Best Head Gasket for my 427 SO

[steve meltzer]

OK, Mr. Lykins (et al) take me through the steps you do to replace the gasket...

1) Clean the day lights out of all three surfaces

2) do you apply the gasket to the heads as a separate step from the rest? I did, and after setting the gasket on the head with rtv, laid the intake manifold down on it to hold it in place X 24 hrs (i'm not in a big hurry...no time crunch)

3) came back some time later, may have been a few days, and put rtv on the intake side of the already applied gasket, put "The Right Stuff" across the front and back...no gasket there.

4) Had a friend to help me carefully set the intake down nice and square, and carefully torqued to about 32 foot-lbs...slowly in probaby 4 rounds of 'cross the intake pattern.

5) Pat myself on the ass for being so ^^&$%()*$@ smart, buttoned it up and then observe the leak from where I f'd up

thanx steve

[steve meltzer]

Thanx again, Large Arbor....think i'll go thata way. s

[steve meltzer]

Hi Patrick, you're comments have always been so helpful...I think the "white tornado" is gone, but the oil leak has been there for several years. I believe they are unrelated, and I thought I had it all done with this most recent intake manifold gasket R&R. Wrong!
(thanx for the Amazon link....Jeff Bezos and I should be on a first name basis by now...that an eBay are the way I shop...except for clothes, which I try to buy about once a decade at Costco) s

[blykins]

You seem to have done everything correctly.

I would make sure the intake is not out as far as angle/flatness/etc.

I would also switch to another sealant, as I have had the Right Stuff become porous and leak exactly the way that you're seeing, except in the front. I used to use the Right Stuff until it did that to me....then never again.

Also, make sure you force the sealant into the crotch of that area. I always aim my caulking gun into that area and squeeze the trigger to make sure silicone goes as far as it can into it. If there's any little hole there whatsoever, oil will find it.

Remember, the head drains are pointed RIGHT AT the china walls. Run the sealant up high enough on the intake gasket so that it builds a dam to keep oil away.

If you want to use what I use, grab a tube of Dow Corning 732 clear silicone off of Amazon. It's FE proof and it's all that I have been using for several years.

[steve meltzer]

thanx. so much. s

[steve meltzer]

Just spoke with Lyle at Southern, the original builder of the engine. He doesn't like the expensive Fel Pro gasket, preferring either the Mr. Gasket 202A or the Edelbrock 7224. He uses only enough gray RTV (he uses Locktite brand) to hold the gasket in place and only on the head side. Never any on the intake side. Bolts torqued to about 30#. Generous RTV on the ends and the juncture of the head/intake/motor. s

[1795]

Originally Posted by blykins

You seem to have done everything correctly.

I would make sure the intake is not out as far as angle/flatness/etc.

Steve,

On my FE in the ERA I was having problems with oil leakage and blown intake gaskets. Put the intake manifold on a table and it wobbled from side to side; it was out of kilter. Had to order a new one. Make sure that the intake is flat. Even the best manufactures will have a bad casting.

Good luck.

Jim

[steve meltzer]

Thanx for all of the great info. Would putting some grease or vaseline on the intake for a trial fitting help any here? Also, is there a specific torque pattern recommended? Torque value? thanx steve

[steve meltzer]

OK, I found the torque and tightening sequence. thanx. s

[steve meltzer]

Just in from the garage and took off the intake from the cast iron 427 SO, only to discover two seemingly new issues....one is new for sure.

1) Not sure this is new, but as I removed the push rods, i noted that two of them, at least, were bent. I was so flabergasted that I didn't pay attention to whether or not they came from the same cylinder. That sure seems weird to me, esp. since the car never gets driven hard. Other than replacing them, anything i need to watch for, or check first??

2) There was clearly a broken tooth on the distributor drive gear. About 1/2 broken off. Picture attached. What, if anything do i do about the missing chipped tooth. Maybe Patrick's daughter, a dentist would have a rec! I understand that I'll need to replace the gear, but can i just drain the oil and hope for the best or?? It's mate on the cam.

thanx steve

[maurice19]

Steve,
Did he build the engine that you have been having the leak from?


Maurice

[steve meltzer]

I don't think Lyle was there when the engine was built 16 years ago, and, I did the intake manifold gasket about 4 years ago for the same issue. Used the expensive Fel-Pro + the Ford silicone then, too. s

[Large Arbor]

I trial fit my intake on without gaskets and it fit tight, even better than it had before the heads milled by .004. Adding the TA31 cured the intake leaks with no gaskets.

Phil

[steve meltzer]

whipped by now, so let me get a fresh start in the AM. (or, actuallyl, later this AM!) s

[Gaz64]

We all understand Steve, sometimes a fresh start in the next day is good.

[steve meltzer]

OK, got the intake manifold gasket on with no leaks...but it took adult supervision and lots of "The Right Stuff" (which I used before) to get her dry. Drove her yesterday in the excellent weather and no there were no disappointments. But, since I've run out of room, she'll be for sale soon. thanx again. steve

[patrickt]

OK, so now the car: 1) starts normally (without eating flywheel or starter motor teeth); 2) idles normally (with no gas flying out the top or sides of the carb); 3) accelerates normally; 4) cruises normally; and 5) leaves no puddles?

[steve meltzer]

Hard to believe, but yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!! way cool. s

[undy]

I would, at a minimum, spin that engine and carefully inspect the cam gear through the distributor hole. Chances are the cam is damaged too, requiring replacement.

[patrickt]

Well, I can't remember ever changing out an FE intake and bending two PRs and munging the distributor gear in the process. Leaks? Yes. Misalignments? Yes. Cracking pieces? Yes. Leaving wrenches in the valley? Yes. But never bending rods and eating gears. But I guess it's possible though.