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the weatherstripping adhesive is a great way to keep the gaskets from moving around. a couple dabs and it will stay put. also, i ALWAYS use a thin layer of permatex around the water jacket opening on both sides of the gasket - and i've seen people use thin layers around the intake ports too if they are having trouble getting a proper seal.
p.s. ive been reading for hours upon hours on this whole procedure and i am unclear on 1 question
about the black rtv around the water ports
so I apply the black rtv around the water ports directly to the head and in doing so will this black rtv also act as an adhesive to hold the gasket to the head while the manifold is dropped into place using long studs???
or do i apply this thin black rtv layer around the water ports at the head as well as on the blue side of the gasket???
If there is any corrosion around your water ports it will help, coolant will seep between the gasket block and intake after a while and will scuzz up the sealing surfaces, this just helps to seal it out a little better. I smear a thin coat on pretty much everything to tell you the truth. Do it right and you'll do it once.
please help! is this clean enough??? the stuff remaining does not come off unless you scratch into the manifold and it is gasket material the surface is smooth
am i going to have leaks if i try because i do not want to have to do this again!
Start with a gasket scraper, then use some carb cleaner and a wire brush to get everything off of the sealing surfaces. Use brake cleaner afterwards to get it nice and clean. There especially can't be any oil on the front and rear sealing surfaces.
Cut the heads off four long bolts and thread them into the corners of the heads to act as guides for the intake. This keeps the intake from slipping and pushing the RTV end seals around.
Once everything is clean and ready to go, lay down a medium-sized bead of RTV on the front and rear seal surfaces, adding a bit more at the corners for added sealing protection.
Smear a very thin layer around each water port on both sides of each gasket (not on the head/intake surfaces). Immediately place the gaskets on the heads (don't forget the crossover blockoffs, the little do-dads you were asking about), drop the intake on, and torque everything down.
Make sure you use the proper torque and torque sequence. 18-20ft-lbs should be fine. Too much torque and you'll actually deform the intake and cause vacuum leaks in the lifter valley (been there, done that). You'll have to run through the torque sequence multiple times as the gaskets compress.
If you're using standard Ultra Black RTV, let it dry for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The water ports will dry quickly, but the thicker front and rear seals will take longer. If you're using The Right Stuff gasket maker (what I'd recommend), you can fire it up as soon as you get it bolted together. The downside with The Right Stuff is you have to work faster with the thin layers on the water ports.
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Tad H.
'67 Fastback
331 stroker
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