Question?

While looking on Summit at intakes I noted that the bolt sets. That made me look at my 10 stock bolts and all are the same length. Then checking around sites, on a search here included, there is talk of 6 long and 4 short into the corners. Can someone verify that for me as mt intake came with 10 long bolts. These would be stock black oxide 2 5/8" bolts. There are two spacers for the back bolts and no washers.

Never mind I read more and found Ford went to the same length between 68-69 and this engine is 72.

 

Just throwing this out there. Back in the 90's I worked at a machine shop, the owners son surfaced a set of heads and they were crooked when done. They used "shim stock" to set up the heads on the mill...he missed one corner...he kept making passes until he saw the surface was shiny all over!!!...ruined the head...might want to make sure they are straight.

 

When I was over there last checking level on the intake we were talking afterwards as he mounted a head on a new mill to surface slightly. I saw the process so I don't there are any issues with the heads being flat.

Have to do something soon as time is running out. A 4bbl intake means a 4100 yet they can't use a manual choke as the parts don't transfer over. Heat stove tube is out leaving an electric choke and me farther from stock.

 

I believe there are manual choke kits for the 4100, check some of the Mustang suppliers.

 

Got lucky yesterday. Someone close by posted two 390-2bbl intakes for sale. One C5 and the other C9. One large port and one small port like my heads. So we arranged to meet at the local Monument Car Parts store since we both frequent it. He arrives in a 1965 Camper Special which hasn't been touched since 1965. Got it for $100 22 years ago. Talk about patina if you care for that word. However, inside is a newly redone 390 now with an Edelbrock 4bbl intake and carb. Oh well, I'm going to wait as I took the small port intake and will bring it down for hot tanking.

 

Great! Hope it solves the problem for you..

 

News today that this intake, aren't they all, is warped .005" with the low spot at the crossover location. Not much choice so it will be leveled out.

 

Dang.....disheartening to hear. I just read all of this thread. So many problems for you my friend. Get the intake surfaced and hopefully this will be the last time you have to put it together.

 

.005" is probably within factory specs. It's the thickness of a hair, a sheet of paper. Not that machining it is bad, but unnecessary in my book. However, the amount of hell you have been through, i don't blame you at all.

 

Well it is on. Used the cork gaskets also as the clearance at the china walls was 0.128" and the cork could compress to 0.130" easily. The Right Stuff lined both sides. Back side stayed in place while I had to watch the front side in front of the distributor. Victor Reinz intake gasket. Now to fill with coolant...

 

(Fingers crossed)

 

FAILURE.

Coolant seen in low spots between lifters 5-6, 6-7, 7-8, 8-wall in 24 hours. None this time up front so far.

Crossroads time.

 

Take the intake off, make some block off plates to seal the water ports in the heads and fill the engine with water. A couple of bleeder plugs in the front will help get the air out.
Many years ago I rebuilt a 360 for my neighbor, they had already pulled the engine 6 months earlier. After rebuilding and installing the engine it leaked water into the oil coming from the lifter galley. We removed the intake and couldn't find where the gaskets had leaked so we added water until it was at the bottom of the ports in the heads, within a few moments water started leaking into the lifter galley thru a crack in the side of the block. The machine shop and myself both missed seeing the crack during the rebuild, we decided to try a commercial grade block sealer first before going to a different block and another complete rebuild, it worked and they drove the truck for many years without any leakage problem.

They later told me the crack was their fault, before removing the engine it had over heated and straight water was added, when they removed the engine they laid it back on the flywheel trapping the water in the engine and it set thru the winter until I rebuilt it the next spring.

I'm putting this out there because you've replaced the gaskets several times, swapped intakes and still have the same basic leakage problem, so I think it's time to look else where.

 

I was thinking that what with water up around lifter 5 where there is no water port. Where did it come from if not the block? Well since the engine will not be coming back out for years nor the intake off till next year I thought I would give a block sealer a shot. If nothing else it would allow me to move the truck out of the way, cover it, and then leave it while I concentrate on my other cars for the next couple of years.

Now how a crack appeared would be interesting since there were no extremes of heat nor cold out here where I live.

 

If you where a thousand or so miles closer I could take that Cougar off your hands and put it with my Fairlane so you would have more time to for your truck and other cars.
Ha Ha Ha