Intake install
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
Intake install
For those of you that have not tackled the intake install on the L98, a search will offer several suggestions. One of those suggestions is to dimple the "china wall' with a center punch.
Well, I am not at the point of putting the intake on yet. But I did center punch the china wall. I have done this with other engines and it works very well. The point of this is to give the silicone or the RIGHT STUFF (better than silicone) something to grip to on the block. The china wall is the section of the block between the heads front and rear. In the past and today, they provide a rubber gasket for these areas, but they never seem to last and you are soon leaking oil front and/or rear. The better solution is to run a 3/8" bead of the RIGHT STUFF on the china wall in place of the rubber gaskets.
Here is a picture of the wall dimpled for your reference.
This picture also shows the roller lifters installed in the ZZ4 block with the "dog bone" installed keeping the lifters from twisting in the bore and the spring holding the bones in place.
Well, I am not at the point of putting the intake on yet. But I did center punch the china wall. I have done this with other engines and it works very well. The point of this is to give the silicone or the RIGHT STUFF (better than silicone) something to grip to on the block. The china wall is the section of the block between the heads front and rear. In the past and today, they provide a rubber gasket for these areas, but they never seem to last and you are soon leaking oil front and/or rear. The better solution is to run a 3/8" bead of the RIGHT STUFF on the china wall in place of the rubber gaskets.
Here is a picture of the wall dimpled for your reference.
This picture also shows the roller lifters installed in the ZZ4 block with the "dog bone" installed keeping the lifters from twisting in the bore and the spring holding the bones in place.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 0
From: :45 minutes from everywhere / E-I-E-I-O
That is some serious dimplin'.
Is the right stuff really better than silicone (granted that the surfaces are CLEAN)? I judge by how tough silicone is to remove, and I can't imagine any other stuff is better.
Oh btw... Nice shoes. Outta' church, and under the hood?
Is the right stuff really better than silicone (granted that the surfaces are CLEAN)? I judge by how tough silicone is to remove, and I can't imagine any other stuff is better.
Oh btw... Nice shoes. Outta' church, and under the hood?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Is the right stuff really better than silicone (granted that the surfaces are CLEAN)?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
I know how tough silicone is. We used to use it to glue foam to cement molds (steel). I once tried to use a torch to burn it off. No luck. Just have to use a wire wheel or scrape it off with a razor blade.
Like the shoes.... I slipped them on to take the picture. Wife gives me hell when I track stuff into the house. When I work on the car, I usually wear my steel toe boots.
The ZZ4 build is progressing. I dropped the short block in this morning and started to put in the trans to block bolts and discovered that I had reversed the flexplate
. Had to pull the engine part way out and correct the problem. It is back in. Get my heads back tomorrow.
Like the shoes.... I slipped them on to take the picture. Wife gives me hell when I track stuff into the house. When I work on the car, I usually wear my steel toe boots.
The ZZ4 build is progressing. I dropped the short block in this morning and started to put in the trans to block bolts and discovered that I had reversed the flexplate
. Had to pull the engine part way out and correct the problem. It is back in. Get my heads back tomorrow.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,027
Likes: 170
From: oregon
The right stuff is used by most of the high end engine builders in my area. It costs slightly more than black RTV but can be a problem solver if you have issues with RTV. That dimple idea is pretty cool too, i have done similar with an 80 grit roloc after a good clean, the roughed up clean metal surface gives the goo a better surface to stick to.
Last edited by racebum; May 5, 2008 at 02:13 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
