Re: Help needed to fix intake manifold leaks

[Angus Holliday <trstag@domain.elided>]

At 11:16 PM 4/24/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Does anyone have any suggestions on what type of gasket material and/or
>gasket sealer to use to get rid of a intake manifold vacuum leak where
>the manifold bolts up to the heads?  Both Joe Pawlak and I have found
>major vacuum leaks in this area which need to be repaired to get our
>Stags to idle properly.  Neither of us have a problem with coolant
>leaks - just vacuum leaks.  We've both applied Hylomar to the gaskets
>during assembly.  I have paper gaskets, and I think Joe said something
>about using asbestos gaskets.
We use hylomar with no problems though the manifold should be fitted as
specified in the manual
(one loose head etc)  with the proper gaskets.  Use of silicone is a very
bad thing,It gets squished into the coolant passages and plugs them up.
Also Silicone turns to a jelly-like substance in the presence of Gasoline.
>
<snip> I heard that the flammable carb cleaner
>that was being used by the shop tech to find the vacuum leaks was
>ignited by a carb backfire.  Joe was able to drive his Stag home,
>but it appears that he has a lot of work ahead of him to make it
>presentable again.
I don't believe in using carb cleaner etc for leak detection.  It can cause
fires and is hard on the engine paint.  I also find it can cause a leak
where none existed before, by dissolving the gasket sealant. 
I use WD40 which does none of the above but still finds the leak.  BTW Its
the *only* thing that I have ever found WD-40 to be good for!  

Walter Holliday
Stag Specialists N.A.
520 792 0294