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Next time ditch the end seals and use a bead of silicone. The end gaskets can keep the side ones from seating. A bead around the water jackets is good to do as well.
Next time ditch the end seals and use a bead of silicone. The end gaskets can keep the side ones from seating. A bead around the water jackets is good to do as well.
RTV is rated for oil but not gas. RTV around intake ports is not recommended. I've had bad experiences with aftermarket intake gaskets, both MrGasket and Fel-Pro. I stick to GM gaskets now. Cost about 2x but much better quality.
Ok, so I got the Fel Pro gaskets: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-1255 and I want to make sure I do this right this time. I have read several ways of applying sealer and I'm sure there are as many as there are opinions. I have heard sealant just around the water jacket holes at the ends (which is what I did on the Eddy gasket above). All the way to sealant on both sides of the gaskets and both mating surfaces. For the china walls, I'm good there, that held up fine, I'll do the same thing as before. But what is the generally best method for the intake gaskets. Noting that these are Vortec and there are no bolts in the middle to help hold the gasket in position. I am leary now and don't want another set of gaskets to 'slip' down. I am tempted to use the 'coat every dam thing with sealant' option. And by sealant I mean Permatex ultra black.
Jim
OK so I'm looking at these pictures again and what it seems to me is that something is 'pulling' the gaskets down (besides gravity). Almost like there is a vacuum in the lifter valley, which there shouldn't be. If you look at all the pics, the middle part has been pulled down which has caused the distortion on the inner ports (3, 4, 5, 6). And maybe I'm overthinking this maybe it just needed better sealant/tack. Could there be a vacuum in the lifter valley? I would think if anything, there would be positive pressure from any blowby coming from the bottom end. hmmm.
Ok, so I got the Fel Pro gaskets: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-1255 and I want to make sure I do this right this time. I have read several ways of applying sealer and I'm sure there are as many as there are opinions. I have heard sealant just around the water jacket holes at the ends (which is what I did on the Eddy gasket above). All the way to sealant on both sides of the gaskets and both mating surfaces. For the china walls, I'm good there, that held up fine, I'll do the same thing as before. But what is the generally best method for the intake gaskets. Noting that these are Vortec and there are no bolts in the middle to help hold the gasket in position. I am leary now and don't want another set of gaskets to 'slip' down. I am tempted to use the 'coat every dam thing with sealant' option. And by sealant I mean Permatex ultra black.
Jim
Use a very thin coat toward the center on the back of the gasket to hold it and around the water jackets on both sides.......and of course bead the china rails.....
The stock gaskets I showed above need no sealant except the china wall and can't sag like all the aftermarket paper ones. Plus they are available at all your local parts stores. They are used in hundreds of thousands (or however many gm produced) of the vortec engines.
02-25-2017, 01:17 PM
Found the case of my oil burning (I hope)
LOL
hmmm.
