Ok, 96 F350, 460 and a 4 speed auto. I've got a significant coolant leak that doesn't leave drips. Looking around in the engine bay I see wetness around the intake to head gasket, and I would really like to think that the wetness along the head to block gasket is just from the intake gasket.

I'm going to order new intake gaskets and redo those. Truck is high mileage and not maintained over the last few years before it came into my hands. Originally a fleet vehicle and theoretically well maintained over that time, but not driven by people who cared about it.

I'm planning on having a two week window during the evenings to work the thing over. Should I just cut my losses and do the head gaskets now? Is there anything else I should think about doing while I'm in there? Truck will be going on a nice long haul over the mountains to Nevada after my maintenance window is up, and I don't want to be picking up a crate 460 at summit (well I do, but not for this truck).

Any tips or good write-ups on the intake gaskets?

 

If you do the head gaskets you might have a good look at the valves and related parts while you're in that far.

 

I looked more in detail at pulling the heads and decided I want to avoid it if possible. Plan right now is to just go for the intake and then if I need to do something else I'll make arrangements after it makes the reno trip.

That said, anything else I should look at while I've got the intake off?

 

Ok, got the intake off, really pissed I had to pull the dizzy to do it. Double pissed that I didn't index anything before I did that.

Gallon and a half of oil in the intake and vacuum lines, added a new pcv valve to the list.

One of the injectors fell apart in my hand. Ordered rebuilt and flow matches ones.

I didn't realize this was an egr engine. Any reason not to use a special port NOT matched gasket for that on reassembly?

Camshaft doesn't look too scored, any test I can do on the heads before I throw things back together?

Anything else I'm missing?

Current parts list:
T-stat, gasket
New intake gaskets
injectors
bypass hose
PCV

 

Pictures. Intake is sitting in a bath of industrial degreaser that could degrease a taco bell.

I couldn't find any smoking gun for my coolant leak in the intake, not a fan.

 

I had to have my intake soaked to get that nastiness out of it. Seems to be common on pvc'ed egr engines

 

Yeah, my jeep intakes are usually pretty bad, but not near this bad, and that engine has a design flaw that leaks oil directly into the intake. They're both non EGR, and my daily has an egr delete (non smog), thinking it might not hurt.

Degreaser cuts it like it's not there.

 

I think the question you need to ask yourself is what is it you want out of the vehicle?

If you want to drive it for years; pull the heads, and at the very least do gaskets.

If you drive it to the dump here and there; put it back together.

If you don't know what you want; up in the air.

 

No test worth doing while I'm in here?

I'm not gonna have time to rip the heads off before I need it running again, unless I'm severely underestimating that job. I'm thinking it wants a new timing cover though, and I know I need to fix an exhaust leak.

And new shocks.

But it's gotta be at the show twice a month and it's not my money, I just drive it and fix it.

 

Oh, new question, are the bolts for the intake intended to be reused? I know on my SBM motors they're technically TTY but nobody cares. Mine are rusted so I want new ones and want to know if I'm stealership bound.

 

Your stealership bound.