Persistent oil leak from somewhere?
- Thread starter AR67GTX
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ckessel
Well-Known Member
If you can get the dimensions for the fasteners, maybe check McMaster Carr, Grainger or any other industrial hardware companies? Whoever you got them through just sourced them from a distributor who gets them overseas possibly going by price point only to be able to resell cheap enough.
I would think lining up 16 studs might be a pain? Thread rod in Home Depot make them and if you don't like them a lot cheaper. what wrong with bolts once you compress gaskets?
Nothing really Fran, especially on low torque items. I’ve just gotten to like the dowel guiding benefit of studs and less wear & tear on old threaded parts. I’m planning now to just go with a reproduction kit - pricey though.
gtx6970
Well-Known Member
What part for a hemi isnt.
Im looking into pull the intake and valve covers on mine here in the next few months.
VC gaskets are double the cost of wedge versions
Yes, I just used a thick set of cork Fel-pro gaskets. They have sealed up tight but I had to tighten up the stud nuts every drive for about a month and occasionally for awhile after that. I tend to initially go light on pan and valve cover gasket torque though, trying to avoid distorting the rails from high torque. I used the blue, synthetic gaskets on the oil pan (again pricey) and had to re-tighten them a few times but they stabilized fairly quickly. I probably need to replace the gasket on the fuel pump too due to a little oil film around it. I replaced the real seal too. I think it might have almost been easier to have pulled the motor and replace all the gaskets on a stand.
When I had a pair of the light weight aluminum valve covers wanted to make something like these. Wanted to use them on outside of VC's but only 1/8" thick. Would have done them in 2 pieces.
VALVE COVER SPACERS 1/2" Chrysler 426 Hemi 1966-1971 Street Hemi | eBay
VALVE COVER SPACERS 1/2" Chrysler 426 Hemi 1966-1971 Street Hemi | eBay
With the manifold off I’m finding the intake gaskets compressed around .058 - .060”. That seems to make a Superformance .062 gasket a little iffy. When I get the old completely cleaned up I’ll set it back and measure with a feeler gage. The rear China wall gasket was still hooked on the dowels but was pushed out between the center and left down and was very oily. I don’t think the gasket was compressed much. I’m convinced to go back with Grey Ultralube.
I removed the heat shield on the bottom as it looked repaired and found where a small piece was missing in the middle and they spliced another piece of steel over it. The manifold heat passage looks good under it.
I read the other day that Kroil penetrating spray is good for softening old style Holley gaskets. I used some on these and that seems to be fact. It helped turn them loose from the head.
Forgot to post the picture of the leaking, pushed out rear China wall seal
I removed the heat shield on the bottom as it looked repaired and found where a small piece was missing in the middle and they spliced another piece of steel over it. The manifold heat passage looks good under it.
I read the other day that Kroil penetrating spray is good for softening old style Holley gaskets. I used some on these and that seems to be fact. It helped turn them loose from the head.
Forgot to post the picture of the leaking, pushed out rear China wall seal
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Setting the intake back down on the heads without gaskets I find it sits uneven - probably not too unusual for 55 year old mass production. The right front gap is about .028” but varies a little. The opposite left rear is .033”. The left front is 0.00“ and the opposite left rear is about .012”. Both china wall gaps are around .035”., the rear being hard to get to.
Trying to measure the compressed thickness of the old gaskets, the the left side seemed to run from .057 to .060 compressed. The right was .062 to .063. I’m not sire how much if any, removed gaskets might rebound right after being pulled off. I think the intake gaskets that were on it were probably thicker than .062” I didn’t find any evidence of intake port leaking.
Will a .062“ Superformance gasket be too thin? I’ve seen some other gaskets at about .105” but that’s pretty thick.
Trying to measure the compressed thickness of the old gaskets, the the left side seemed to run from .057 to .060 compressed. The right was .062 to .063. I’m not sire how much if any, removed gaskets might rebound right after being pulled off. I think the intake gaskets that were on it were probably thicker than .062” I didn’t find any evidence of intake port leaking.
Will a .062“ Superformance gasket be too thin? I’ve seen some other gaskets at about .105” but that’s pretty thick.
Think you can get gaskets in .030 .060+/- and .120.
Dibbons
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The old gaskets, where I could find small sections not compressed seem to measure .083” original thickness. I found one reference to a .82” thick intake gasket but it was an EBay ad and they were sold out and no information given. Dang listings at Summit don’t list thickness on most of them.
Any thought as to if .62” gaskets would seal up with the clearances I posted above with the manifold sitting loose on the engine? The dowels seem to be keeping the intake from centering between the heads but raised up by the gaskets I think it centers a little better. And I probably could nudge the vowels slightly over with a punch and couple hammer taps. I’ll use RTV on the china walls so gasket thickness is not an issue there.
Any thought as to if .62” gaskets would seal up with the clearances I posted above with the manifold sitting loose on the engine? The dowels seem to be keeping the intake from centering between the heads but raised up by the gaskets I think it centers a little better. And I probably could nudge the vowels slightly over with a punch and couple hammer taps. I’ll use RTV on the china walls so gasket thickness is not an issue there.
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A .030 and a .062 close.
Just pull the dowels. Dowels and foam gaskets are like a horse and buggy.
Doug
Doug
Slow progress. Received the gaskets and new intake bolt kit but one of the dowels apparently fell out of a hole in the parts bag and was missing when I received it. Mancini is sending a replacement but it won’t be here until Wed. I have everything cleaned up and ready. Took a bit of scraping to get remains of gaskets off the heads and about 20 wipe downs with denatured alcohol to get them clean. Ran a thread cleaner tap down all the bolt holes. The new Superformance gaskets are spot glued (RTV) to the heads. Decided the paint was a bit rough on the intake so I stripped it and repainted it.
Discovered in all of this that the previous owner had not put all the brackets in the correct positions - tall bracket for carb spring and kick down rod was up front instead of the middle of the intake so I’ll get all that corrected during assembly. At least it was good to get a good view of the cam lobes and they look nice and smooth so I guess they got the cam broke in right. The green oil is from the dye in it. I took another look down the plug holes with my inspection camera but with the center located plug all you can see is the piston top or with the side camera the cylinder wall - which looks pretty freshly honed. But nothing hardly worth taking a picture of.
Discovered in all of this that the previous owner had not put all the brackets in the correct positions - tall bracket for carb spring and kick down rod was up front instead of the middle of the intake so I’ll get all that corrected during assembly. At least it was good to get a good view of the cam lobes and they look nice and smooth so I guess they got the cam broke in right. The green oil is from the dye in it. I took another look down the plug holes with my inspection camera but with the center located plug all you can see is the piston top or with the side camera the cylinder wall - which looks pretty freshly honed. But nothing hardly worth taking a picture of.
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Hopefully your discovery and fix puts the smackdown on the incontinence.
66 Sat
Well-Known Member
That sucks! Putting intakes on with the engine in the car is one of my least favorite jobs, especially with a cast iron intake - leaning over the fenders, trying to get it to sit right without disturbing the gaskets/RTV you've spent so much time positioning carefully,...
My only advice is if you've been doing this on your own, enlist the help of someone who knows what their way around an engine to help with the lifting, and perhaps instead of using all studs/nuts, which as you said may be interfering with how the manifold is sitting, have just a couple to keep the gaskets in place while you lower it on, and then use bolts for the rest?
My only advice is if you've been doing this on your own, enlist the help of someone who knows what their way around an engine to help with the lifting, and perhaps instead of using all studs/nuts, which as you said may be interfering with how the manifold is sitting, have just a couple to keep the gaskets in place while you lower it on, and then use bolts for the rest?
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