340 intake gasket replacement guidance

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71DodgeDemon340

71DodgeDemon340

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Hey guys. So my edelbrock intake has started leaking between it and the head

958889A3-4121-4BF0-BDB1-3F7A34E0C8EC.jpeg



im gonna go ahead and pull the intake and reseal it and do the valve covers as well.

first off what gaskets do you guys recommend? Also i know the china walls need rtv so i plan on using the permatex grey. Any tips or tricks on removal and installation?

Anything to look for while pulling the intake? Anything to be careful of? Also does the distributor have to come out or can it stay on? It looks like the intake would clear but kinda hard to see back there. Thanks for all the help
 
Did you put sealer on the threads when you installed it? Coolant passage there.
Distributor can be left in place
 
Before you re-install it is a good idea to put a thin coat of RTV around the coolant passages on the heads then lay on the gasket. Sometimes there is corrosion on the heads around that area. Can't hurt to do the same on the intake. I have heard that most do not use the cork gasket on the two ends of the china walls. Better to just use some good RTV. I have used RTV ultra Gray and it has been fine for me.
 
RTV Ultra Gray is high strength and is very, very good. Where you have aluminum heads, use Felpro 1213 intake gaskets and as stated, smear Ultra grey around the water port edges on the head and manifold both. I would dry check manifold fitment without gaskets, too. Use the cork end rail gaskets during that phase (that's the only thing they're good for, use RTV for final installation) to see how much clearance you have between the head and intake flanges. I have seen instances where two pairs of gaskets are needed for a tight fitment. If you have to double up a pair of 1213s, skim coat the sides without neoprene printo-seal with Ultra Grey and a body filler squeegie, let them skim over, and stick them together. That puts neoprene to both flange surfaces. Even then, I still like a skim coat of ultra grey around the water passages, especially with all aluminum.
 
So no gasket sealer or rtv around the intake ports correct? Im embarrassed to say this is the first time taking a small block mopar intake off, ive done plenty of plastic ones at work lol
 
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71DodgeDemon340 said:
So no gasket sealer or rtv around the intake ports correct? Im embarrassed to say this is the first time taking a small block mopar intake off, ive done plenty of plastic ones at work lol
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No. I am actually installing an intake on my 360 Magnum build this weekend.
Garrett nailed it in post 4. Not sure if you have them but I would also remove the head gasket tabs by the china walls that hold the intake gaskets in place. I used a sharp chisel on mine. Be careful to hold onto them as you cut them off!!!!!! Pre fit everything but you should be good since you are doing an R&R.
 
Here you go. They wind up using the cork ends even though they say not to. They also had issues with the intake bolt holes lining up but this was a new build.
won't effect you.

 
JoePole1 said:
Not sure if you have them but I would also remove the head gasket tabs by the china walls that hold the intake gaskets in place. I used a sharp chisel on mine. Be careful to hold onto them as you cut them off!!!!!!
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Hey Joe, thanks on mentioning the head gasket tabs! Not only did I forgot about those, and also the end rail dowels. Make sure those are out of the block, too.
 
Skim coat of RTV. And PermaTex thread sealer on any intake manifold bolts that aren’t blinded. I’m thinking the edelbrock heads have blind intake bolt holes, but it’s been long enough that I’ve held a set that I don’t recall at the moment.
 
Garrett Ellison said:
Hey Joe, thanks on mentioning the head gasket tabs! Not only did I forgot about those, and also the end rail dowels. Make sure those are out of the block, too.
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ill look and post pics when i get it apart. Probably start on it next week. They may or may not be there, not sure if the engine builder removed them or not
 
Garrett Ellison said:
Skim coat of RTV. And PermaTex thread sealer on any intake manifold bolts that aren’t blinded. I’m thinking the edelbrock heads have blind intake bolt holes, but it’s been long enough that I’ve held a set that I don’t recall at the moment.
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Thanks for the tip, the 4 outer bolts near the water jacket should be the only that need sealant right?
 
Check them to see if they go into coolant or into the valley below the heads. I’m pretty sure they’re blind holes from looking over at the Edelbrock site, and the intake installation instructions don’t mention using sealer on the bolts. Copied and pasted from their installation pdf.
INTAKE MANIFOLD: Although stock intake manifolds will fit, Edelbrock Performer RPM Chrysler Cylinder Heads are matched in size and operating range with Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold #7176. Edelbrock #7276 or Fel-Pro intake manifold gaskets #1213 are recommended. Apply Gasga-cinch Edelbrock #9300 to intake surface of heads and position intake gaskets. Do not use cork or rubber end seals supplied with gaskets. Set the manifold on the engine with gaskets installed and measure the gap between the block and the manifold end seal surface. Be sure to remove any dowel pins which may have used with the stock intake manifold. Remove the manifold and apply enough automotive RTV Silicone sealer to fill the gap along front and rear of block, overlapping gaskets at the four corners. Install manifold and torque manifold bolts to 25 ft./lbs.
Also, that high strength rtv is stronger than the gaskacinch they recommend.
 
Garrett Ellison said:
Check them to see if they go into coolant or into the valley below the heads. I’m pretty sure they’re blind holes from looking over at the Edelbrock site, and the intake installation instructions don’t mention using sealer on the bolts. Copied and pasted from their installation pdf.
INTAKE MANIFOLD: Although stock intake manifolds will fit, Edelbrock Performer RPM Chrysler Cylinder Heads are matched in size and operating range with Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold #7176. Edelbrock #7276 or Fel-Pro intake manifold gaskets #1213 are recommended. Apply Gasga-cinch Edelbrock #9300 to intake surface of heads and position intake gaskets. Do not use cork or rubber end seals supplied with gaskets. Set the manifold on the engine with gaskets installed and measure the gap between the block and the manifold end seal surface. Be sure to remove any dowel pins which may have used with the stock intake manifold. Remove the manifold and apply enough automotive RTV Silicone sealer to fill the gap along front and rear of block, overlapping gaskets at the four corners. Install manifold and torque manifold bolts to 25 ft./lbs.
Also, that high strength rtv is stronger than the gaskacinch they recommend.
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so they actually recommend to apply it to the length of the head where the intake mates? Also thats weird if all the bolts are a blind hole because ive had coolant leak out of the pass front intake bolt
 
Like I said, I couldn't tell from the pictures if the holes around the coolant passages are blind or not, and it's been a while since I've handled a set of Edelbrocks. But the picture looks like the bolt holes are blinded. But there are cases where blind bolt holes can leak, and it's possible for that there's too much gap between the flanges to get proper clamp load on the gasket and it's pushing coolant to the outside of the flange. On the sealant, hat's what they say. In that respect, gaskacinch, permatex number 2, Indian head gasket shellac would work. I myself haven't needed it, but it wouldn't hurt to have a dab of sealant here and there. But you still want the skim coat of RTV around the water holes. Here's the picture of the intake side of the head from Edelbrock, FWIW. But it shouldn't be too hard to find the cause of the problem once you get it apart.
060779_v1.jpg
 
Just around the coolant passages. Something much thinner like any of the aforementioned gasket sealants around the rest of the flanges and intake ports if it makes you feel better. The RTV will leave a little bead around the inside of the coolant passages, you don't want that going on with your intake ports. And like Kim says, if everything is dead on right you don't need it at all. Cleaning the flanges with brake cleaner and wiping them until a paper towel comes back clean should do it. The sealants and RTV is just cheap insurance, and whenever I do it, I like it skimmed so thin it looks like paint instead of RTV.
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Thanks for the tip, the 4 outer bolts near the water jacket should be the only that need sealant right?
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No. They all will need it, as I believe they are like the factory bolts and the holes go right through the head surface and into the valve cover area. If those bolts are not sealed, oil will migrate up the threads from crankcase pressure and pool on the intake. I put RTV on just about every single bolt on an engine, whether it's wet or dry. It also seals from outside moisture and keeps bolts from rusting in their threads.
 
missing linc said:
Never used sealer on the intake gaskets, just rtv on the China walls and thread sealer on the bolts.
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Different strokes, man. I've always put a thin layer of RTV on both sides of the intake gaskets only around the water passages. Even if they have silicone embedded in the gasket there already, there's no telling how long those gaskets have been on the shelf and that silicone may be dried out. A thin layer of fresh doesn't hurt a thing and will assure a leak free job. Everybody does it differently. That's how I do it, because I only want to do it one time.
 
So edelbrock recommends putting gasket sealant along the whole intake mating surface? Is it really needed since its just sealing for air? I mean i understand putting rtv or gasket sealant around the 4 water passages, i guess having it on the whole intake mating surface cant hurt right
 
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