Thread: Anyone have a good way of blocking the exhaust crossover ports on FE390 Heads

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Hello friends. Just got my Edelbrock Performer intake in for my FE390 and getting ready to install it. I want to block the openings on the heads which are next to the intake ports #7 and #2. I think that these are called the intake crossover ports but I may be wrong. I'm including an image of #7 intake port and the port in question. The other is next to #2 intake port. I was going to use a very thin metal with just a pinch of gasket glue to hold them in place while I install the intake but wondered if any of you good folks had a better solution. I'm not as concerned about blocking the intake as I am about making sure no oil seeps into the port on the head as the exhaust valves #7 and #2 located inside these ports were blowing oil into my headers due to a problem with my previous intake and the fact that I didn't have nothing but intake gasket material covering these before. Any tips about doing this would be greatly appreciated. As always many thanks for taking the tiport2.JPGme to help me. Can't wait to get this car running smoke free.

Does the Edel Performer have exhaust passages???? If not-it will block them

It does have the passages built in.

So Stotzbotz,
Seems to me that if you have the right intake gaskets, and if the intake to head to valley interface is correct (block decked or heads milled requires adjustment of the intake mating surfaces, or the "china wall" for proper spacing) you'd be better off leaving the crossover ports functional, to improve cold/cool weather driveability, and quicker warmups in cold weather. Now given your Tallahassee location you may not be concerned with cool weather, but I'd still consider leaving the passages functional. There's no reason for your smoke to be due to those ports if your gaskets are sealing right.

The ports on the heads are shaped differently from the ports on the intake and the Felpro gaskets have no holes in them for ports nor do they have any metal plates built into the gaskets to help with sealing these off. I've made 2 covers for these port holes out of very thin metal that will block them completely. The gaskets will lay directly over them and the new Edelbrock performer will seal the deal.

you are about to be introduced to the world of internal vacuum leaks.

Originally Posted by shine

you are about to be introduced to the world of internal vacuum leaks.

Amen, Brother Shine.

First of all I appreciate everyone's opinions about my problems and your possible solutions. Let's not be too hasty in putting down my set up until I get it on the road and test it out though. I have done a lot of research about this situation and take everything into consideration when making a final approach to the solution. Most people who have dealt with this issue have used tin plates to cut these passages off or stuffed different things into the holes which I do not prefer to do. My plates are extremely thin and should not cause any breach in the sealing of the intake ports. I will see how this goes, measure my vacuum after a while and let you folks know what's going on. Don't put me down for not listening to your advise but admire me for trying something different.

Stotbotz, a thought popped into my head in the middle of the night - "If the problem is truly the intake crossover ports, where's the oil coming from?" I'm thinking that new poster rubyrides hit the nail on the head in your older post on this problem. You've got gasket problems to the valley area, which is also what shine mentioned above.

Does your set up have an exhaust heat riser valve ( IIRC on the left exhaust manifold??)

Originally Posted by DennyW

Go back to sleep now roger...

Denny, what I'm saying is that those ports can't have anything to do with smoking from oil. The problem has to be a gasket, or machining that has the gaps messed up. Focusing on blocking the crossover ports is missing the point, IMO.

the gaskets he has are block off gaskets.

He may be running headers that will creat a vacume impulse and suck oil into the pipes (if unsealed ports because of angles, fitment,etc letting oil into passage) This vacume impulse doesn't exist with FE type stock exhaust componets-usually
there is positive pressure in these passages. And--IF it is leaking there you will get exhaust carbon traces into the valley because the exhaust pressure is greater than the intake vacume

Originally Posted by DennyW

Ok, but what I was saying in my other post, you need to check that. You can do that by using plasti-gauge, or thick soft paper, and torquing the intake in place. No gaskets. Then, using a simple mic, you can measure any spots that does, or doesn't make a sealing impression. If you hold the thick paper sideways, you can see it also. I understand what you guys are saying, but it's very simple to see where the problem is. You can even check the angles, with a simple angle gauge. That is all I'm trying to say. Plus, he was asking how to seal those ports off.

If you really read everything that stotzbotz wrote, he's asking how to seal the crossover ports because he believes that they are the source of his oil leaking into the cylinders. Guys have been sealing crossover ports for ages, but not to cure sucking oil.

He believes its the source for leaking into his exhaust