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I have installing many intake manifolds but just wondering what others around here do for sealing them up.

I use RTV sealant for the front and rear and rely on the good old felpro gasket to seal the head to the intake.

My question is regarding the head to intake manifold seal this shouldn't need any other sealer than the gasket if the surfaces are good right?
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Mark,

Depends upon the gasket. Any of the "slick" feeling gaskets, the graphite type & the print-o-seal type are good as is, no other sealant needed.

You need to run a turkey tray "if" you're using the manifold's exhaust heated cross-over. I doubt this applies to you Mark, but others are reading this as well. The turkey tray prevents oil from hitting the hot crossover, turning to ash & polluting your oil.

George
...If You use the 'Turkey Tray' It is my advise that you seal (RTV) BOTH sides of EVERY Port, on the Tray AND the Manifold AND the Head!!(Be careful NOT to drip adhesive into the gallery, if so wipe it up). If NOT; you will be sucking oil out of the lifter gallery (at the ports, between the Tray and the Head) and burning it! Also you will wonder why the Vacuum Signal is so LOW. The Thin Sheet metal of the Tray just does not have the 'Contact Sealing' needed to prevent vacuum leaks. 'Beleive Me now! Or Believe Me later!' If Not, You will be doing the Job a second time!!...
How right Marlin is.....Been there and done that.....
And as you stated Mark, use RTV on the ends, do not use the rubber gaskets that came with the manifold, they are worthless. Been there and done that too.

quote:
Originally posted by MARLIN JACK:
...If You use the 'Turkey Tray' It is my advise that you seal (RTV) BOTH sides of EVERY Port, on the Tray AND the Manifold AND the Head!!(Be careful NOT to drip adhesive into the gallery, if so wipe it up). If NOT; you will be sucking oil out of the lifter gallery (at the ports, between the Tray and the Head) and burning it! Also you will wonder why the Vacuum Signal is so LOW. The Thin Sheet metal of the Tray just does not have the 'Contact Sealing' needed to prevent vacuum leaks. 'Beleive Me now! Or Believe Me later!' If Not, You will be doing the Job a second time!!...
Even Ford is using a thick bead of RTV to seal the ends of intake manifolds. The new Fel Pro gasket kits I've purchased over the last few years provide a tube of RTV in place of the end seals. I lay a 1/4" thick bead & let it dry a half hour, then just plop the manifold down.

One last mention about the turkey tray, ONLY use it if your motor is using the manifold heating passage, Ford's reason for designing the tray was to prevent oil from contacting the hot manifold & turning to ash. No exhaust heat, no turkey tray needed. None of the alloy heads sold for the Cleveland have provision for an exhaust heated manifold.

your friend on the DTBB, George
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