96 TA

I got "ultra black" and Red High temp RTV. Which one should i use or is there something better out there that i should buy for this. Also Im reading over my Haynes manual and it is telling me that,

"RTV sealant should be used around the coolant passage holes in the new intake manifold gaskets"

I thought our intakes were dry except for the TB. What coolant passages is it talking about? Also if anyone has any helpful tips on the removal and re-instalation of the intake please post. Lastely, what are people using for guide studs for putting the intake back on? Thanks!

97FormulaWS-6

I prefer the Ultra Black; that's what I use for everything except high-temp stuff (Then I use the Ultra Copper).

Use a fairly thick bead across the front/rear of the block being sure to get a good bead into the corner of the head/block/intake.

From what I remember (it's been a few years since I pulled the manifold) the only spots that get RTV are the front/rear of the manifold/block. The rest of the seals are built into the gasket seals.

Your manual may just have a carry over from the normal SBC.. which I wouldn't doubt, the Haynes manuals are full of bad/wrong info.

ACE1252

The pictures in the Haynes manual are wrong. I know the ones you are talking about and they used SBC pictures, instead of Gen II LT1 pictures.

Use neither of what you have....go and pickup a can of "The Right Stuff". You should have no leaks with it.

Make sure the block and intake surfaces are clean(lacquer thinner and a razor...however be very careful on the surfaces....especially the intake...don't gouge them).

Apply the beads just like in this picture....


Use GM gaskets on the intake. I think the quality of them far surpasses those pieces of junk I picked up from Autozone(even though they are Fel-Pro...they looked pathetic compared to the GM pieces).

When putting the intake on the engine, go straight down as possible. There are no guide studs to my knowledge....I eyeballed it as best I could....however, I was above the block with the engine out of the car. When torquing the intake down, the sealant will squeeze out....don't disturb it. Leave it as is....if possible.

Prior to laying down the sealant and intake, chase all the intake bolts and holes with thread chasers(not with a tap and die). Apply Permatex High temp thread sealant to all the intake bolts. Tighten down as follows.....

shoebox

Studs you can use (3/8-16 used on one side only). No issues with the Ultra Copper I have used.

ACE1252

That's not a bad idea, especially under the hood!

knta4dnu

Removal Tip: It's possible to lift and move the fuel rails out of the way without disconnecting the lines. The fuel line disconnect tools is a PITA.

GreasyB

Isnt that about the easiest part of it besides maybe disconnecting the battery?

knta4dnu

been awhile but as I remember I thought it would be easier to unhook it and leave it on the manifold, but I had trouble with the disconnect tool.

SweetZRag

According to Perma-Tex's web site, the Ultra Black seems to be the right product for this job since it has high oil resistance and high temp is not a requirement.

Make sure to only finger tighten and let it sit for a while before torquing down as stated on the instructions on the package. This puts pressure on the sealant to keep it in place.

Shoebox - I noticed in your picture that you put the intake manifold gasket on top of the sealant rather than the other way around. Is there any particular reason for that? I know running the sealant a half inch up the gasket helps secure the sealant in place. Just wondering if you had a spcial reason for putting the gasket on top.

shoebox

The rear of the intake can be subject to high temps from the EGR inlet. Some claim that has an effect on the seal and is a contributing factor in making it leak. Believe at your discretion.

No special reason on the gasket/RTV joint other than that seems to be the order that the factory manual indicates (#1 sealant, #2 gasket, then manifold).

96 TA

Thanks for all the replies, it is all very helpful. Shoebox, where would I be able to get studs like that? Thanks

96 TA

Thanks again for all the feed back, My intake install went with out problem. I did the TB bypass mod as well while I was reinstalling the intake.

One thing I did notice when i was doing the TB bypass was that my steam pipe was 100% cloged right at the opening. No coolant could pass through it! I uncloged the pipe and used my vacum to suck some coolant out of it to ensure I got everything out. What would a cloged steam pipe affect?

Injuneer

Makes it impossible to get air and steam bubbles out of the back of the heads. Could promote overheating in the area of cylinders #7 and #8, increasing the chance of detonation (knock).

96 TA

That sucks! Thanks for the feedback though. Who knows how long that pipe was cloged. There was 1/4" of solidified coolant blocking coolant flow.

I may look for some coolant flush that disolves crap like what was stopping up my steam pipe.

96 TA

BTW for studs to help guide my intake on I removed the threaded studs holding my EGR on and put them in two intake bolt holes. They were too small to thread in the head but there was a lip in the middle of the studs that was wider than the threads for the intake on the head that kept them firmly in place. After the intake was on they pulled fairly easily out.