.
The pro application in the thumbnail is excessive
@@stupidbird4U It's needed still in some situations. On honda's, a bit is needed on mating surfaces between two parts, like your cam towers in the front and back of the head where the valve cover gasket seats, and the mating surface of the oil pan between the oil pump and engine block (and iirc, the rear main seal plate) if you don't use it, you'll never seal in those locations since it's a meeting point between two different parts. You can't get away from it no matter what due to how the engine is assembled.
I suspect it's caused more by rushing the job and not allowing a full and proper cure time. Also not using clean or new parts. For example, a new or well cleaned oil pan, given proper cure time even with too much sealant should be fine. If the sealant drips, it's not cured. If it drips into the inside of the oil pan and oil is added, then yes, the oil will float the sealant and the pickup tube will get clogged. If you don't rush, the dripped sealant will cure on the inside of the oil pan and not come off when you add oil back. Lots of places do the bare minimum, including waiting on cure time. That is more than likely the main culprit. Also more sealant means a longer cure time. Best case scenario is if you can let it cure overnight or longer.
Dude it isnt just silicone. Cork can do it too. Ive taken oil pans off 50 year old engines where the cork broke apart in the valve covers and oil pan and clogged 90% of the pickup.
You should have used a center punch every 1/2 inch on the front and rear mating surfaces to give the rtv/gasket something to grab on to.
Protip: since those were basically new parts, You could have easily as well reused those felpro intake gaskets if someone was in a pinch and in your shoes and couldn’t find them in stock by the time you reopen the engine to reseal the rtv for a second time
I hate RTV its garbage and a crap way to get a leak proof seal. I use form a gasket and a quality gasket.
@@GregariousAntithesis If you follow the directions and allow up to 3 hours before starting the engine, RTV holds extremely well. Use an adequate amount and you won't have issues.
@@kurtangusofficial fuk that garbage. I will continue to use anaerobic sealant like permatex form a gasket that never leaks.
So like if you use a thick bead of rtv? What would you do if a lot of it squished out inside your engine? How do you remedy this problem or and even ends up in the oil pan as a result of heat cycles
Put a nice thick bead on let it set a while then set manifold on put all bolts in with fingers let set a bit more so silicone starts setting up then torque bolts to specs
WOW, I was wondering when I watched the first time about that thin layer of sealer... now we both know. Sorry you had to learn that the hard way but, think of how many guys (like me) you saved from having to do it twice! I was excited to see the intake video since I have a slight leak on the front of my manifold. Unfortunately, that job will have to wait until I recover from rotator cuff surgery. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise I got hurt because I was going to do this job on my '99 K2500 Suburban (7.4L) and would have followed your video and ended up in the same boat. It takes a honest person to show their mistakes on YT. Thanks for sharing, can't wait to see what's next.
Thanks for being humble and sharing your learning experience. It gives us DIYer's the confidence and positivity needed to learn!
10 years as a mechanic another thing you can do is use studs to set the intake/ keep it from sliding/ hold gasket in place, install a few bolts remove the studs and reinstall factory bolts torque to spec.
You should also apply a thin layer of rtv on the other mating surface and make sure to use brake clean or equivalent to fully clean surfaces
This is exactly what just to me. I can’t thank you enough for your suggestions. I’ll be doing my 93 LT1 intake manifold gasket again.
I see my mistakes thanks to your video. Especially the part where u wait before torque sequence and of course liberal amount of gasket sealer.
THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION. I always liked using gaskets. One time I had to use form a gasket and was concerned about it as you were. Also, when putting in new spark plugs I use a piece of neoprene hose and put it on the top of the plug and screw it in by hand then I'll use the wrench to tighten it down. I always use the air compressor and blow around the plug then use a shop/vac to suck out any debris before pulling the plug.
This video is completely wrong. If you use the amount of RTV this guy uses you will destroy your engine due to oil starvation. Only a very thin bead is needed. If you use the amount this video suggests it will squeeze out into the internal side of the engine and will eventually break off and enter your oil ways. Be warned.
Bro gtfoh people use rtv in racing applications I think the mf rtv will do fine like it's been doing for my thermostat for the past 90,000 miles.🤡🤌🏾
@@toxicity6629the brown hand says all we need..
@@jodiehighroller9820which is?
Yes it is too much.
Not on old FE engines. Putting a thin bead on the back and front of the manifold would be a huge mistake and you are going to find yourself ruining multiple gaskets pulling that 1000 pounds manifold on and off because it won't stop leaking due to "conventional" advice.
@1ROAD I applaud your willingness to show your mistake on camera, and to jump right back in and fix it right. One side note, check your PCV system. If the crankcase is over pressurizing due to a clogged or stuck PCV valve, then these RTV seals will see a lot of pressure, and they are the weak spot in the system. They could blow out and cause another oil leak issue. Just a heads up.
I know people talk about "scraping" gaskets, but its easier to use a brass brush for alot of it. Also don't wipe with a dry towel, use brake cleaner or whatever solvent.
I did a valve cover gasket on a 2002 5.9 magnum truck, I very frustrated because I obviously didn’t do a good job and I’d leaking. The rear on engine one can barely get your hands in there to even see in what condition out is. Can I also use RTV ultra
Permatex black along with gasket? I’m not a mechanic, just learning as I go, any advise I can get from anybody is welcomed.
@@Gabriellariz what type of gasket is it? RTV, pressed tin, paper, composite, cork?
And yes for cleaning rtv up nothing is quicker than brake cleaner and brass brush. It just melts off. Tapping paper gaskets gets them off pronto too
@@Gabriellarizmake sure both mating surfaces are flat. Use long flat sanding block on the manifold if not to reduce the clearances and make it uniform
That’s an insane amount of RTV you had to put on there. I’m a professional mechanic and I’m afraid I might not have put enough on the first go-round either.
Some people get a little self conscious about revealing their mistakes, but at the end of the day we're all here to learn and grow. Thanks for sharing! Hopefully I can now avoid the same mistake when I change the valve cover gasket on my 2012 Ford Focus.
Honesty and patience (with yourself) in DIY is crucial. Otherwise we’d all give up after the first stuff up.
I use permatex for many years and doesn't wait for that 1 hour dry time
Just torque everything to spec right away and let it dry , never have a problem
When I did mine, I made the same mistake. Mahle made a video about the Vortec intake gasket (which are notorious for failing) and cited "using too much rtv" as the number one mistake installers make. With that in mind, I used too little, and in the wrong spots. I've been putting off fixing it, but making quite the mess of my parking spot.
Yep, saw that in a few different videos too. It’s definitely good advice but being a perfectionist I took it a little too far and used about 1/4 of what it needed.
its what of those things you just got to experience. to much RTV gasket maker on a trans or diff rebuilt destroys them. To little on a intake causes a leak. Just got to experience it sometimes.
Mahle makes decent gaskets though that’s for sure
I was aghast when I seen oil passages in your lower intake manifold, definitely adds a extra dynamic to a repair that uses sealants. Great content!
I recently had to repair a Rover K-series engine that someone used standard silicone sealant for the cam carrier. The excess had hardened and blocked oilways and damaged the hydraulic tappets. Anaerobic sealant is needed for anywhere it could get into oilways. Any excess doesn't harden and just mixes in with the oil
@@TheBlaert That's interesting.. I never thought about the adhesive needing to be anaerobic, or of it being a danger to oil circulation if otherwise. I have heard of mechanics who will only use clear silicone (although I've never seen an automotive clear RTV adhesive for sale anywhere).
Have these heads and block been decked before? If so it beings the intake manifold faces closer together, which makes the intake manifold sit higher in the valley, and makes a larger gap between the bottom of the manifold and the block. That would be why you had such a large gap and needed so much RTV.
Good catch. No matter the application, this is a good all-around lesson on being meticulous with your car 👍
You also want to run the gasket maker from the China walls onto the Felpro Gaskets that overlap The China Walls It will help seal the gap between The Manifold the gasket and the China Walls @1Road
Don't be so hard on yourself Jimmy.Making mistakes is how we learn not to do things....😁👍👍Nice job, even if you did do it twice...👊
Good to see you keeping yourself busy after Family Ties finished.
My take: You used enough, coulda used a bit more on that thin strand, but either 1. You didn't tighten enough on the initial tighten that you sit to let it set up before the final tighten, or 2. your parts are so warped that there was a non-standard gap needing to be filled. The resulting smooshed bead was too tall. But using that monster bead, the inside of your front looks like the outside of your back, (8:25) If any of those formed individualized globules that fall off inside. . . major bumming (cussword) especially in the head oil routing, (yeah odds are it ends up in the oil pump intake and you don't notice, but it can get stuck in an oil restrictor and kill oil to an entire set of lash adjusters.) Maybe a step of like modeling clay in the gap to see if you're warped or what the smoosh will actually achieve when the parts are mated?
Ya, I saw those yuge beads and was thinking... man that would clog an pickup in a jiffy if I used that much on an oil pan. You shouldn't have a 1/4" gap to fill with RTV, that's the issue here.
I agree. He used far too much sealant for the second repair.
Does nobody use a flat reference and sand down the surface with a sanding block? That’s what I was going to do
@@KollynJ yeah right sand on a open block. too many computer mechanics for me.
Yep clog oil passage type bead and boom bam, motor is blown
In general also be mindful of where the extra hardening material is going to go when it squeezes out on the inside. For some gasket locations, like ones with tiny oil channels on the interior, this is worth paying attention to.
What you need is some 1/8"-1/4" hard cork to make the gaskets for either end of of the manifold. That is what the manuals used to specify back in the 70's. Then you can use a THIN coating of RTV on either side. Filling up the space with RTV is not the way to handle that.
At 10:35 you're using your torque wrench to torque to 10ftlbs in hopes of getting 35ftlbs. I only see an extension inline with the wrench, so your 10ftlbs is only giving you 10ftlbs. If the arm was longer, that's when you need to calculate the final torque. Or have I been doing it wrong?
I did my 01 Taco 3.4 valve covers twice, valve cover plugs and half moons are not an option.
i had my intake manifold put back on my motor and curing when i came inside and watched this video. after watching it, i had a bad gut feeling so i took off my manifold. come to my surprise i ran into the same issue. There was about a 1mm long spot that had no gasket material on it. long story short i cleaned, then reapplied the gasket maker and now praying it holds
After laying the intake gaskets down, the corner protruded ends of the gaskets lay on top of the gasket maker material. So the gaskets are bare in those corners. You should put a dab of gasket maker over each exposed corner of the gasket, to blend it in with the rest of your gasket maker application to make sure it is completely sealed on those ends.
I had to replace my whole oil pan recently, about 15 bolts just holding the pan. also a very tight squeeze getting it in and working under the car on jack stands was a real pain. I used enough gasket maker the first time but after letting it sit for the 24 hours I realized there was a little section inside the pan that was supposed to get gasket maker too that I forgot so I had to remove the pan and scrape all that gasket maker off again and redo the entire project. Just like you said now i go SLOW and make sure I'm taking my time and doing it right the first time so I don't have to go through that kind of mess again lol. Great video!
Thats how we learn, what if we gave up every failed repair attempt, I wouldnt have a car. We learn and grow..nice job!
don't beat yourself up brother sometimes doing a job twice is a great learning experience. It looks like you did a hell of job the second time, nice work.
Does anyone use 4 headless bolts as alignment guides for placing the manifold or does the geometry not work for this application?
Most liquid gaskets wipe off with paint thinner and a shop rag. Paint stripper”aircraft stripper” worked on the Honda factory rtb. Scraping is a nightmare on these jobs. Thanks for sharing this video
As pitted as the coolant ports are, it’s a good idea to use rtv around the ports on the heads and intake manifold. In the meantime I would keep tabs on your oil & coolant cross contamination.
We've all been there. Lesson Learned! Good job Jimmy.
On the small block Chevy engine, the front and rear intake rails, the manifold was never designed to "sit" down to the block rail. A small rail gasket was typically used, that also had notches for the ends of the intake port gaskets. Traditionally, all you had to do was apply a bead of sealer where the rail gaskets and port gaskets met up.
I didn't see you do it, but naturally as with any gasket sealer/maker, you wan to clean both surfaces with alcohol or brake cleaner to remove any oily residue, so that the RTV will stick.
You also want to apply a higher bead of RTV at the ends/corners of the rails.
After you're applied your bead to the front/rear rails (if no rail gaskets are present), you want to sit the manifold down and just hand thread the manifold bolts in-place. Do not tighten at this point. Let the assembly sit for an hour or so to allow the RTV to set up a little. Then, snug down and torque your fasteners. Let cure for the recommended period before operating the engine.
Granted, nobody wants to perform work a second time, but I just can't characterize an SBC intake manifold gasket as a difficult job. First one I did was when I was 12-years old, on my first car. I do like how you explain things, but I wouldn't characterize this as a difficult task, as long as you made match-marks on the base of the distributor to the manifold, and then at the distributor rotor to a spot below it. If you've done that, it should be easy-peasy. Lastly, I was surprised at the amount of coolant that ran into the engine valley when you pulled the manifold, which made me question if you drained the coolant before starting the job?
Kind regards, Terry
That Engine Could gain a bit more Reliability and Power if you grab a Electronic Distributor and a Holly sniper fuel injected Carb would give ya more power for towing @1Road
That's a pretty thick bead of rtv. When too much it will end up in the oil strainer. Always clean and double clean the surface. As a tech I will say this, too much rtv will become an oil restriction in the oil system. Specifically the strainer.
It's only a problem if you rush the job and put fluids in before everything is cured enough. If given the proper time, everything should be cured enough to not fall off into the oil pan or engine, depending on what you're sealing. If the sealant isn't dripping on the outside where it pushed out, then its not dripping on the inside. If everything is clean or new like it should be, even if it drips before curing, it will stay stuck to whatever it dripped on. If it dripped onto the inside of a clean/new oil pan, if you wait the proper curing time, it will cure on the inside of the pan, and you wont have to worry about it floating and being sucked into the engine.
You dunno what yoire talking about... yes too much on surfaces that TOUCH eachother could maybe possibly break apart.. but on an intake the front and back for a lot of engines have a huge gap between them and the block. You have to make a huge bead to fill the gap
My first time using this to seal an intake manifold looked exactly like the "after" photo.
Can get longer bolts same tread cut off heads use them to guide intake & hold gaskets also. I do that also for transmissions to guide it in
I prefer using Loctite one minute black RTV. It sets up really quick so you have to work somewhat fast but it is a lot more oil resistant. It’s also a little bit more tacky to if your trying to hold a gasket in place while you set something like an intake without the gasket moving on you. The ultra gray is good but takes too long for me to set up. The one minute rtv is also better with high vibration high torque and high heat. Down side to it is if you have to take something back off the one minute is really tough. Sets up harder than the gray too
The gray rtv from international for the power strokes is some wicked stuff ,smokes that permatex all to heck.
I think it's called t-442 and ya get what you pay for.
@@MrTheHillfolk i think they all copied the rtv chemistry from the japs. the honda bond, subaru, Yamaha, all were good stuff and it became the ones to try and copy, i found permatex grey to sorta copy the subaru and honda bond so that a selant locally found would substitute.
I have pretty much gone exclusively to “the right stuff” gasket maker in the pressurized can, it makes it sooo much easier to get the correct bead, as well as it is an excellent sealer material.
Victor reinz в баллоне , решает. Согласен. Никаких проблем с ним.
No way !!!I just watch your video yesterday and now you have start over wow!
Tip for using those coin-type spark plug gap measuring tools. Us a pair of calipers to check the calibration. Some of the gappers are bare as-cast, and some are plated. I don't think they compensate for the plating. I've found some gappers are off by .010" from actual measurements (treating the caliper as "standard"). The gappers are still useful, you just need to know what to add/subtract to correct the scale on the gapper.
Better to not have enough than too much. Back in the 90s i worked in a machine shop and had to tear down hundreds of engines and you would be amazed at how muany times the oil holes and jurnels were cloged with rtv its worse than a cloged filter. Any time i have a intake like that i usually use great stuff instant and after hand tightening the bolts wait until the next day to tighten i used to use instant tub grey and black permatex but it doesn't dry as fast as its supposed to especially if its cold out. Good job on the intake!!!!!!
When building up that much I use a center punch and I put 10-12 dimples in the block and intake “S” turns. Gives it a little extra to grip on.
I did one years ago on a gen 1 350 prior to internet and the old guy that told me to use silicone I made the bead exactly like yours there only one thing he told me to different was to let it skin over first. So it didn’t all squeeze out all over the place. I still drive the same 350 once or twice a year it was my daily driver for years built motor at least 25 years ago still doesn’t leak at the intake manifold. But it does leak everywhere else. Hahaha great video.
Same thing happened to me ONCE on a chevy 4.3. I learned from that mistake and now make sure it is VERY clean absolutely no oil on the surface where the gasket maker goes and let it dry overnight.
I don't think I've ever seen that large of a gap between manifold and block before. That seems like about 3/32 or something. Sucks to have to redo, and I think you were right to be concerned about squish. So IMO, everyone should proably dry fit parts to ensure they know how much to apply.
The engine is designed to have a rubber or rubberized cork gasket there,but no one uses them because they always leak or blow out completely. No one uses them so gasket makers stopped providing them and just put a small tube of gasket maker in the kit.
@@3rdpig That's a fair point. I do recall the rubber seals being pretty touchy.
im pretty sure its a big block. so its a small block just alot bigger. therefore the gap is alot bigger too.
cork gaskets suck and sillycone is better as it doesnt just blow out one day and fill your engine bay with oil.
even with the cork gaskets you still needed silicone but its just better to make it out of the same stuff.
@@chehystpewpur4754 It looked like a small block to me, most likely guessing 350 based on the vehicle it's in (looks l90s, which 5.7s were very common)). But I could be wrong, and I'm not sure it matters. I hadn't considered why there were none of the usual (or at least years ago the usual) black rubber/silicone gaskets for the front and rear of the manifold.
@@rimfire2642 the 7.4l 454 big block from the 90's looked exactly like the l31 vortec aside from the intake. valve covers and all just its an absolute chonker when you see them side by side. the intake is diff so im just guessing based on things.
I get jobs in often that are messed up by the owner. Leaks, fluids or vacuum, often appear after people fix things. Having a missfire is a common issue after repairs are done by owners. It usually boils down to either not cleaning the surface, using the wrong rtv, not torquing correctly, or not allowing enough cure time.
I see rtv squeezed out everywhere pretty often. It doesn't matter how much you put on if you didn't clean the surface. Most people tell me they got it back together, put fluids in and went to work the same day. Why do you think auto shops have your vehicle for more than a day? They know it will spring a leak if the gasket maker doesn't cure.
I use permatex 90min pretty often. It also states finger tight for an hr before torquing. It's the experience you may be paying for, not necessarily getting the work done. Any mechanic can replace a gasket. It's the ones that has did it 100 times who do it right the first time instead of having the vehicle back soon after the repair.
Knowing the products and how to use them is pretty important. I use brake cleaner pretty often to clean surfaces. It is made to clean grease and fluids and evaporate quickly. No other cleaner gets grease off quickly and is cost effective. For the $5 I charge for the cleaner, every owner saves 100's if not 1000's.
Great video! Virtually all real learning comes from mistakes! Never give in!!! You are a Winner, for sure!!!
Reminds me of the time in the 1980's I bought a water pump for my Fiat. That evening I discovered it came with no gasket. Not wanting to wait, I laid the gasket sealer on very thick, and hand tightened only, then let it set until the next day, when I tightened the bolts fully. It held!
Also putting another bead on top of the edges of the gaskets that meet the China wall will also help @1Road
ive had a few of these intakes off to say the least. i was able to pull off and put back on these guys in a few hrs tops depending on what i was doing for the repair. and i never had to remove one for oil leaks or coolant. one of the best things you can do when applying silicone sealant. put a big ole thick glob on. then go in circles with your finger smoothing it out and smearing it around. it should look like a nice weld a bunch or dimes stacked on eachother. i also put a ring of it around the coolant passages on the heads then put the gasket on so both sides of it get the silicone on it in the front and back. then one more ring of silicone around the coolant passages on the top of the gasket and set intake smoosh it around a little and start the bolts let it sit 5-10 mins till the outside gets a little tacky but doesnt come off on your finger when you touch it. you want it to have a skin but still be pliable and wet inside the skin. then torque it down. the last part of lettting it skin is almost as important as smearing it around neatly. no bubbles. the skin lets it compress before it squishes out so it really fills in the gaps instead of just push out. also when cleaning mating surfaces always try to scrape along the surface and not across. on the back of the motor i seen a gouge going from the lifter valley cavity to the outside of the motor. those can cause leak channels and may never seal. one of my friends learned that the hard way recently and created a fire hazard that leaked about 8 quarts of oil in an oil change interval.
Bro we have all been there. Thank you for your humility and persistence!
China Walls on the Block always seals better with Black RTV 1/4 Bead Works the best @1Road
I can tell you the best sealer there was which is FORD Liquid Neoprene which was bulletproof to seal and glue down anything. Shame you cannot buy it anymore. Also, make sure you use a small round carbide burr about 1/16 inch size to grove the middle of the RTV sealant which give it dome then to hold itself in place. Worked for me fella. Peace v
Such a clean Old Rig so nice to see A well taken care of Truck @1Road
Just at it down and smooth it out. Works for an air/fluid tight seal on all of the jobs I’ve done and it prevents excess amount from forming into the case
Tip: Tech taught me a trick to get gaskets to stay put for assembly. 3M super 77 spray adhesive. Spray light coat on both gasket and surface, wait a moment for it to tack, then apply gasket. Word of caution, get the alignment right on first shot as this stuff sticks really good. Have done this many times since the early 90s' when he shared this tip. No more gasket squirting around at the slightest touch or gasket sliding down on a vertical surface etc.
Good camera work.. i view your stuff every few months or more when u pop up on phone while viewing car categories.l like your narration and you,like Scotty ,seem like a great guy ....thx for doing your videos
When it comes to pushrod V8s/V6s you need to set the intake manifold on the intake gaskets first to see what the gap will be between the block & manifold. THEN remove to lay your bead of gasket maker. Some engines will have 1/16" gap here while others have nearly 1/4" of gap. THAT gap dictates how much gasket maker uou use, using a huge bead every time is foolish because an excessive amount will go down into the valley of the engine.
Smear it on with a finger wait about 15 minutes till it's tacky bolt it up. Ultra black is what you want
I have used this method of just laying a bead of RTV down and its hit or miss no matter how you prep. The fel pro adhesive cork rail gaskets work much better, they dont move and are solid. Just add some rtv at the ends and a thin bead on top of the cork.
Great video! I would add a couple other small details that will help get a good seal on those difficult manifold ends: 1. After cleaning sand both the block and intake with sandpaper. 2. Apply a thin layer of RTV on the intake in addition to the thick layer on the block.
Bro, absolutely not, never under any circumstance use sandpaper, or Emery cloth on gasket surfaces, gasket surfaces are machine to a certain flatness, and a certain tolerance, using sandpaper, can absolutely destroy those tolerances, use a non-maring material removing disc. or a surface safe razor blade. you were only trying to remove the varnish, fats, and previous gasket making material you are not trying to remove any amount of metal.
If you need use rtv on component seams like…for example, a small block Chevy intake manifold…three options… use RTV on the four corners of seams. Wait a specified amount of time for the sealer to cure, then torque to spec.
2. with the appropriate cork gasket, use the cork gasket, apply RTV to to the seams and the entire top of the cork gasket. You can even apply RTV to the entire front and rear gasket service of those intake manifold. Make sure you apply a very large amount as you said in the video almost too much, finger tight the manifold, come back within the specified amount of time and torque the manifold. I recommend “Permax the right stuff black” don’t you dare use sandpaper.
Terrible advice
@@timothyquimbycorrect
And just what is so terrible about it? Nothing wrong with cleaning the end surfaces with a fine sandpaper. And yes don't be stupid and dish the surface out with sandpaper just lightly clean it up.
I’m honestly surprised that this guy didn’t know to put a nice caterpillar type bead of RTV on the China rails of a sbc when doing an intake/intake gasket replacement. Thats really humble of this man to not only post this an admit to a mistake but allow others who may not mess with engines all that much a chance of learning from his mistake so they don’t gotta learn the hard way but mistakes is how we learn but we should always minimize those mistakes as to not make them or at the very least so it’s not a catastrophic mistakes being made.
So surfaces have to be clean of no oil. I use "the right stuff" by permatex.
And every intake I do, I make damn sure the pcv system is functioning properly!!
Let's say there is a leak on the china rail. It's from splash oil. Not pressurized oil. So if there is a leak, with a pcv that is evacuating the crank case pressure like it should, then there would be a vacuum applied on that leak. Pulling air in and not allowing oil to come out said leak.......
With modern cars and the wicked amount of blow by they all have, even new, we don't do much about the pcv system like we use too.
Ever seen an engine that leaks from everywhere? Well, pressure inside the crank case is pushing the oil out. When the crank case should ve under vacuum and not allowing the oil to get out.
Of course this does not take into fact about seepage when the engine is sitting.
So true on these PCV valves, no one, and I mean no one ever replaces, even the dealerships that may service the vehicle its entire life. Every used vehicle I have ever bought, the PCV is shot. I like older, well cared for high mileage vehicles, much easier to keep on the road then this garbage they are putting out today. My last new vehicle, 2017 Silverado, on a lease, the transmission leaked and the rear end had a mean clunk. I turned it in with ony 13,000 miles at the end of three years... Then Covid hit, not a car on the lot, I swore off new vehicles right then and there.
@@Steven-cs5cw yeah it's even worse these days as the pvc is integrated into the intake manifold or the valave cover. GM makes and engine that the crankshaft seal can whistle because of a bad pcv. The air gets sucked in the seal and it whistles.........
If engines didn't have blow by, and hydrocarbons never entered the crank case, we would never have to change the oil. The faster the oil get black, the more in need of crankcase vacuum the engine needs. Aka, pcv!!
I remember on older engines like that the gasket set included a rubber gasket for the front and rear with rtv for the corners to fill any small gap at the ends of the rubber gasket.
Great explanation on noting the thickness of the gasket has to be taken into account. Well done
To replace the intake gaskets on this small block Chevy is baby stuff. Try it on an FE Ford. Especially one that still has the cast iron 100 lb intake manifold. You have to remove the valve covers and the rocker arm shaft assemblies and the pushrods, along with the carb and distributor and whatever else is in the way of all that to get down to the block and cylinder head surfaces.
Felpro makes legendary intake manifold gaskets, as for "gasket maker" there's using it to seal something up, then there's "making a gasket" with the stuff, letting it skin up as opposed to not and when
Before starting a job like this, drain all the coolant and replace with water. Then, use a shop vac set to blow and push as much water as possible out of the intake (disconnect lower rad hose). Won't have to do an oil change because nothing should fall into the engine pulling the intake, and if a small amount does, it's just water and will burn off without damaging anything.
I have done this job many times for many years I put a 3/8 bead across and go up onto the intake gaskets just a bit and I spread a thin amount on the water ports with my finger
Before removing the manifold,
1) remove block water plugs
2) blow air through coolant ports on the manifold
3) using a wet/dry vacuum, suck anything that comes from the upper hose on the manifold.
Chances you will not drop coolant anywhere
That sealing are has been a PITA on every small block engine I've touched. Almost made me want to fly cut the sides of the intake, just a few thousandths, to get that area to close down a bit more. But, I was afraid the ports wouldn't line up or I'd run into another issue so I never experimented with it...
6:45 After applying the generous bead of silicon give it 5 minutes to 'skin' before installing manifold.
You also need a thin layer of silicon around the coolant ports, heads and manifold.
I give the silicon at least 24 hours to dry before adding coolant. I also install my water pump this way, just silicon no gasket, works every time.