Okay, bad news. Just did a lower intake manifold gasket job. Guess what? It still leaks, and even worse! Take a guess about the advice I read on here that I DIDN'T FOLLOW? I used the rubber end caps!

She's coming off again tomorrow and this time I'm just using RTV on the ends!

Repeat after me: DON'T USE THE RUBBER END CAPS, DON'T USE THE RUBBER END CAPS...

I feel like such a dork!

 

been there.....done that....not with an intake gasket but with sooooo many other things I can't even name them all.
I just tell myself that IF I wasn't doing anything.....I wouldn't make mistakes!
You aren't alone.....Hang in there.

Good Luck
Bob

 

no,no, no! get it rite!!

you feel like a know it all teenager.

 

Hey this happens . I mean why would they put the caps in? Right. I use sealant on all gaskets . Just because I have went through exactly what you have . Having to redo it.

Good thing is the next redo will be quicker you know tricks now.

 

I think just about everybody has had a fairly major job leak afterwards. I had a similar thing happen on one of my first. I didn't use enough silicone on the ends (no rubber strips though). After a whole day's work it leaked oil out the back worse than it was leaking coolant before. So make sure you use even more than you think is enough on the ends.

Like was mentioned earlier, at least you'll be able to do it quick and should know every bolt size. Plus nothing should be siezed up and break since it was just apart.

 

Well, the leak will have to wait. I spent all day working on the mowing deck on the tractor. Long story.

 

Grizz, no sense beating yourself up over it--we've all been there. In fact, if I find out that my truck wasn't getting fuel because of the fuel pump inertia switch, I'll be a contender for the Biggest Dip-**** Award...

 

As everyone else said, these are just the things that happen when we work on our own stuff. I'm getting ready to tear into the church van ('90 E350, 460/E4OD) to find and fix a vacuum leak and tackle some other problems it has this week sometime ... anyone want to guess how many it'll have when I'm done???

 

Hopefully nothing else...but I know firsthand how cantankerous old machinery can be. How about your truck, Mr. Newkirk--how's it doing?

 

It's doing pretty well, other than the fact it's still sitting at our friend's house. She's still hunting for the title as she cleans out her mom's house (her mom passed away about a month ago). I told her that I'm not in a big hurry, hang onto it as long as she needs to use it to haul things out. I've been able to go out there and run it around the fields a bit, and she promises me that I will have it here at my house as soon as she's done. My birthday's coming up, so I have a feeling that she and my wife are cooking up a "surprise delivery" around that time. I'll just have to pretend to be surprised. ;-)

Oh, and I found out one more thing that's put me ahead of the game with it -- BOTH gas tanks and everything associated therein have been replaced and they work GREAT! Now, if that's not a big money saver for me down the road, I don't know what is!!!

 

I'm just getting ready to swap a lower intake manifold (351w) - so which mistake should I *not* make?

Should I just take the front & rear cork strips out of the gasket pack and toss 'em in the trash?