We did use RTV for the end seals. And, we let it set up for just a few minutes and then torqued the manifold down. So we don't know why the passenger's side seems to have been slow to snuggle down.

 

Gary are those intake bolts 5/16 -18? Also would 3" be long enough for studs?

 

They are 5/16-18 according to summit racing. I still should probably find out a good length for them.

 

I will check length on the other manifold I have and text you.

 

What brand of gaskets are you using? Some I have used are real soft and will give all kinds of problems pulling down.

 

I'm pretty sure these were Felpro.

And, for the record it looks like 2 1/2" bolts with their heads cut off are about minimum for guide studs. Longer would be better, but there's probably no need to go much longer.

 

Interesting note fellows. The 460 intakes have the 4 end fasteners are studs and if my memory is correct, some of the earlier engines had the center outboard fasteners were also studs. On a 460 8 of the intake fasteners are vertical, the other 8 are angled (may be perpendicular to the head face.

I would carefully put a bit of RTV around each port on the head and on the manifold side of the gasket. When you set the intake on make sure as you start tightening it that it pulls down evenly. These Windsor engine intakes love to **** just a tiny bit going down if you aren't real careful during tightening.

 

The small-blocks have all the fasteners straight up so you can put studs in any/all of the positions.

Your description of the manifold being slightly cocked is apparently exactly what happened. I'm not sure we really have a problem on the coolant sealing surfaces as it may just be the fact that it is cocked that is causing a slight coolant leak as well as vacuum leak. But, it won't hurt to JB the surfaces anyway to ensure we don't have a problem.

 

I'll let Bruno 'splain what we did, but I'll supply the pics:

 

I would say it looks like Bruno needs to change his antifreeze more frequently.

 

I bought the manifold used on a hotrod site for $100. However, Gary and I were discussing how coolant turns corrosive after a few yrs unless you use the dexicool.

So we pulled the intake off today. It came off without a fight except for the stubborn little bypass hose. Believe it or not 99% of the coolant went in the bucket when I pulled the lower radiator hose off. Gary marked and pulled the dizzy out. I pulled the carb and hoses off. Then we removed the intake.

We were concerned that the blasting may damage other areas of the intake runners and such so we applied duct tape liberally to most everything. Also we used a couple cans of brake cleaner in the process.

I had more faith in Gary's blasting ability than mine so I trusted him to do the job more than myself. When the manifold came out of the blast cabinet there wasn't much left. I wasn't sure if I had bought enough JB Weld to reconstruct the intake from scratch.

Gary placed the manifold on the table to where one side was up and level. I mixed some JB up and went to work. It seemed as though it was going to level itself a bit so I built up some ribs around the bad areas. We let it sit for a bit and turned it to do the other side. We basically rinsed and repeated the process.

The side that we turned down tried to run a little. I just simply reapplied the material that was running off back to the area where it had escaped. The last time we saw it most of the material was where it needed to be. So hopefully tomorrow I can file it down and sand it a little to have a finished product.

 

I thought my factory cast iron intake was pitted where the coolant doesn't circulate in the back, after seeing that. Guess not.

 

BTW, Dexcool can turn to sludge fast, I used it in my LeBaron due to the heat buildup from the turbo.

 

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSCN3150.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...4g_-FGnjtB4rqJ

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5205/dexcool2.jpg

Not sure how many of those will work for you all, But that's Deathcool at it's finest.

I'll just keep using ethylene glycol antifreeze, aka green antifreeze.

 

Matthew - A cast iron intake will last many, many times longer than an aluminum on. Here's what Wikipedia says: "Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical process in which one metal corrodes preferentially to another when both metals are in electrical contact and immersed in an electrolyte. The same galvanic reaction is exploited in primary batteries to generate a voltage."

So a cast iron manifold on a cast iron block and head won't have the galvanic corrosion aluminum will. IOW, it is not a dissimilar metal to the other metals in the engine which come in contact with an electrolyte - coolant.