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It is an Edelbrock Performer - I believe there are several versions of these - looking for the exact part number - I cannot find any part number stamp on the top of the intake manifold.
I was actually going to replace the intake manifold bolts and thread some sealant on them since there was a weep of coolant on the front two intake bolts - after I took one out I realized there was some crud, possibly sealant that had not been left to cure, mixed with coolant and turned into crud. So, I am removing the intake manifold after all to inspect and do some cleaning.
I removed the intake manifold and it is indeed a 2101.
There is hardly any clearance to put a torque wrench to torque the intake manifold bolts. Do you guys torque "by feel" or is there a trick? Also the 4 bolts on the 4 corners that I retrieved were slightly shorter than the remainder ones. Is this by design? I have noticed that some sort of goop was used to keep intake manifold gaskets in place. I was under the impression that intake manifold gaskets do not need any additional sealant on them, correct?
I removed the intake manifold and it is indeed a 2101.
There is hardly any clearance to put a torque wrench to torque the intake manifold bolts. Do you guys torque "by feel" or is there a trick? Also the 4 bolts on the 4 corners that I retrieved were slightly shorter than the remainder ones. Is this by design? I have noticed that some sort of goop was used to keep intake manifold gaskets in place. I was under the impression that intake manifold gaskets do not need any additional sealant on them, correct?
You definitely want to use a sealant on both sides of the gaskets. Edelbrock recommends a product called Gastinich (sp?). Coat the cyl head side first, set gasket in place with a couple bolts, place some weight on it, let it sit overnight. Next day coat the intake side of the gasket. You don't want any vacuum, coolant or oil leaks!
Smear a RTV around the water port in the rear of each head. It must be glycol compatable. I believe Permatex Blue or Clear will work for that.
Use The Right Stuff (by Permatex) on the china walls. Use a thread sealer specifically for glycol, oil, on the bolt threads.
As far as torquing the bolts. Use a boxend wrench on the four inside bolts. Try to get a feel for the torque value. Its not as critical as torquing in the correct sequence is.
Is there a reason why you would not use these end gaskets that came with the FelPro gasket kit? The PO simply used gasket maker to seal the surface between the intake manifold and the block. The gaskets removed were FelPro as well.
Is there a reason why you would not use these end gaskets that came with the FelPro gasket kit? The PO simply used gasket maker to seal the surface between the intake manifold and the block. The gaskets removed were FelPro as well.
Never-never-never. Did I mention never? Never use those seals. On behalf of all the good mechanics try to throw those seals as far away as possible. The RIGHT STUFF
on the china walls. White can, propellant / aerosol type, AutoZone I guess. Made by Permatex.
One more thing: after you have scrapped the old gasket / sealant off with a plastic razor blade, take a clean rag and rub surfaces with Acetone.
Never knew of or ever used Gasgacinch - I can get it online but not locally. I can get the RIGHT STUFF at AutoZone. What would be an acceptable alternative for the Gasgacinch? When I removed the gaskets there was a yellowish sealant substance that came off easily. It reminded me of High Tack Gasket sealant. Would that be an acceptable alternative?
Permatex ultra blue or ultra black ,I've never had a problem with either ,but I used the blue on my 77 engine it matched the color of the engine .I use very little .
Ya I guess so. I am kind of picky. When you go to all the trouble of replacing an intake, I believe it should be done right. Summit Racing has the Gasgacinch and I have never had a leak with that stuff. Comes with an applicater brush, a little pricey w/ shpg but it works well. Really well.
I can not stress enough the importance of getting a good seal, especially at the bottom edge of the intake gasket. A leak at that location is near impossible to find. It will cause vacuum issues and oil burning that are hard to trace. You could use The Right Stuff on the head but it comes out of the can with a fairly large bead. Thats a good thing for the china wall but is too much for intake ports and may squeeze out into the intake runner.
You said the yellow stuff came off easily. Thats a sure sign it was NOT a good seal.
I removed the intake manifold and it is indeed a 2101.
There is hardly any clearance to put a torque wrench to torque the intake manifold bolts. Do you guys torque "by feel" or is there a trick? Also the 4 bolts on the 4 corners that I retrieved were slightly shorter than the remainder ones. Is this by design? I have noticed that some sort of goop was used to keep intake manifold gaskets in place. I was under the impression that intake manifold gaskets do not need any additional sealant on them, correct?
There are probably about as many opinions on how to install the intake manifold as there are members on this forum. I think everyone agrees you should not use the end gaskets that come in the kit. Use a bead of silicone at the front and the back. I like the Permatex Grey Ultra. As for sealant on the gaskets, it depends in large part on which gaskets you are using. If they are traditional fiber gaskets, I would use sealant on both sides. When I installed my last intake manifold, I used Fel Pro gaskets. These are the blue ones with a bead on one side. Fel Pro says to install them without sealant. I sprayed the side without the bead with Permatex High Tack. this side went against the head and helps hold them in place while you install the manifold. As for torquing the bolts, there is no way to get a torque wrench on all the bolts the same way, so I torque them all by hand. I will use a torque wrench on one bolt to give me a feel for how much 35 ft-lbs is because I don't do this every day. I agree its more important to use the proper torque sequence than it is to use a torque wrench. As an interesting aside, the instructions that came with my AFR heads specifically say NOT to use a torque wrench on the bolts - they should be torqued by hand only.
^^ What he said. When I did my intake swap this summer, used felpro gaskets (blue). This was my first manifold swap (went to a TBI setup), so I read a bunch of posts and watched several YouTube videos. As stated, LOTS of opinions on how to do it. I cleaned everything over and over again, first with a scraper, then lots of time with a rag and acetone. Around each water jacket hole I smeared a light coating of Permatex RTV. That held the gasket in place when I laid it down. Put another light coat around the water jacket on the gasket side. Then laid on the manifold and torqued in sequence. Had to estimate the center bolts as stated above because no way to get a torque wrench in there.
And run a 1/4" bead on the front and rear China wall. I used the Gray Ultra for the whole job. My first time, and no leaks (yet!).
A fun job and learned a lot.
On your manifold, I think I have same one in my garage. Have you confirmed the edelbrock will fit? I was going to use mine for the TBI swap but found out after ordering a trans Dapt adapter that mine was so early at it didn't fit anything but a spreadbore. Had interference with the adapter and the intake chamber.
There are probably about as many opinions on how to install the intake manifold as there are members on this forum. I think everyone agrees you should not use the end gaskets that come in the kit. Use a bead of silicone at the front and the back. I like the Permatex Grey Ultra. As for sealant on the gaskets, it depends in large part on which gaskets you are using. If they are traditional fiber gaskets, I would use sealant on both sides. When I installed my last intake manifold, I used Fel Pro gaskets. These are the blue ones with a bead on one side. Fel Pro says to install them without sealant. I sprayed the side without the bead with Permatex High Tack. this side went against the head and helps hold them in place while you install the manifold. As for torquing the bolts, there is no way to get a torque wrench on all the bolts the same way, so I torque them all by hand. I will use a torque wrench on one bolt to give me a feel for how much 35 ft-lbs is because I don't do this every day. I agree its more important to use the proper torque sequence than it is to use a torque wrench. As an interesting aside, the instructions that came with my AFR heads specifically say NOT to use a torque wrench on the bolts - they should be torqued by hand only.
This is what I do as well^^^^^^^^^^^^
On my L-82 355 rebuild in 2014, I used Permatex beads on the intake ends as well, and used Permatex Aviation Form A Gasket from Napa on the advice of the expert builder, who did my engines bottom end and machine work, on the Felpro Blue intake gasket on the non bead side of the Felpro intake gasket as well. I did not torque the intake bolts as mentioned since you cannot and snugged them in the correct tightening sequence. I don't recall using sealant on the intake bolts and zero leaks since if the intake gasket is sealing correctly, there should be no coolant leaks through the bolts.
Lastly, the Permatex aviation sealant liquid that you brush on is really great stuff and really SEALS WELL!!! I originally used it in the build on the AFR heads with the Felpro .015 inch head gasket, again, on the advice of my builder who has years of experience with GM engine builds...zero leaks anywhere where the Aviation sealant is used.
01-13-2018, 01:30 PM
Help me identify this Edelbrock intake manifold
