fuel filter, regulator question

[shadango]

As for the gaskets, the most important thing to remember is that you don't want to suck any gasket into the intake. Matching the holes in your spacer, or at the top of te intake, are secondary concerns. Using the divided gasket on top of the spacer, and an open one below, is acceptable.

Now you have me wondering....

I used the divided gasket thatwas provided with the spacer on the manifold surface.....then used the one i trimmed on the top of the spacer......but i kept the center "diamond" shape, to mate with the carb....But I am wondering if this will mean "sucking gasket into the intake" since the spacer doesnt have the diamond ?

[shadango]

It is a fair amount of work but your heat cross over under the intake is open , , I would remove the intake & block the heat cross over port with a peice cut out of the old gasket & re-install the intake , you could go to the RPM Air gap intake to further reduce manifold heat , I have found the alum reflector plates under the carb can haelp a lot as well

Chryco,   Can you tell me how to identify the heat crossover port on my edelbrock performer?  All I can Id is the intake prots and the coolant passages.   

[Chryco Psycho]

the crossover port is the small one in the center between the 2 pairs of intake poorts on each side

[shadango]

Thanks Chryco.

I ended up not blocking it and will probably be kicking myself for not doing it....but I have plans to pull the intake again at some point to paint it....

I wasnt feeling comfortable with my options for blocking it...was worried I would mess up the sealing action of the rest of the surface so I passed until I can figure that out.

If the RTV I used on the ends of the intake wasnt thick enough or doesnt hold I will be pulling the intake for sure again anyways....LOL

I just want to make sure the engine will still run at this point.

[Chryco Psycho]

you were in there & have heating problems , no way I would have left it open

[shadango]

I didn't have any metai to use as a blocker and I didn't understand what you meant by using a piece of the old gasket in there.....

Wouldnt putting anything else in there, just in that spot, cause sealing issues?  I didnt want to take the chance considering the other concerns I am already facing.

I chickened out when I wasn't of what to do and couldnt find anything definitive on the forum.....

Well, at least this way I know if the wood spacer helps or not....

[Chryco Psycho]

the old gasket has steel in the gasket so  all I do is trim out a piece of the old gasket large enough to fill the port in in the new gasket

[shadango]

the old gasket has steel in the gasket so  all I do is trim out a piece of the old gasket large enough to fill the port in in the new gasket

My old gasket seems to be just cardboard.....

How would you keep the added piece from simply falling into the port?   My new and the old gaskets had exact cutouts around the ports?

[Chryco Psycho]

I use the FelPro gaskets & the port is larger in the gasket then in the head

[shadango]

I use the FelPro gaskets & the port is larger in the gasket then in the head

Gotcha.  Makes sense now.

Well, like i said....I do plan on pulling the intake again at some point so I can paint silver so maybe i can figure out a way to block it then.

Do you happen to know the torque specs for the intake wih my performer manifold on J heads?

I think I have some small vacuum leaks still right around one of the runners on each side     ...

I tightened the bolts by hand using a 9/16" box end and feel like I have them as tight as they were originally but wondering if I am not getting enough 'squish" out of the gaskets yet and need to go tighter.  Afraid to strip the bolt holes though.....previous installers pulled the threads some on two bolt holes...I used a slightly longer bolt on one and am ok...need to replace the other though...dont want to strip any others.....

[mopar12372]

did you tighten the bolts from the center out in a criss cross pattern ? an intake usually dosnt need to be at exact torque spec . tightening to the proper porque spec is good practice if every thing is flat and not warped or has core shift . yes there are things that HAVE to be torqued .25 foot pounds should do it

[shadango]

did you tighten the bolts from the center out in a criss cross pattern ? an intake usually dosnt need to be at exact torque spec . tightening to the proper porque spec is good practice if every thing is flat and not warped or has core shift . yes there are things that HAVE to be torqued .25 foot pounds should do it

Yep....center out, criss cross pattern.

Turns out the leaks were at the carb base gasket.  I *think* I am OK (leak wise) on the intake.