Bought my 96z from original owner 2 years ago when it had 18k on it. Service records indicate that the dealer replaced the intake manifold gasket at 5K. I replaced it again last year at about 25K. I have about 40k on it right now, intake is leaking from the front and the back. Plan to do it soon, don't want it to screw up the clutch. The first time I did it I didn't re-torque the bolts down after the engine had heat cycled a few times. Also, I've read that some people wrap the EGR pipe in heat tape. Anybody done that? Where did you order your heat tape from? How much did you apply? Any suggestions would be great. I don't want this to be an annual repair.

 

not sure how you put the intake gasket on, but in the old days we would completely forget about the front and rear valley gaskets and use a nice bead of silicone instead. These are notorious for leaking on a SBC.

I never retorqued the intake on my carbed SBC and I never had a problem with it.

 

The chilton manual certainly doesn't recommend re-torqueing. But, I've had other people tell me I should. Have also seen it recommended on auto TV shows like "Trucks" and "Horsepower TV." Also... is anyone replacing the intake manifold bolts whenever they do this? Would still like some feedback on heat tape if possible.