makeing your own gaskets??

[I'll_SHO_U]

Since I'm changeing the thermostat it makes sense to clean the intake and IAB valve. I wondered if anyones made the intake or throttle body gaskets? Is thickness an issue? Am I wasteing my time? The plug well gaskets are also leaking a little and since I can't pony up $120 for those gaskets is it possible to reuse them with a non excessive amount of black RTV for the time being? I'm actually looking forward to takeing off that damn good looking manifold but wanna be sure I these issues addressed since I won't have another car to run to the parts store to get somethin I've forgotten. I would wait till I could get the correct gaskets in a couple weeks but after haveing this www.neshospecialists.com haunt my dreams I have a sense of urgency to get started.

I tryed geting a service record from a ford dealership near by and was told my 92 was too old to get anything. Am I being brushed off by a small town dealership or is that how it is?

Finally, the last thing on my question asking agenda, is it wrong to be giddy about getting the 60k tuneup video or just crazy?

 

[shojuan]

Still not cheap but you can get the 6 plug well seals plus the 2 valve cover gaskets in a felpro set from autozone for about $73. Some people have siliconed old leaky plug well gaskets but it's definately not the most desirable thing to do. If you do somehow manage to get the gasket set then make sure you clean the sealing surfaces really well. Right before you are ready to assemble give a final wipe down of the sealing surfaces with a residue free solvent like acetone or brake cleaner (I used acetone. You can get it it a gallon container from walmart in the paint section). Allow a few moments for it too dry.

When using new seals: The plug well seals you want to install dry. The valve cover gaskets you want to use a small blob of O2 sensor safe (permatex ultra gray is good) silicone in the corners of each half circle on the cylinder head. Also, the front half circle on the left side you'll notice is rough textured. You'll want to smear a thin layer of the silicone over this surface connecting the two blobs that you put in the corners. It will make sense when you have it apart and cleaned up.

Rick

 

[rangerj]

I'll SHO U,

I have made a new gasket for the throttle body (TB) from sheet stock gasket material. I do not remember the thickness of the sheet stock, but the TB gasket thickness is not critical.

This does not mean that you can put in a 1/2 inch thick gasket (exageration to make point). The gasket thickness is about the same as gasket material for a thermostat (not the SHO, it uses an "O" ring to seal the thermostat).

That having been said, if I could have gotten the gasket I would have purchased one. If I remember right the gasket is about $2. I made one because I could not find one within a 50 mile radious, and could not wait a couple days to have one shipped in.

As for the intake manifold gasket, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT MAKING IT. Buy a set of intake manifold gaskets. If you remove the secondaries, there are TWO gaskets on EACH side, one in front of the secondy tubes, and one behind the tubes (ON EACH SIDE)

There are also gaskets for the water box that is around the TB. These gaskets should be part of a "complete" intake gasket set, which is what you should get before you do this job.

If the car is running OK, why do this "half-assed"? Gather your parts and gaskets a little bit at a time, to spread out the cost IMHO.

You are right to gather up what you need before taking anything apart. If you find out you need something, after you open it up, you may find that it takes awhile to find, and get, the thing you need. Thats the SHO for you.

SHO NUT and fordpartsonline are very responsive and have "next day" delivery (for the cost of the shipping), and "two day" delivery, which is quite a bit less than "next day", if you need a part real quick.

Good luck on you project, and your SHO. LOL thumbs_u rangerj

 

[billh]

You might want to invest in a tube of the Ford brand silicone. It's not cheap, about $12.00 from the Ford parts department, but the stuff is far superior to the silicones you get from the auto parts store. When we did my valve adjustment, we used the Ford stuff. The guy who actually did the work insisted on it.

 

[LaTechSHO]

it kind of amuses me to think that everyone assumes ford makes everything that they sell..... i have a hard time believing that for manufactures thier own silicone gasket sealant... i would imagine it is made by permatex or something....

Louis

 

[SHOZ123]

If you plug off the PCV line going from the Tb to the valve cover you will stop your plug well oil problem.