I am getting leary of aluminum intakes

[junkyardjeff]

It first started when I bought a used intake for the 302 that is in my 65 custom 500 that turned out to be junk so I bought a new aluminum intake and the motor started using oil,now the aluminum intake that came on the 460 that I installed in my 66 F250 is leaking and causing a big vacumn. I never had any issues with cast iron intakes and thinking about going back to one on the 460,I think the oil using issues with the new intake I installed on the 302 is from the Mr gasket gaskets supplied with the installation kit I got from Jegs. Are there any special gaskets that need to be used with aluminum intakes or will a good name brand gasket set do just fine.

[wayne petty]

well..

and this is just an FYI...

i rarely install an intake manifold without using various sealers on it...

usually grey oxygen sensor safe silicone around the openings in the gasket..   grey as its closer to the color of the intake..

i have also used hylomar around the coolant passages..

i set the intake on.. get all the bolts started... but not touching yet..

i start at the center of the intake and work slowly back and forth.. in an X pattern working again back and forth in ever larger X patterns till i get it snug.. then i go around with my torque wrench at the lowest setting...  again in an X pattern...

then i bring it up 5 pounds at a time.. going thru each bolt .. then again .. .

this usually requires 3 laps of the bolts with the torque wrench..

starting at the middle. the X pattern pulls it down square..

i know that you have done this.. there are members who are learning from this..


i have seen mechanics use an air ratchet or a 3/8 impact to tighten the bolts down..  doing one side first.. then the other.  then complaining the intake gaskets are leaking..

on aftermarket aluminum intakes.. i have also taken to using a thin coating of the grey ultra silicone..   this is because i have run into some corrosion issues behind the gaskets on the manifold face..  i apply this just before i install the intake so its still wet against the gasket faces..


in addition.. when the intake comes off.. be sure to examine the IMPRESSION of the intake gaskets..  are they evenly compressed .?  or is one side crushed and the other not...

[junkyardjeff]

I tried to tighten the bolts from the center out but no change,I think there were at least 4 studs from the factory and will get them so the gasket wont move. This motor has always had a rough idle since I bought it so the intake has been leaking probably since it was installed and found the leak by spraying carb cleaner. Whoever installed the intake used the rubber ends and could they possibly warp the intake.

[enjenjo]

I tried to tighten the bolts from the center out but no change,I think there were at least 4 studs from the factory and will get them so the gasket wont move. This motor has always had a rough idle since I bought it so the intake has been leaking probably since it was installed and found the leak by spraying carb cleaner. Whoever installed the intake used the rubber ends and could they possibly warp the intake.

Yes, most definitely.

[Arnold]

well..

and this is just an FYI...

i rarely install an intake manifold without using various sealers on it...

usually grey oxygen sensor safe silicone around the openings in the gasket..   grey as its closer to the color of the intake..

i have also used hylomar around the coolant passages..

i set the intake on.. get all the bolts started... but not touching yet..

i start at the center of the intake and work slowly back and forth.. in an X pattern working again back and forth in ever larger X patterns till i get it snug.. then i go around with my torque wrench at the lowest setting...  again in an X pattern...

then i bring it up 5 pounds at a time.. going thru each bolt .. then again .. .

this usually requires 3 laps of the bolts with the torque wrench..

starting at the middle. the X pattern pulls it down square..

i know that you have done this.. there are members who are learning from this..


i have seen mechanics use an air ratchet or a 3/8 impact to tighten the bolts down..  doing one side first.. then the other.  then complaining the intake gaskets are leaking..

on aftermarket aluminum intakes.. i have also taken to using a thin coating of the grey ultra silicone..   this is because i have run into some corrosion issues behind the gaskets on the manifold face..  i apply this just before i install the intake so its still wet against the gasket faces..


in addition.. when the intake comes off.. be sure to examine the IMPRESSION of the intake gaskets..  are they evenly compressed .?  or is one side crushed and the other not...

  Ford 360/390(and the others in that series).
They went "X" # of miles and they started leaking at the back,bottom of the intake on the horizontal seal between the heads.
 The better seals were supposed to work better as they had little rubber pins in them.And another type of seal that had groves cut in it lengthwise.
They didn't work any better.

  When I played around with them I used to just throw that seal away.
I cleaned the intake and other surfaces really,really good.Then I cleaned them again with lacquer thinner. Then I would run a really good bead of slicone..and some extra in the corners. I would let this skin over and harden a bit.

 That leak issue was over.

 Aluminum intakes..aluminum parts. Yes the stuff does rot/corrode.
Bad pours/finishing etc. can show up up as porous castings a long time later. I had a 4L80 leak through the case(porous) in 2011..and that was in a 1994 G30. You could see how porous it was and fractured.
I could be wrong on this but doesn't bad a/f really attack aluminum too?

  Aluminum..I heard that the new F150 is going to be 750 lbs lighter because of a drastic increase in aluminum use.

[58 Yeoman]

I must have hit it lucky with the Edlebrock on the '58, never leaked.  BUT...I hated trying to keep it looking nice, so I painted it orange to match the engine.  Problem solved.

[wayne petty]

I tried to tighten the bolts from the center out but no change,I think there were at least 4 studs from the factory and will get them so the gasket wont move. This motor has always had a rough idle since I bought it so the intake has been leaking probably since it was installed and found the leak by spraying carb cleaner. Whoever installed the intake used the rubber ends and could they possibly warp the intake.

its not the gasket moving...    its the way the bolts are first tightened...  you are tightening 3 sides into 3 sides...

\\_____//

if you get one side pulled into the gasket unevenly.. you will set the whole thing in an an angle and the darn thing is going to LEAK...

depending on the shape of the splash shield under the intake. you might be able to use one of these..  MS96018 felpro intake PAN gaskets..  that are used on Heavy duty applications .. there is a different newer version for propane applications also.. i don't know what the difference is yet..

the pan shields the oil in the lifter valley from the exhaust heated crossover passage...  prevents the oil from burning on the bottom of the intake.. also reduces oil consumption in my thinking..

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/fpr/MS96018/image/4/

[Harry]

I've heard of people getting rid of the rubber seals at each end, using a centre punch to stake the block, then a thick bead of the proper silicone.
Let the silicone harden a bit then bolt the intake down.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I've seen more cracked aluminum aftermarket intakes on Ford than other brands.

years ago , i had two 390 FE engines in one year into my shop with cracked aluminum intakes. Both were Edelbrock as I recall

One fellow disagreed with me because he had the intake welded when the engine was built.  All tests pointed to cracked intake.  He agreed to buy the new  intake, I would install. IF the problem was not gone, I did not get paid labor.        I was paid labor, the new intake fixed the dead / weak cylinder problem.

[nzsimon]

don't tighten the bolts till the next day give the silicon a chance to set or you just squeeze it all out