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  1. #1

    Default 5.0 lower intake manifold gasket question....

    This is kinda dumb, but want to be sure.

    Pretty sure I am loosing a small amount of coolant from the intake at the rear of the engine. Coolant levels go down slowly, and I have a small amount of smoke coming from the rear of the engine. Planning on the next month to do an exploratory surgery on it by removing the upper and looking.

    However....if I go ahead and replace the gasket on the lower....I know to clean everything, and surface prep is key. Then....do I put silicone, then the gasket, then MORE silicone before installing the lower? Or....just silicone, then the gasket, then the lower?

    Thanks guys!

  2. #2

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    Ha, am I right? Stupid question???

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ruskiegunlover View Post
    Ha, am I right? Stupid question???
    Not sure what this was all about, but...

    Normally, you only put some silicone in the area between the heads and the block, where the two gaskets come together.

    You could use a THIN layer of silicone on the block surface under the front/rear gaskets, mainly to help hold things in place as you put it all together, but no need to go crazy with it on top.
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  4. #4
    FEP Senior Member
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    I don't typically use anything on the gaskets that go on the heads unless as mentioned you need something to help hold them in place. I don't recall if SBF intake gasket sets come with cork or rubber end seals. A lot of people leave those out and just lay down a bead of RTV on the front and back China walls (are we still allowed to say that?) and call it a day. If you do use the cork or rubber end seals then you definitely need a blob of RTV at each corner where they meet the gaskets on the heads. The key is to bring the manifold down as straight as possible so you aren't moving stuff around trying to get it in place.
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  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by KevinVarnes View Post
    The key is to bring the manifold down as straight as possible so you aren't moving stuff around trying to get it in place.
    Back when I spent more time with the V8s, I had an old set of intake bolts that I cut the heads off of (or a longer stud of the same thread) and threaded into a couple opposing mounting holes to act as guides when dropping the intake into place on the block.
    83 TC "Clone"
    85 Marquis LTS
    86 LTD Wagon

  6. #6

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    I was just making fun of myself above, sorry!

    Really appreciate you guys. So on the intake, I can put silicone on block between heads, and use only the gasket on the area of the heads where the intake attaches?

  7. #7

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    If you're not using guide studs, like mentioned above, putting a little bit on the block wall to keep the gasket in place as you drop the intake down is fine. No need to use much more than that.
    83 TC "Clone"
    85 Marquis LTS
    86 LTD Wagon

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