C2 Intake sealant

[Mike Swanson]

I am getting ready to install a new L79 Intake manifold and was looking for recommendations on the use of sealant. Should I use a sealant to tack the gaskets and end seals in place when installing and what type?

Thanks,
Mike

[John H.]

Re: C2 Intake sealant

Mike -

I use a few spots of "Gasgacinch" to tack the side gaskets in position, a thin bead of Permatex Hi-Temp Ultra-Copper RTV around the head side of the four water crossover passages, and a bead of the same RTV at the front and rear instead of the seals you get in the gasket sets. I prefer freedom from oil leaks to a point or two deduction for wrong end seals.

[Mike Swanson]

Re: C2 Intake sealant

Thanks John,
That is exactly what I was looking for.

Mike

[Eugene B.]

Re: C2 Intake sealant

John,
Regarding your post. I've wondered about the end seals before and use of RTV.

What kind of sealer (if any) did the boys at Flint use? When the motors were new, I don't remember any oil leaks from the front and rear of the intake manifold. Now it seems like RTV is a must for oil tight installations.

Regards,
Gene

[John H.]

Re: C2 Intake sealant

Gene -

I can remember lots of front and rear seal oil leaks on original engines back in those days, but there were so many oil leaks in general it was hard to tell where it was coming from without wiping them down and watching for where the oil came from next. If the planets were in proper alignment and the rubber seals were installed correctly (at 170 per hour), whether they had "tits" or "flanges" molded in, you could get a dry engine, but not all were that way.

I gave up on any kind of gasket-type end seals (rubber, cork, or otherwise) many years ago, and have used hi-temp RTV instead ever since; I can't STAND oil leaks, and haven't had one since.