Intake manifold won't fit

[Millercorey]

There's been some frustrations between myself and the shop that pulled my engine for a rebuild. The engine was finished 3 weeks ago and I've been hounding him every few days for updates. He finally tried to put it in yesterday and sent me this note with a picture

"Jesus we are going to need a new intake. They machined the stuff and the angles on the intake don't fit the motor. Was putting it in and noticed that the intake is no longer fitting on the block. Silicone is supposed to be here but the gap is way to high to seal it"

I talked to the owner of the place that did the rebuild and sent him the picture. He said his guys will come pick it up and have a look. He kept saying something about it getting twisted, but I can't really understand what he may be referring to.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BypqkxxSMLfwLUpMNk5EZWZfMTA/view?usp=drivesdk


This is the original 302 in the Bronco, and the engine was running before we pulled it for the rebuild. It wasn't running half bad, but needed all new seals throughout and had bad compression on one cylinder.

Any ideas what the cause is and how screwed I am?

 

[SHX669]

Depends on how much they milled the heads . If over - I think .030 {xperts chime in } they also have to mill the intake to head mounting surfaces on the intake manifold.

 

[tirewater]

I would doubt the entire build. It doesn't look like anything was cleaned prior to reassembly. In addition if that picture is of the intake and cylinder head fitment, there should be a gasket there.

The heads may have been milled enough to alter the fitment of the intake manifold. If so, the manifold should be milled to fit the heads.

That said, I have no idea where on the engine that picture is from.

 

[SteveL]

They f'ed up something. I would push for a new motor. One of my friends went thru this with vellios in lawndale. They overdid the block to the intake wouldn't fit the heads. They machined the intake to fit but now he's screwed. He wants to upgrade to exploder efi but nothing will fit the heads other than the machined manifold.

 

[73azbronco]

I think the pic is the front end of the intake to the block, right?

With no measuring device, hard to tell, yeah it looks like a big gap, That gap is supposed to be filled with that 1/8inch rubber gasket part no one uses, they/we all use silicone, sensor safe of course.

Twisted? He means warped?

Is the intake square on the heads? Does the intake match with the head ports?

Can they get valve covers to sit on the heads? Do the bolts go into the holes?

Looks like they put down a thin layer of silicone then took the pic. They need way more silicone all things being equal if everything else I noted lines up. Yeah, and who puts on a fuzzy dirty intake????

And stuff does not come from the factory perfect either, I had to have a zero time block deck milled 10 thousands to square it up and a new out of the box edelbrock head valve guides re-reamed as they were far to tight.

 

[Millercorey]

It's the original intake that he told me he cleaned up as best he could. I believe the picture is from the front or rear, and I think it's just dry fit in there without any silicone or gaskets to illustrate. The guy putting it back together is not the guy that did any of the machining.

I took the block to an engine rebuilder, and when I got there I ended up knowing the owner by chance. The place has been around a long time and personally knowing the owner, I'm hoping he made sure the work was up to par before sending it back to me.

Its gotten a little chippy with the mechanic and me, so we're not speaking much. I'm about to call it quits and pick up everything because I think he's over his head and won't admit it. However, I'd rather not bc he has a loose engine, a loose Nv3550 and transfer case, and the truck itself. It would be a nightmare for me to go get all that stuff, store it in my garage, find a new shop to install everything, and haul it down there.

 

[Millercorey]

So I had the engine rebuilder pick the motor up to troubleshoot the intake gap problem. They just told me it's done and send me this picture. Should I be concerned at all with what looks like shower caulk smeared in that gap? Is that too big of a gap?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BypqkxxSMLfwUm1EZjdpZUVxSXM/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[half cab]

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Just guessing that looks like about a half inch gap. Just don't know if I could except that.

What's up with not cleaning up the intake?

 

[Glass Pony]

So I had the engine rebuilder pick the motor up to troubleshoot the intake gap problem. They just told me it's done and send me this picture. Should I be concerned at all with what looks like shower caulk smeared in that gap? Is that too big of a gap?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BypqkxxSMLfwUm1EZjdpZUVxSXM/view?usp=drivesdk

As long as it was cleaned properly and the application of a suitable product, that gap on the lower section is fine. You're better off the way it is instead of using the cork gasket that comes with intake gasket sets. I can't see the sides but it looks like the rebuilder did the usual application around the cooling water ports also.

I read in your other post where the mechanic said he cleaned the intake "the best he could". He didn't try very hard.

 

[blubuckaroo]

If that's what the "cleaned" intake looks like on the outside, I doubt they removed the oil baffle to clean the burned on oil from the underside.
If it were me, I'd take it home and take the pan, valve covers, and intake back off for a better inspection of the work.
It's too much trouble to install a motor with a questionable rebuild.

 

[broncodriver99]

Did they use any gaskets between the heads and intake? X 2 or 3 on that intake looks like at best he blew some of the dirt off of it.

 

[Millercorey]

It definitely looks way worse than I expected. I hadn't actually seen it in person since we pulled the motor. Oh well, I can hit it with some black engine paint easy enough, right?

 

[WheelHorse]

Where in the heck are the gaskets for the intake to block at?

 

[Hazegray]

Your main concerns should be either a vacuum or coolant leak between the intake and heads due to mismatched angles btwn the two. I would just pick up the engine and associated parts and find a new machinist. It's unfortunate, but there is no use to install that motor/intake and having to pull it out again

 

[Glass Pony]

It looks to me that the gaskets are there. Look at the sides of the intake, in the middle.

 

[WheelHorse]

Ya, I guess I see them now, but they weren't mocked up in the first pic.

Also, all that goo around the water jackets? Really? I wouldn't run it.

Find how much they milled from the heads and possibly the block if they decked it.

 

[DJs74]

Miller- as everyone else has said, probably best to start over on the intake manifold.
I would:
* get a new set of gaskets and some high temp RTV (black, blue, copper, whatever you like)
* remove the intake manifold
* give it a thorough cleaning - all over but especially the mating surfaces - cylinder heads and block ends
* once everything is clean, set the intake onto the heads / block... no gaskets...no RTV just for a trial fit and evaluation
*proceed or not based on what you see or post more pics and let the group have another look without the goop

You are better off dealing with this mismatch with the motor out as opposed to trying it, having leaks, fluids everywhere, etc. Lots more cleaning once the fluids are in it and things are leaking and going in places they are not supposed to


DJs74

 

[pcf_mark]

They did not use the rubber end gaskets which is perfect they suck. When you do this you need 3/8" beed of sealer to fill the gap. This looks ok and how a million Fords are probably run or have ran. BUT the right side of the photo where the intake meets the heads does not look to have any sealant oozing out. That would make me want to look very carefully in there or re-do it yourself.

Check out Fel-Pro pics you can see the bead in pic 4

http://www.felpro.com/technical/tecblogs/clean-dry.html

 

[Hazegray]

It all depends on how willing/$$$ you are to take this on. It
"could" be fine, however, if they milled the heads and or block down that far, your compression ratio is way up, not to mention the valve to piston clearances. If you find out only the heads were milled down (probably so), then get another decent set of used heads...not that much money and effort. Probably same amount of $$$ as machining a new intake. Or....run it and see what kinda shit happens. Sorry, 2 drinks in Crown Reserve...

 

[73azbronco]

ask for the build sheet. no sheet. no build.