15 replies to this topic

[135SoHc]

318-2bbl the gaskets are the metal crush type. Service manual mentions using some chrysler sealant which I searched for a reference online and found nothing. Instruction slip in the box from felpro says to coat both sides of the gasket with 'blue gasket sealer'.  Are they refering to hylomar ?  Came with a little tube of RTV but not this blue gasket sealer they mention.

[dana44]

Remember that gaskets, especially steel gaskets, will squish amost all the sealant out between two surfaces. I don't really care what anyone says, I always take blue Permatex RTV and smear it onto the surfaces very thin film, no beads, no thickness to it, just a smear, and at the corners where the head and the block meet, a pea sized dallop in all four of these corners, again, a smear on both sides of the cork gaskets. If you bolt the manifold down and get more than pinheads little bits at the seam, you are too thick.The only engine gasket I don't seal is one within the engine, such as the oil pump if there is a gasket there. Also, all the manifold bolts go into oil open areas, so if you wipe RTV sealer about three threads from the bottom of the bolt before you install them, oil won't collect on top of the intake manifold.

[135SoHc]

So rtv it is then.

I hear you on the bolts. I do not believe any of them had sealant applied and were a contributing factor to this engines leaking problems. That and all of the washers were grade nothing and every single one of them was cupped and looking like a belleville washer.

[dana44]

It took me a while to figure out why the top of the engines were always greasy and bone dry valve cover area. My mentor always said, when something is wrong, determine if the results are because of a problem or part of a symptom. Figured wet oil all the way up the threads and under the washer was the problem, greasy dirty top of the intake manifold was the symptom, and a lack of sealant to keep the oil out was the repair. Clean the bolt holes, as in Q-tip and degreaser, wash the bolts and make sure they aren't greasy, either. Putting the RTV on the threads three above the end prevents the sealant from making its way into the engine oil pump screen and galleries, the extra forms a little extra sealant below the flat washer so it isn't messy.

[ImperialCrown]

Most RTVs won't hold up where gasoline is involved. It will dissolve. A fuel-resistant aerosol gasket sealant for engine assembly is best and what is called for in the service manual.
Mopar makes a brand of this. They also make a teflon thread sealant.

[135SoHc]

God that was painful. Got the manifold positioned into place, gave the end gaskets a double check and then proceeded to torque down the bolts. Front cork gasket being a pos decided to push its way out just ever so slightly but by the time I caught it the manifold was down tight and I said f-it and proceeded onwards. Broke one of the barbs off of the vacuum ported switch that controls the EGR valve, amazingly enough autozone could get the right one and for $20 I went ahead and ordered it. Ordered a couple bs parts from rockauto to have as spares.

If either end decides to leak its getting redone with RTV and nothing else.  Oh and I believe that I did crack the block where the oil pressure switch tower threads into it, or it was already cracked and I just noticed it. Wonderful....  

[dana44]

Gotta do a torque sequence very slow with them, all down by hand first, then down to light (20lb-ft), then 30lb-ft), then 35lb-ft. Start in the middle, do an X from side to side, then one back each side, then end one each corner. Remember, beause it is a large peice of flat metal pulling outward at an angle, they can be a little tedious.

[135SoHc]

I did torque it down in the proper procedure. It was just being a turd and the whole situation was aggravated because of how heavy that dang thing is. It slid back slightly and that set everything else up to be 'difficult'. I didnt put anything on a scale but that cast iron manifold easily weighs as much as a 2.2 head with both manifolds attached and the camshaft installed. I should have used the engine crane through the p-side door to control it.

Ported vac switch came in from autozone, really nice suprise it was made in the USA and had a little pentastar molded into it along with the stencil stamping just like the original... not bad. All the felpro gaskets were nice and suprisingly exactly what they should have been.

[dana44]

By chance were the roll pins for the cork gaskets still in the block? Sometimes they get pulled out or discarded, and that will let the cork gaskets slip out of place, or even squish out.

[TWX]

I'm a big fan of aftermarket aluminum intakes.  If this procedure is ever necessary again, the Edelbrock #3776 is their normal small-block aluminum spread-bore intake, and the #2176 is the same but with out EGR.

There was also the Edelbrock SP2-P, which was a four barrel performance intake for a 318.  I found one in a junkyard once on a D350 dually.  A buddy of mine is going to hop up a 318 in an A-body with it some day.

[135SoHc]

dana44, on February 8, 2012 at 01:52 pm, said:

By chance were the roll pins for the cork gaskets still in the block? Sometimes they get pulled out or discarded, and that will let the cork gaskets slip out of place, or even squish out.

Those were long gone.

TWX, on February 9, 2012 at 09:45 am, said:

I'm a big fan of aftermarket aluminum intakes.  If this procedure is ever necessary again, the Edelbrock #3776 is their normal small-block aluminum spread-bore intake, and the #2176 is the same but with out EGR.

There was also the Edelbrock SP2-P, which was a four barrel performance intake for a 318.  I found one in a junkyard once on a D350 dually.  A buddy of mine is going to hop up a 318 in an A-body with it some day.

I looked at getting an aluminum intake but those were all for the 4bbl carburetors.

[dana44]

They are there for just this reason. Hard to listen to a complaint when something isn't right. Not ragging on you, by the way, but that was the reason you had the problem.

[135SoHc]

I know. Going into it I figured those missing would come back to bite me but I had to try it anyways...    was also coming to the point of not wanting to spend another $30 on a 4ft stick of bar stock just to use 2" off the end making new dowel pins. Cutting off a bolt head and pounding that in would have worked as well but thats not my style.

Got the last things buttoned up today and after fixing a few oops in the spark plug wires it came to life again. Starter got put through its paces getting that cold blooded thing to fire off (yes I did let it cool off between bursts)

[dana44]

Good to hear she is back on the road.

[ImperialCrown]

Usually with aftermarket, those end-piece locating roll pin/dowels are plastic and come with a new intake gasket set. Without them the end pieces will push out and leak.

[135SoHc]

The direction sheet said to use some felpro gasket tack product if the dowels were not present, they dont even give you dowels anymore. I used some indian head gasket dressing (looks like tar) and so far no leaks. If I'm feeling bold and up for the punishment I'm going to drop the oil pan and change the rear main again in a few weeks... one step at a time maybe she'll stop leaking