Intake assembly question

[tompumped]

Is there a way to assemble an intake wrong?
I have an intake from my first sho that I disassembled and cleaned. After I cleaned it I could never get the intake to seat right after. I was planning on using this on my new sho. Is it possible that I swapped the runner position causing this issue? I read to bolt the intake up with the hose clamps loose.
I think I remember not knowing which set of runners went on which side, it was years ago.

 

[HotRodKid]

the runners are universal, the entire intake can be turned around on the heads, and the plenums can be turned around on the runners. if it doesnt seat right theres either something in the way, the runners are bent, or a bolt / stud is bent

i have 3 intakes here and i can toss all the parts in a pile, jumble them up, and slap 3 complete intakes together in no time flat with no regard for which parts came from where.

 

[tompumped]

thanks
The intake sealed before I disassembled it. I will try it on this car, but this time i'll loosen the clamps when I tighten it.
.

 

[rubydist]

You need the clamps loose as you tighten it to the block, then everything can align as needed and you can tighten the clamps after you have torqued those 12 bolts to the engine.

 

[tompumped]

Hopefully that was my mistake, i'll try it after the valve adjustment.

 

[K-Dawg]

Yeah, some times it takes some fiddling to get it to seat completely. Make sure you don't have any hoses or wires in the way, and be sure that the gaskets stay in place.

 

[93rev2sev]

The butterflies can be put on the wrong sides...it'll still work..but the vacuum lines will be pointing toward the DIS and not the TB .

 

[jayro]

The first time I took my intake apart I tried to install it with the hose clamps already tight. There was NO way. Since I have taken it apart a # of times and never had an issue as long as the clamps are loose.

Jeremy

 

[johndallara]

intake re-assembly

yep, that is the key. as long as the runner clamps are loose, the intake should seat nicely. don't forget to re-tighten them (duh).

JD

 

[tompumped]

I didn't get around to it until last week, thanks.
I can't believe I didn't realize that back then, but I didn't know half of what I know now pertaining to cars. I went crazy trying to get it to seal.
I actually drilled out the dowel holes in the runners.
It still leaked.

 

[operdot]

I actually drilled out the dowel holes in the runners.
It still leaked.

No wonder,
There should be a requirement of a mechanics degree before people are allowed to work on their shos. I seems a lot of the issues that people have stem from improper installation of parts.


On another note
How is this performance related?

 

[bubba]

there's no way to put them on wrong, there is a "R" and a "L" on the buttterflys! Do like I like I do and leave the tb on, and you should have no problem.

 

[tompumped]

I posted in the wrong forum. I didn't realize.

Like I said it was years ago, I was 17 it was my first car. I didn't know much about cars. I taught myself a lot of what I know. I'm sure you would've known exactly what to do being put in the same exact scenario. :shakehead
Oh and I did get a certificate from Lincoln Tech when I was 19, but the program had hardly any hands on. Hence why I taught myself.
I still have the runners, and they would probably seal the holes weren't drilled out that much. It wasn't sitting flush that's why it leaked.
Now with this car I had no problems this time.

 

[Winterhawk]

Can I reuse the intake manifold gaskets?

 

[K-Dawg]

As long as the black gasket coating is not chipped off too much, you can reuse them.

 

[94BCSHO]

As long as the black gasket coating is not chipped off too much, you can reuse them.

ya.....no
Im training to be an Automotive Service Techinican and we were taught that even if a gasket looks fine you should never reuse it after its been taken off the car

 

[bubba]

Yeah I agree.... I had some that looked great, and still had an intake leak! spend the extra couple of bucks and get new..... There will be all of the gaskets you need to do the intake!

 

[tompumped]

I honestly didn't think i'd see any noticeable increase in performance whatsoever, but I did. Change the gaskets, even though people say if they aren't cracked reuse them.
I doubt it was from the cleaner intake manifold mainly. It was probably the gaskets, because my clamps were retightend when i got the car.

 

[tompumped]

ya.....no
Im training to be an Automotive Service Techinican and we were taught that even if a gasket looks fine you should never reuse it after its been taken off the car

I agree for the most part, but you are being taught theory. In the real world people reuse intake gaskets. My intake gaskets are only 3 months old and they have been reused three times, I guess I should've wasted my money. I only reused the intake runner to head gaskets. People have even resprayed their gaskets with black spray paint and had good results.

 

[38SHO]

the intake manifold to head gaskets are the ones that are worrysome about reusing

the other ones for the runners/butterflies/plenums can be reused if seated properly, not cracked, or blown out... they are a thicker material that is more confomrning..... however I would only be doing this on something I have put new gaskets on recently and was just taking it apart to toy with it.... if this was an original intake that was never taken apart, I would DEFINTELY put on new gaskets... I find older gaskets get brittle, especially the paper on the thin metal runner to head gaskets....

it really is just best to redo everything though, new gaskets, new couplers(unless u just bought them and installed them recently) I defintely wouldn't take apart an intake and re-use original couplers or clamps....... plus silicone ones will look a lot cleaner/nicer...