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intake install

73calisteed

Jr. Member
Joined
May 21, 2005
Messages
127
Loc.
Tustin
Ok guys i will peface my post with telling you i am a novice mechanic. I just bought a new Holley 470 truck avenger and an edelbrock performer intake. I was going to have a mechanic do the install but he quoted the job at alot more than i want to spend. My question is how hard would it be to change the intake? Is it a difficult job or something that is pretty straight forward and something a "rookie" could handle? Any tips would help, thanks.

Dan
 

Pa PITT

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Messages
11,246
Loc.
Stephenville TEXAS
It's one of those jobs that needs a rookie and one old fart maning the beer cooler for support ....It'd help if you had a buddy that has done one or 2 before
or you 1st wil leak.......
 

70_Steve

Old Guy
Joined
Dec 13, 2002
Messages
8,317
It's a reasonable job for someone with some mechanical skills. Other than basic hand tools, you'll need a torque wrench and a good gasket scraper.

Use FelPro 1250 intake gasket. Also use RTV Ultra Black or Ultra Blue to seal the ends of the manifold instead of the supplied gaskets.

Drain the coolant. Remove the thermostat housing to let more coolant drain from the manifold. No matter what you do, there will still be coolant left in the manifold to spill into the lifter galley when you remove the old manifold. Be prepared to change the oil when this job is done.

Be very thorough removing the gasket material from the heads and block. I sometimes use an old wood chisel as a gasket scraper.Take your time. A sharp hardened tool will gouge the cast iron.

A little RTV around the water ports on the heads will help seal them.

Make 4 studs from some much longer bolts with the heads cut off. Install these, temporarily, in the four corners of where the intake manifold will bolt down. These will help guide the manifold down onto the engine and avoid moving the gaskets.

Make sure you know the proper bolt tightening sequence and the proper torque values.

A search for " FelPro intake gasket" will yield a bunch of threads with information about intake manifold installs.
 

76 bronco J

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
1,480
70_Steve said:
It's a reasonable job for someone with some mechanical skills. Other than basic hand tools, you'll need a torque wrench and a good gasket scraper.

Use FelPro 1250 intake gasket. Also use RTV Ultra Black or Ultra Blue to seal the ends of the manifold instead of the supplied gaskets.

Drain the coolant. Remove the thermostat housing to let more coolant drain from the manifold. No matter what you do, there will still be coolant left in the manifold to spill into the lifter galley when you remove the old manifold. Be prepared to change the oil when this job is done.

Be very thorough removing the gasket material from the heads and block. I sometimes use an old wood chisel as a gasket scraper.Take your time. A sharp hardened tool will gouge the cast iron.

A little RTV around the water ports on the heads will help seal them.

Make 4 studs from some much longer bolts with the heads cut off. Install these, temporarily, in the four corners of where the intake manifold will bolt down. These will help guide the manifold down onto the engine and avoid moving the gaskets.

Make sure you know the proper bolt tightening sequence and the proper torque values.

A search for " FelPro intake gasket" will yield a bunch of threads with information about intake manifold installs.
----there is a way to avoid getting any coolant in the lifter valley-- once the coolant has been lowered in the radiator to about a 1/3 full(no need to totally empty for an intake install unless it needs changing),the hose going to the heater core from the intake is removed & the thermostat housing is removed go get your shop vac,,, put the vac up to the thermostat opening then start sucking out the coolant residue through the opening & use a towel ,, the back of the manifold tends to just leave a small amount of residue since it just deadends on each side & doesn't have coolant laying in the manifold like the front
 

Cooter_76

Sr. Member
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
863
Edelbrock recommends using their Gasgacinch ahdesive (3M and Permatex make similar products) to adhere the gaskets to the heads before installing the intake.
I've used a razor blade scraper to remove the old gasket material.
 

ugly74

Bronco abuser
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
2,847
put plenty of rags in the lifter valley when you're scraping so you don't get crap in the engine. razor blades work best, in my opinion, for cleaning the heads. then I use brake cleaner and a wire brush, and finish with lint free rags and brake cleaner.
and if you don't have a book full of torque specs and instructions...get one!
 

bronko69er

EB Addict
Joined
Oct 16, 2006
Messages
4,599
Loc.
Renton, WA
My .02: If I have to remove my intake I always do an oil change at the same time so I don't have to worry about water getting in the oil. Yes rags in the oil valley are good too to keep the scraped crap out. I also stuff some paper towels in the ports to keep crap out. When installing the new gaskets here is what I do and have never had a problem: Use some hi-tack (contact adhesive) to secure the gaskets to the heads. Throw the stupid little cork strips (the ones for the front and back of the oil valley) in the trash, I've never been able to get these to seal. My remedy for this: I use a low volitile (fast drying) RTV in an aresol can (I buy this from my mechanic) and make a nice 3/8in bead (looks like a weld bead) on the spots where the cork strips were supposed to go. This stuff is great. You just let it set for 5 min or so and bolt on the intake. It will dry to use in 30 min. This method has worked for me every time with no leaks.

When I bought my performer intake I didn't realize that it was the EGR version (has a hole on the carb mating surface on the passenger's side that leads into the exhaust runner of the head). I installed the carb and promptly buned out the carb base gasket. After trying a few different things I ended up filling the whole EGR runner (the one in the intake manifold) with JB weld. If I had a TIG welder at the time I would have welded it shut.
Good luck!
 

linedawg

New Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2002
Messages
36
Loc.
yreka, ca
Use the gasket maker that comes in a can, it looks like a can of cheeze whiz, on the front and back instead of the cork ends. Works great.
 

Bronco Brian

Bronco Guru
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Messages
1,140
All good stuff but use your shop vac. to clean out valleyit will get the small stuff that is hard to see Just before you put the intake and gasket on
 

behemoth

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 2, 2003
Messages
1,736
I use tin foil in the lifter valley to catch the crap from cleaning the gaskets off the heads.

But before I do that I time the engine and put it to number 1 and tdc, mark the distributor. It may be an old chevy habit, but I still do it before pulling the intake.
 

feitctaj

FNG
Joined
May 3, 2003
Messages
4,319
Loc.
Group W Bench
personally I do not use gasket scrapers, a waste of money, you know when you are at the yard sale and there are a couple of old files that are in bad shape for 50 cents a piece? I buy them and grind a sharpe edge on one end.
Files are very hard and make great scrapers, just be carefull when you grind they are brittle. and nobody asks to borrow your old shitty looking files%)
 

ugly74

Bronco abuser
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
2,847
bronko69er said:
When I bought my performer intake I didn't realize that it was the EGR version (has a hole on the carb mating surface on the passenger's side that leads into the exhaust runner of the head). I installed the carb and promptly buned out the carb base gasket. After trying a few different things I ended up filling the whole EGR runner (the one in the intake manifold) with JB weld. If I had a TIG welder at the time I would have welded it shut.
Good luck!

I wanna hijack this a little and comment on the EGR port. on mine, I drilled out the port on the carb monting surface and tapped it for a 1/2" pipe plug, and threaded it in jst barely below the surface. and then layered on top a little JB weld, then filed it flush to eliminate and possible vac leaks. If you've got a Performer 302 you may want to do this. if it's a Performer 289, it doesn't have the EGR.
 

saxman

Sr. Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
434
Loc.
Austin, TX
do you guys have the best luck by putting that gasket maker on first and let it sit for 5 minutes exposed to the air, and then put the intake on and bolt it down?
 

DonsBolt

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 5, 2005
Messages
5,249
Loc.
Chestnut Hill, Mass
All pretty good tips so far

If you are goung to replace your intake, now is the time to replace the old intake bolts with new ones.

I really prefer going with ARP Studs, to me they put a lot less stress of the threads in the heads. Since you screw the studs in before you do the intake, you know they are not cross threaded, and I think they have more threads that go into the heads. I also think they give you a more consistant torque, which helps reduce the chance of a vacuum leak. The only downside to studs is you have to take the distributor out, and that you will need a 12 point socket..

These are the ones I used on my engine.
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=ARP-354-2103&view=1&N=700+150+

If not studs, get these bolts
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=ARP-154-2001

I have used the summit stainless bolts before, and they are nowhere the quality as the ARP stuff. The Summit stainless bolts streatched, and didn't torque very well.

Like everyone else said, make sure you clean off the old gaskets very well. Take your time, and you should be fine.

I will attach the torque sequence, at the bottom of the post. When I torque down a intake I like to go in 3 steps. First do about 10 lbs, them go about 15-16, then finally to 20 lbs.
 

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needabronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Messages
6,411
Loc.
Prescott/Farmington
One more thing about torque, after your final torque to 20 pounds, wait an hour or so and do it again. I got a few bolts to re-torque, maybe it was the summit stainless bolts stretching(?). The mainfold swap really is not that hard, it looks like your starting open heart surgery to a rookie, but take your time and be clean, shop vac your intake before you pull the old one off, there is usually alot of dirt hiding around the intake and the heads.
 

Jerseydevil

Full Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2009
Messages
258
Loc.
West Chester PA
Performer 289 manifold gasket # 7220

I started my manifold gaskets this week. I am replacing them because I am 90% sure I was leaking oil from the rear valley gasket. My advice is, give yourself plenty of time. A weekend, if its your first time. The condition of the vehicle wil also be a factor, of course.
I have an edelbrock performer 289. I am installing Edelbrock gaskets, part number 7220. This truck came with the performer installed, but i dont think the PO used edelbrock gaskets, because it had the cork end pieces, and my 7220s did not. It is possible that they were included in the past, but edelbrock has sincce done away with them. Either way, it is clear that the cork pieces were shifted during placement of the manifold, probably comtributing to the leak.
I've been working on it a couple hours a night, since Tuesday. It took a couple hours to drain the coolant, unbolt, unclamp, and unplug all the linkage, lines, and hoses; unbolt and remove the manifold, and clean up. The next night, I spent a couple more hours cleaning the gasket surfaces, washing the dirty, greasy manifold, and cleaning up. Tonight, I spent about an hour prepping and installing the gaskets and manifold. Tomorrow, I'll put back all of the accessories change the oil, and fill the cooling system.
Tips!:I took lots of pics of the engine, from various angles, invade I forget where something goes.
I bought a box of thick nitrile gloves at harbor freight for $8.00 because I don't want to spend more time washing my hands then I do working on the repair.
I bought a box of rags at homedepot for about 5.00 to aid in the clean up effort.
And last but not least, follow all the advice here in, especially about covering the valley with rags, pluging the ports, and vacuuming the area during and after scraping.
Good luck!
 
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