Best manifold gasket?

[dfarley4504]

Any idea how long it had been run on the engine?

Bout 50 miles.
Bolted the resurfaced manifold to a fresh engine.

 

[MDH33]

Bout 50 miles.
Bolted the resurfaced manifold to a fresh engine.

Hmm. That's a bummer. I got the remflex based on all the positive feedback I had heard here. I guess I'll see how it goes now that it's on.

 

[dfarley4504]

Hmm. That's a bummer. I got the remflex based on all the positive feedback I had heard here. I guess I'll see how it goes now that it's on.

Me too.
The info that the gasket holes are bigger than the step down studs might be the culprit.
When I get and install the new gasket, I’ll give an update.

 

[MDH33]

Me too.
The info that the gasket holes are bigger than the step down studs might be the culprit.
When I get and install the new gasket, I’ll give an update.

I knew the holes were bigger, so I was careful to center it as I gradually tightened it up. Hopefully makes a difference.

So far it's been a huge improvement with the new gasket and the deleted heat riser. I also added a Cruiser Outfitters heat riser delete plate. Runs quieter, smoother, lowered idle, etc.

 

[OhioFJ]

Are the torque specs for the felpro gasket the same as those listed in the FSM (28-37 ft-lbs)?

 

[cstav86]

No issues with my remflex. I would use it again.

 

[bhsdriller]

Same remflex worked good here

 

[1MOA]

My remflex has held up for 3 years with no issues and I would go that way again.

 

[deaven]

I used a gasket that was included with my engine gasket set in my rebuild - it failed and started leaking around exhaust, actually split apart (see pic). On closer inspection what I realized is that not only do you need a good gasket, and a flat manifold (which I had), but the two pieces of the central manifold should be held flat while you bolt them together. I couldn't seem to find a procedure for this in the FSM, but next time I'll leave the manifold-to-manifold bolts untorqued until I get the whole thing bolted to the head. My manifold has the intake manifold face sitting about 0.5mm proud of the exhaust face, which exceeds 0.4mm limit and is tough for any gasket to manage. Individually the manifold pieces are flat.

I ended up doing a hack fix to avoid pulling the whole thing apart again (since nothing else was leaking). I installed two felpro gaskets, and I ran a bead of high-temp copper RTV around the central exhaust holes between the gaskets. It made a kind of frankenstein (and expensive) gasket with bulged out parts where my manifold has a larger gap. But - it's working fine.

 

[NYIronPig]

Remflex, anything else and you are stupid!

 

[65swb45]

Anything BUT Remflex. Never seen anything fail so miserably. Well, maybe an SOR Kevlar gasket.