Seized Manifold Gasket - thoughts?

[FJStan]

I did it - after reading all about everyone’s experience and advice on replacing the exhaust manifold gasket, I took to it yesterday morning, and pulled everything off.

I was truly blessed that there were no broken bolts.

The manifolds appear to be straight but there seems to be some gasket “residue” on the exhaust manifold - as if the metal surface of the gasket seized onto the manifold - It’s on there good! It will not come off and looks like a micro layer.

I’ve searched for this particular topic and have not been able to find any advice on it. I’d welcome your thoughts on how to get a flat clean surface without sending it to the machine shop. I’ve attached pictures of the flat joint (to the intake manifold) and one of the horns.

Thanks Mudders.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I was recommended to use on the cast iron a large wide flat sharpening stone and honing oil. It's not the wisest nor best.

Take it from me tho. Do it the right way. Don't cut corners. It costs more in the long run.
Felicity

 

[FJStan]

I was recommended to use on the cast iron a large wide flat sharpening stone and honing oil. It's not the wisest nor best.

Take it from me tho. Do it the right way. Don't cut corners. It costs more in the long run.
Felicity

So you’re saying take it to the machinist for them to do everything?

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

You can clean up the surface where the intake and exhaust meet. Soak them both down w/ something oily and scrape both. The alum is soft so go easy. Even EZoff oven cleaner works great w/ a scouring pad. The cast iron tho would be harder. Def soak it w/ an oily lube, PB or WD and scrape at it w/ a paint scraper or a brass wire brush (the sell at Ace Hardwares). See if that will help it lift off. But if it's really hardcore you might want to leave it to someone else.
Idk, depends on your comfort level. How risky are you? I dumped my cast iron in a molasses water bath for 10 days to remove rust. Cheap and it worked. But I had the time to dick around. Would I a second time? Idk.
When it comes down to the actual manifold to cylinder head mating surface, you'll want a professional to do it.

 

[FJStan]

Appreciate the direction, but I may leave it for the pros to do it properly. It’s welded on there - wow!

 

[Mace]

I'd use a combination of gasket scraper and wire wheel. It's a Iron manifold, hard to hurt without using a grinder..

 

[OSS]

Next time .... If there ever is a next time, don't separate the manifolds. It opens up a can of worms that usually requires you to take a trip to the machine shop. All 2F manifolds at this point are warped to some degree if they've never been refurbished and separating the intake from the exhaust ensures that the misfit will be even worse when you try to bolt it back on without getting it machined first.

 

[wngrog]

Or get a Ramflex gasket. It’s so thick and soft it makes up for lots of crappy alignment issues.

 

[FJStan]

Or get a Ramflex gasket. It’s so thick and soft it makes up for lots of crappy alignment issues.

But is it better quality than OEM?

 

[FJStan]

Next time .... If there ever is a next time, don't separate the manifolds. It opens up a can of worms that usually requires you to take a trip to the machine shop. All 2F manifolds at this point are warped to some degree if they've never been refurbished and separating the intake from the exhaust ensures that the misfit will be even worse when you try to bolt it back on without getting it machined first.

I hear ya, but it was leaking exhaust through there as well - ugh

 

[wngrog]

But is it better quality than OEM?

It’s thicker. It’s soft. Ever since I started using them I never worried about having The manifolds machined.

 

[wngrog]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B2HMHQU/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[HemiAlex]

I had my manifolds planed while they were off by a competent machine shop. I used a fel-pro gasket and I've not had an issue in 15,000 miles.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

So the trick is if you pull them apart to get machined.... add the new or cleaned rings, add the cleaned heat riser plate and new gaskets, bolt them tight, THEN get it machined.
If you pull it apart after its machined that's when the trouble can occur at putting them together thereafter as @OSS stated.
That's where I went wrong.
So recently I pulled mine off again and reinstalled w/ the three vertical bolts holding each manifold together loose. So to get them lined up correct, I installed w/o a gasket, tightened the manifolds to the head w/ the 4 middle bolts and two nuts. Once I had those all snug only then did I tighten the three vertical manifold bolts. After I did that I pulled the joined manifolds off and since have added a remflex. I've already blown two Toyota gaskets and I had the remflex so I've decided to not take anymore chances on a pricey oem.
I'm almost ready to blow the truck up at this point. If it doesn't fire up like I believe it should, I might be done.
That's my two cents of all I've figured out thus far.

 

[Bama4door]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B2HMHQU/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the link, just ordered. Do you think the exhaust manifold gasket is thick enough to run just one gasket? I've read we're people run 2 felpro's to accommodate for warped manifold.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

The remflex is seriously by eye at least two to three of the oem graphite material. It can crush to 50%. It has specific directions to the bolt tightening sequence, different from the fsm. And when you take it out of the package the looks one side to the other may throw you, one is smooth, the other is sorta choppy from being made. It only goes on one way.

 

[SteveH]

I have used Fel Pro intake/exh. gaskets on 2Fs for years with good success. Keeping all the bolts and nuts tight is key to any gasket lasting. And also torquing them well beyond Toyota's silly low torque value.

 

[FJStan]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B2HMHQU/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have one on order, now, thank you!!

Question - what are the 2 square like gaskets (3 bolts) on the left bottom of this picture?

 

[wngrog]

One gasket only.

Also it comes with 2F and 1F exhaust to Intake manifold gaskets.

This thing gets rid of the need for 2 gaskets .

Absolutely a no brainer. I don’t use any sequence and I never have to retorque them.

 

[wngrog]

I bought a sheet of this stuff and made carburetor gaskets out of it to kill a vacuum leak. It’s a total game changer.