should there be a small space (enough room for the rubber piece to wiggle) between the rubber strip-gasket and the intake manifold at either end of the intake?i put in the valley pan and intake gasket correctly (i think) and tightened the intake down. Am i missing a piece, or should this rubber thing be moving? it is right on the ends where it overlaps the intake gasket and valley pan. any clues?o No:
Has your block been decked and heads milled? If so, there should have been machine work done to compensate for that. That might be why you have what might be too much of a gap. I believe that JW told me he doesn't use any RTV on the intakes. It doesn't appear to be any on my motor he just built. Of course that's him, I doubt that I could get a leak free intake without RTV! Brian :grin:
If there is a gap between the rubber end seals of the intake and the block, you have too much gap, it will leak. The rubber end seals should have some compression on them. You say you put in the valley Pan and the intake gasket correctly, which intake gasket are you using? The factory style gasket is reffered to as a valley pan gasket. Jim Burek
Or if you bought the intake used, it may have been machined for a motor that had the heads milled and block decked. I am not sure how to check that, Maybe Jim Burek or Jim Weise can tell you how to check for that. I am just giving you a possible scenerio, you may already know all of this! Brian
Hey on a side note, where can I get the rubber end seals? I don't imagine this is a part I can reuse when I put on my new manifold. Does TA carry them?
ok. the block and heads are stock. the intake is a brand new edelbrock performer. the rubber seals that go on the front and back of the block inbetween the block and the intake came with the intake. (sorry Trevor i dont know where to get replacements) i didnt use and RTV on the intake gasket, which is what i call the two gaskets, which go on either of the heads and outline the intake ports. i put the gaskets under the valley pan, which is under the intake, and tightened it down. however, even when torqued, the seals at either end still wiggle and are too loose to seal up with RTV. So whats my deal?? -Charlie
If I read this right, your using composition type intake gaskets, and a valley pan? Or, do you have the splash pan that AMP and others sell, and your calling that a "Valley pan"? A valley pan gasket was used by the factory, between the iron heads and the iron intake. It went around the ports, and fit snugly across the lifter valley. It is a one piece deal used with the two rubber end seals. Most of us use paper type (composition) gaskets with aluminum intakes, that is I assume the "two gaskets that outline the ports" that you reffered to. A picture is in order here, but I am still at the shop, and coincidentally just finished bolting an intake on a 464. Dial up here so pics are not a happening thing..
Did you use both composite gaskets AND the intake valley pan (w/o cutting it for use with separate composite gaskets)? You said that you put the intake gaskets under the valley pan. When those composite intake gaskets are used along with the valley pan, the valley pan needs to be notched so they don't overlap.
im so confused. if im using these paper gaskets that go with aluminum intakes, which i think i am, then i should cut the splash pan so that they arent both under the intake? exactly where do i cut the splash pan? -Charlie
The valley pan also doubles as an intake gasket. Don't use the paper ones that came with the intake AND the valley pan. That's why you have a gap, you've got the intake stacked up to high. Just lay the valley pan down on the heads, (theres tabs molded into the pan that hold it down in place while you put the manifold on) run some RTV over both black rubber end gaskets and into the corners and alittle around the four water ports on the pan, set the manifold very carefully down onto the heads and that should take care of your gap problem. Rick Or you can do it steves way
The original setup was just that metal pan for an intake gasket. The "paper" gaskets is something that is new(er). But, by using the paper gasket, you will still need a valley pan to keep the hot oil of the intake, and also keep the PCV valve from sucking oil. There are a couple of ways, that I know of, to do this. You can either cut the original pan, like this: http://www.taperformance.com/howto.htm Or, you can get the AMP aftermarket pan that hangs on the front and rear rails. Also, some people modify the original pans and attach them to the underside of intakes. It's pretty much up to you how you want to do it. People have used those metal valley pans with aluminum intakes for years. One of the problems with them has to do with ported heads and intake manifolds. You can't open them up like you can the composite gaskets to match the ports.
ok, so it is either the pan OR the paper gaskets with a pan that doesnt touch the heads. which one will make a better seal? to just use the metal pan sounds easier, but does it seal well? -Charlie
If you use both, and trim the pan, there will still be contact at the heads. If you look at the picture I linked above, the outside edges still contact the head (the black shaded portion of that photo is the valley pan when used in combination with the composite gaskets). I've only swapped intakes on two different motors. Both times I used the pan and had no problems. With my current heads and intake, there has been a lot of work on the intake side of the heads and the intake. So I had to order the composite gaskets so that I can open them up to fit. With your stock(?) setup, I'd probably just stick with the pan. The end rail gaskets should be nice and snug then.
I just changed my intake gasket (old one leaked, audibly) and used the valley pan stocker. Fairly easy / straightforward, except for the thing kept trying to slip and pop loose from its preformed indentations when I was trying to lower the intake down on top it. :af: Definitely helps to have a buddy help, though it's not impossible alone. :TU: :TU: And remember to torque in the order specified in the shop manual, from the middle part of the intake outward to the ends, alternating between driver and passenger sides. :Smarty: There should be a picture in the shop manual that actually numbers the sequence of bolts to tighten. Good luck! :beer
