you are all right and thanks for the soothing words
one day later i calmed down a lot alright. called buddy and he said: "don't worry. i'll sent wolf. we'll pull the car over to me and we'll redo it. no problem". kinda similar what you're all saying. it's just that i nearly didn't drive the car all summer because of tranny and rearaxle changeover and no it's starting to go lalu at the other end.
I used silicone front and back but it's all my fault for being ignorant enouh to not torque the bloody scerw. it's the first time i did it on a V8. on 4cyls i never needed to torque them... stupid me.
Now as things couldn't get any better my girlfriend had a minor crash this morning on ice. I'm going to collect her an dcar things are probably off until next year as I'm in Germany next week and then busy with christmas. maybe I should ask santa for a set of AFR165s ...

so questions are: can I leave the car like that for a month with the gunk?
i got an intake gasket set from a buddy, but they are felpro 1262 instead of 1250. they have a bigger port. any harm to install them or should I order 1250s?

as for the Guinness: how much more can the world drink of that stuff??? you know the coca cola ad with all the christmas trucks? that's what it looks like over here. just that they are all black and gold ... :-)

Kalli

 

Kalli, I could tell you about some of my mistakes, but it would be too embarrassing and take too long. The thing that I always try to keep in mind is, it can always be worse. Just think of those 165's, the timing is right.

 

the gaskets you have will work fine. make sure you torque em down this time LOL, and you'll see that after they are all torqued you'll be able to go back over other bolts again and again and again until they are all actually right. 15/18 lbs should be great.

use a thin layer of permatex on both sides of the intake gasket where the water ports are in the front and back. some people also use a thin layer around each intake port but you dont have to do that. i would suggest some weatherstripping adhesive in a couple spots between the head and the gasket just to hold them in place so they dont move when you bolt the intake back down.

much love for ya kalli, it'll be all good

*edit*

might be the perfect time for santa to bring you a new cam

 

Did I mention the first start on my $20k GT40 engine where I forgot to add oil? How about when I installed the engine tranny in my Studebaker street rod and forgot to torque and loctite the flex plate? Or how about...

Wow, I am afraid to think about all the gaffs, but one thing is for sure. They all eventually ran great and had few problems. Hang in there, this too shall pass.

 

This is the technique I use to install intakes. Used it for years and never have a problem. Using 4 studs to align the intaking coming straight down (need the dist removed) keeps the front and read valley mating straight and avoids any leaks there.

It's a bit tedious but it is bulletproof.

http://www.mustangsteve.com/intake.html

 

hehe .. .some of those posts made me smile.
will think about cam and heads. but the car will be sitting until January. i won't have time and i am not doing it in a rush ...
and thanks a million for ideas and that link. will do it like that. looks more promising

 

one note I didn't see anyone mention. If you live in an area that freezes, I would get the water and oil out before you take a break. Last thing you want is a cracked block from frozen water.

 

Oh ya, I have my share of dumb moves too, like forgetting to put the drain plug back in after an oil change, turning a piston 180 with mark backwards, etc, etc. We're all guilty. Take a break, and collect your thoughts, then jump back in.

 

hey fakesnakes, did i mention i want to have your GT40's babies?

please tell me you drive that thing on the street.... pleeeeease!!!

 

Water in the oil for short duration is seldom a show stopper. In the past I have milked trucks through busy periods by pulling the oil plug every morning, draining off the water till oil started coming out, replaced the plug and used the damn thing all day. Not that I wanted to do this but circumstances dictated it. I have don this a few times, for as long as two or three months, and / or thousands of miles with no real problems...

This being the case, I doubt you have done any real damage to your car, and if your head gasket(s) are blown it was probably just time, and had nothing to do with your manifold installation. change the intake gaskets, change your oil and give it a whirl... chances are everything is ok.

For what it is worth I have never torqued a manifold either, and even if it is a head gasket, these can usually be "patched up" (cleaned up and new gaskets installed) when the budget dictates.

I can see with the parts situation that this problem would suck more in Ireland, but it should not be a huge pain in the *** to fix up once you line up your parts/gaskets...