Build The Clustertruck Rides Again - Refurbishing a 1975 Chevota

[RWBeringer4x4]

Checked the plugs and coolant - no sign of oil there so it still seems sealed internally.

Naturally - this happened while checking:

So now I’ll be buying a new spark plug wire too. The joys of project cars...

Dimensionally the two blocks should be virtually identical, and the gasket seemed to line up ok with both.

I’m curious if there’s a better stile to seal an aluminum intake to a cast block... these FelPro gaskets looked good.

I’ll definitely check the valve cover gaskets first but I strongly suspect it’s something with the intake.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Interesting - lots of literature out on the internet suggesting Edelbrock recommends NOT using the FelPro Permatroque gaskets with their aluminum intakes because the are too hard, and won't compress sufficiently at the recommended aluminum intake torque.

Guess what gaskets I used?

Granted, FelPro swears they work fine. And plenty of other folks are on the other side of the table saying they used them with no issue, but Edelbrock apparently recommends the "Printo-seal" style gaskets.

Really, it doesn't make sense to me - it seems like whether it's aluminum or cast iron, the manifold gets torqued to 25 ft lbs, it should compress the gasket the same. Just grasping at straws at this point...

 

[Cdaniel]

Different thermal expansion rates for steel vs aluminum causing a temporary relief in torque?

 

[pb4ugo]

I've been running an Edelbrock dual plane intake and using felpro gaskets for 20 or 30 yrs with no problems, except for a slight leak sometimes at the thermostat housing. I don't use sealant around the water jacket ports. I think the gasket is a crush seal type gasket, like a head gasket. I think the added rtv might add to the thickness of the gasket and screws up the sealing surface for the rest of the ports. That's just my opinion. I only use sealant in the corners of where the intake valley and the head meet, and usually use the supplied rubber seals on the ends instead of a bead of RTV. It's strange you see oil coming up from the bolts too.

As for the locker, You might see a slight increase in fuel mileage without it.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

I've been running an Edelbrock dual plane intake and using felpro gaskets for 20 or 30 yrs with no problems, except for a slight leak sometimes at the thermostat housing. I don't use sealant around the water jacket ports. I think the gasket is a crush seal type gasket, like a head gasket. I think the added rtv might add to the thickness of the gasket and screws up the sealing surface for the rest of the ports. That's just my opinion. I only use sealant in the corners of where the intake valley and the head meet, and usually use the supplied rubber seals on the ends instead of a bead of RTV. It's strange you see oil coming up from the bolts too.

As for the locker, You might see a slight increase in fuel mileage without it.

Called Edelbrock today. They told me the exact same thing. Not all FelPro gaskets are “bad” in this application. The fiber and “Printoseal” style are ok. It’s specifically the blue “permatorque” type gaskets that are fiber/steel laminate that seem to have issues. They’re steel core, and designed for stock, cast iron manifolds torqued to 45ft.lbs. Aluminum intakes only get torqued to 25 ft lbs. and don’t compress the gasket enough to form a good seal.

Sounds like I’ll be pulling the intake and putting in some new gaskets.

 

[mrboatman]

Now that sucks, never heard that before but learn something new everyday. The deal with the torque differences does make sense.
JP

 

[pb4ugo]

I m pretty sure I've never looked at the Edelbrock instructions when I put a new a new alum. intake on a SBC, or BBC. When i do install one I usually just tighten it up following the GM tightening sequence. A couple of times in the past, I've tried to torque it down per GM specs, but I found I could never get the 4 center bolts(2 on each side) torqued properly because the socket and TQ wrench would interfere with the raised carb mounting surface. I'm sure they are over 25ftlbs and are closer to GM spec. I do use the blue permatorque felpro gasket also.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

I m pretty sure I've never looked at the Edelbrock instructions when I put a new a new alum. intake on a SBC, or BBC. When i do install one I usually just tighten it up following the GM tightening sequence. A couple of times in the past, I've tried to torque it down per GM specs, but I found I could never get the 4 center bolts(2 on each side) torqued properly because the socket and TQ wrench would interfere with the raised carb mounting surface. I'm sure they are over 25ftlbs and are closer to GM spec. I do use the blue permatorque felpro gasket also.

Yeah, there are plenty of folks out in cyberspace who say the same thing - that they've used the permatorque gaskets with great success on aluminum intakes. I even found a thread in the FelPro forums where folks were asking the same questions, and the FelPro representative said it should work fine, and they don't know why Edelbrock makes the distinction.

Regardless - I have leaking intake manifold gaskets. They're supposed to be crush-sealed, so I can't reuse them, so new gaskets will need to go in. I'll use the Edelbrock gaskets that they recommended, install per their instructions, and see what happens.

100% correct on the torque issue - I tightened these "by feel" as well, in the proper torque pattern, because there is no way to get a socket and a torque wrench on those inner bolts. That said, I did check them, they are still plenty tight, to the point where I'd really have to push to tighten them further. Given the circumstances, might as well start over before I break something else.

I needed to drain the radiator anyway to hook the heater back up, so I can kill a couple of birds with this stone...

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

In more positive news - I got a really heavy shipment from Takekichi Japan today.

And this death trap also showed up:

Really I need it to pull fence posts and stumps around the yard, but I’m sure it will live on the truck down the road.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

More setbacks - this time because I listened to the guy at Edelbrock who told me the Edelbrock 7102 intake gaskets would be a match for my application. They’re also listed as a stock replacement gasket all over the interwebs so I took his word for it.

Pulled the carb, dizzy, and intake. Everything still looks clean inside...

Spent some time plugging the ports with towels, the scraping gasket gunk.

Then, my summit racing order showed up with the new manifold gaskets - and fits of rage ensued.

The port size is huge, compared to my tiny stock heads. On top of that, the top of this gaskets conflicts with the valve cover, so I’d need to trim it to get it to fit.

No big deal except by my measurement I’d only have about 1/8” of sealing surface left on top.

It says “designed for Edelbrock RPM and Performer heads.

Looks like Mr. Gasket 5820 or Fel Pro 1256 would be a better match - but naturally nobody carries them locally - so I’m stuck - and get to spend more money on shipping.

Everyone around here seems to cary either the old paper style or the steel core FelPro that (hopefully) caused the issue in the first place...

On a semi related note: which side of the manifold do you guys think the PCV valve dumps into?

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Intake gasket round 3.

-Fel Pro was too rigid...
-Edelbrock’s ports were too big
- Mr. Gasket 5820 was just right.

I had to drive 30 miles one way to find it in stock on a Sunday, but a Pep Boys up in Delaware happened to carry it.

I have no experience with Mr. Gasket but this seems to be the same, more fiber-based, non steel-core intake gasket as the incorrectly sized Edelbrock gasket, so I’m hoping it works. The close off the exhaust crossovers but I decided to leave them closed - maybe it will help keep the carb a bit cooler. I don’t have a divorced choke or a heat riser so the crossover isn’t necessary. I’m guessing the exhaust gas will eventually but through anyway...

Gaskets got stuck to the heads with gasketsinch with black RTV around the water jackets.

I ditched the end seals and used black RTV instead. This seems to be common wisdom for SBC’s. I’m always worried I didn’t use enough. I guess we will see if there are vacuum leaks when I fire it up again.

ARP liquid bolt sealer on the manifold bolts (again)

Then torqued to spec (25 ftlbs).

Fingers crossed this all holds together - this gasket is a pain to get to and I’m always paranoid I’ll drop something catastrophic into one of the ports or the lifter valley. Not a job I want to repeat in 600 more miles...

 

[Cdaniel]

Common SBC PCV connection is passenger side rear. Usually closest to the big port on a qjet. But where ever makes sense depending on your combo of parts. Just as long as the breather is on the opposite side.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Common SBC PCV connection is passenger side rear. Usually closest to the big port on a qjet. But where ever makes sense depending on your combo of parts. Just as long as the breather is on the opposite side.

I’ve always used the big manifold vacuum port up front. I always thought the rear port was for a brake booster. Then again, I just run the brake booster off the manifold instead and leave the rear port plugged.

Its not so much a question of where it hooks up - I was just marveling at how filthy the side of the intake that pulls in the oil vapor is after 600 miles as compared to the side without the PCV port.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Another weird problem -

I ordered an OEM rear tire carrier bumper to replace my old, rotten one. Oddly, the new one is significantly (about 1cm) shorter than the old one. With the existing dent in the rear door from the bumper, even the old one barely reached. You can see how few threads are left behind the jam nut to get the bumper to touch the door. With the shorter threads on the new bumper, it doesn’t come close:

Solution - a 8mmx1.25 stud and a coupling nut that, collectively, cost more than the bumper.

Problem solved - though I will probably need to grind down the new bumper a bit. As it stands I get about 2 threads of the stud into the coupler - otherwise, it is actually too long.

Next I’ll need to devise a way to space out the lower bumper - which, whether the upper bumper is present or not, doesn’t touch the rear sill. Hard to see in the picture but there’s probably a 1/8” gap.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Not a lot of progress on the FJ40 lately - mostly because my wife and I welcomed this little nugget into the world:

We named her Avery. Will she be a future cruiserhead? My money is on her being a horse-lady like her mom, but maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Long story short, I’ve got 16 years to finish the cruiser before Avery can drive it - and based on the amount of free time I’ve had lately, it will take all 16 years!

Back to the Clustertruck - it’s back on the road. I managed to get the new intake gaskets installed they day before my wife went into labor. When we got back from the hospital, I ran it back through a fresh tune. The new gaskets blocked the exhaust crossover ports - the truck is actually much quieter now, with an improved exhaust note. I was also able to get the idle quite a bit smoother, the obnoxious PCV valve sucking noise MIGHT be gone, and the truck might even run a bit cooler, but that could also be the cooler weather we’ve been having. Wondering if I had more than an oil leak...

I also got my new City Racer LLC 16” OEM style wheels, hubcaps, and some new 7.5R16 BFG KM3’s installed. Love how they look!

BEFORE:

DURING:

Note: I was surprised to find a couple lug nuts on the old rims had backed themselves off to finger tight. Yikes....

I also retorqued the knuckle studs but they all hadn’t moved.

AFTER:

Now with a quieter motor I can hear some sort of an intermittent “rubbing” sound which will require some investigation. Not sure if it’s something to do with the new tires (I don’t see any conflict) or just a sound that has always been there, but was masked by the previously louder engine.

 

[Jdc1]

Congrats on your new arrival. My oldest(almost 11) is an Avery as well.

The new shoes look great! Make sure to get some rest and take care of the new Mom.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Congrats on your new arrival. My oldest(almost 11) is an Avery as well.

The new shoes look great! Make sure to get some rest and take care of the new Mom.

Cool! Boy or girl? We loved the name but we were a little undecided because it’s traditionally a boy’s name. Seems to have shifted in recent years, but it’s not a super common name around here.

Sleep deprivation has definitely set in...but mom, baby, and I are figuring it out.

 

[Jdc1]

Cool! Boy or girl? We loved the name but we were a little undecided because it’s traditionally a boy’s name. Seems to have shifted in recent years, but it’s not a super common name around here.

Sleep deprivation has definitely set in...but mom, baby, and I are figuring it out.

My Avery is a girl. There are a handful of little girls named Avery in our community. I learned with our first to sleep when the baby sleeps. Youll get 8 hrs, just not all at once. If you have a second, everything goes out the window and it turns into survival of the fittest.

 

[Cdaniel]

Congrats new mom and dad!

 

[waiting for time]

Congratulations on your dougther and getting your 40 back on the road.