Just put on my new Blue Thunder intake and used a stock gassket set with that steel valley pan like they recommended. What a pain in the a$$ that pan is. Well, it gave me what seems to be a small leak. Runs kinda ruff and back fires through the carb when I step on it. Vac leak somewhere..... They said to block off the heat riser port with some shim stock to keep that hot air from flowing into the intake. I'm guessing the .017" thick stock might have been a little to thick and my leak might be there. So the intake is coming off again, some thinner shim stock is going in. Should I put in another stock gasket set with that valley pan? Silicone between all surfaces? Instructions said to silicone gasket to head, put on valley pan, silicone intake to that. Said nothing about sealer between gasket and pan. I've read about putting a thin coating of grease between pan and intake. For an Edelbrock Performer they recommend using the Fel-Pro 1228 gassket with that silicone ring. I have an extra set of those laying around. Any input???????
I don't use anything around the ports, and a thin coat of black rtv at the front and rear valley area. most fel-pro sets come with block off tabs you could use, even without their gasket.
On those motors that gap at the front and back is like 1/4". I always just put a big bead of RTV and toss the little rubber peices that come with the set. Don't know if I'd trust the heads to match up the intake "that" good to where I'd just bolt it on. IMOP--- In my case, that would be just asking for trouble.
The Jalopy Journal
