Leaks

[mnash]

Are there any tricks to getting the manifold sealed correctly? as I am having fits with leaks in the center. Should I use a Form a Gasket as I have tried with out success doubling and changing gaskets dry as reccomended. I am using the feltpro gaskets. I have also had the facing machined. Just not having any luck sealing up the center area of the manifold. Thanks

 

[soggy60]

1. The head is 'clean' ; no leftover pieces of old gasket ?

2. Snug down nuts & bolts : STARTING AT CENTER,
then left-right one-by-one working outward

3. Torque down 1/2way, same pattern as above

4. final torque, following same pattern as 2.

 

[mnash]

so don't use a form a gasket then correct? Thanks

 

[yournamehere]

90FJ62 and I had a heck of a time getting my manifolds to seal. We realized that once a gasket is torqued down it can't be reused. Just food for thought. If you ever loosen it for any reason you may as well take it off and start over. We installed and uninstalled the manifold about times and got to the pint we coulld do the whole job in about 20 minutes.

The final and correct time we installed it with no leaks, is the one time I followed the torquing instructions in the FSM. I guess the engineers know what they're talking about.

 

[mnash]

Thanks, will start over for the 5th time

 

[90FJ62]

90FJ62 and I had a heck of a time getting my manifolds to seal. We realized that once a gasket is torqued down it can't be reused. Just food for thought. If you ever loosen it for any reason you may as well take it off and start over. We installed and uninstalled the manifold about times and got to the pint we coulld do the whole job in about 20 minutes.

The final and correct time we installed it with no leaks, is the one time I followed the torquing instructions in the FSM. I guess the engineers know what they're talking about.

The other problem we had was the local machine shop only milled the center part of the exhaust manifold and not the wings. I saw a thread where someone did their own planing with a belt sander and a jig. I will be going this route next time.....

Follow the manual and make sure everything is clean and you should be good.

Dave

 

[60wag]

If you are going to pull it again, definitely check the flatness. Just because they surfaced it doesn't mean they got it right. And yes, start torqing bolts in the center first and work out to cyls 1 and 6.