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Got an oil leak kicking my ***! It's coming from the front of the intake.
I have replaced the intake gasket twice.
Both times I didn't use the cork strips that came in the set. I just used
black RTV.
It's a 400 with a super victor intake and dart pro 1 heads.
I'm using the felpro 1206 gasket set which is what DART recommends.
jeff
__________________ 1964 Chevy II 2 door sedan 406
1969 Camaro SS X66 396 #'s matching
Do you have the block drilled to help hold the rtv?
This will help, but is a hair-raising experience if you really don't want to f-up your block. I've had good success using a center punch to make divots in the cast iron... its just enough to give the RTV something to catch on.
Oh... another thought - did you have your heads milled to increase compression? If so, did you have the intake milled to compensate?
I have a bunch of oil issues as well. Did a bunch of replacing gaskets, etc, etc. Do you run any kind of crankcase ventilation? Excess will push oil out of everywhere if there is enough no matter how good your seal.
I use laquer thinner to clean the mating surfaces and have never let the silicone skin over. Never had a leak. Are you sure it's from the manifold? Isn't there an oil galley pipe plug in front of the manifold, above the timing cover? I can't remember. Dave
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"Are you the hunter, or the prey?"
You know there was another post about this not so long ago and most said to NOT let the RTV skin over and that it needed to be wet per say to stick to the parts. Assemble before skinning over and let set for a while then tighten to form a preload on the RTV.
I too am following close because I have a very small leak on my intake also, only the rear and not the front.
If you just have a small leak on the intake, front or rear, and know that it is coming from there, clean it with carb cleaner or laquer thinner and make sure it's dry. Then squirt some silicone in the spot that's leaking. Let it dry and get on with it. It's not a high pressure spot if you run breathers. Then when you take the engine out some other time, fix it correctly. Plus, I don't start the engine for 24 hours after I used sealer. Give it time to dry. Dave
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"Are you the hunter, or the prey?"
You know there was another post about this not so long ago and most said to NOT let the RTV skin over and that it needed to be wet per say to stick to the parts. Assemble before skinning over and let set for a while then tighten to form a preload on the RTV.
EXACTLY!!! For anything that I use RTV or silicon on I completely dry both surfaces. I use acetone. Then lay the bead down and set the mating part down as soon as I can. So it hits the wet bead. I dont let it compress the bead much, just a lil squeeze, just to where both surfaces are in compleate contact with the wet bead of RTV. If I need to shim a part cause its so heavy that it will totally compress the bead I used shim sticks to hold up the heavy part. I dont do just engines. Some of the stuff I seal are pretty heavy.
Once the bead of silicon (ok, RTV) is set up I clamp it all down. And when I say set up I like to give it as much time as I can afford. A day, two days, heck, a week if I have the time.
This letting it skim up for one side just doesnt make ANY sense. Why would anyone want the bead to adhere nice and solid with a wet seal on one surface but not want it to be the same on the other surface?? Never made ANY sense to me. Nope, wet bead on both sides.
If you let both surfaces get a good seal on the wet bead, then let the bead stiffen up with time you are creating a solid O ring of sealer.
You wont get any squish out of liquid sealer to contaminate the oiling system and you have a solid connection on BOTH surfaces.
Ive never had a failure doing it like that. Cant rush the silicon gaskets. Do it correctly and they will last a long time.. JR
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What I write is opinion, none of it is factual.
EXACTLY!!! For anything that I use RTV or silicon on I completely dry both surfaces. I use acetone. Then lay the bead down and set the mating part down as soon as I can. So it hits the wet bead. I dont let it compress the bead much, just a lil squeeze, just to where both surfaces are in compleate contact with the wet bead of RTV. If I need to shim a part cause its so heavy that it will totally compress the bead I used shim sticks to hold up the heavy part. I dont do just engines. Some of the stuff I seal are pretty heavy.
Once the bead of silicon (ok, RTV) is set up I clamp it all down. And when I say set up I like to give it as much time as I can afford. A day, two days, heck, a week if I have the time.
This letting it skim up for one side just doesnt make ANY sense. Why would anyone want the bead to adhere nice and solid with a wet seal on one surface but not want it to be the same on the other surface?? Never made ANY sense to me. Nope, wet bead on both sides.
If you let both surfaces get a good seal on the wet bead, then let the bead stiffen up with time you are creating a solid O ring of sealer.
You wont get any squish out of liquid sealer to contaminate the oiling system and you have a solid connection on BOTH surfaces.
Ive never had a failure doing it like that. Cant rush the silicon gaskets. Do it correctly and they will last a long time.. JR
Both ways will work, as will putting the sealer on and bolting manifold down right away...I prefer the slight skin method-ive worked with hundreds of people who did this hundreds of ways-
two things always remain the same, Very clean surfaces and using enough rtv.
"help" oil leak!
It's coming from the front of the intake.
.
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