Thread: SBC Intake manifold bolt questions

Tweet

OK, I'll apoligize in advance if some of these questions are dumb, but better to ask a dumb one than do it wrong...
Anyway, I was planning on having my engine built and have been collecting parts to have the "builder" use as I've been going along, but I ended up buying a complete finished engine this past weekend. One of the accessory sets I already had was a set of ARP polished stainless steel 12 pt intake manifold bolts, so I'd like to remove the plain bolts they used when they installed the manifold and replace them with my stainless ARP bolts.
A few questions relative to this...
- Should I remove and replace these one at a time?
- Is there any particular order I should do this?
- Do they need any kind of sealant or thread locker?
- If so how do I clean out the ex. holes after I remove the ex. bolts?
- Is there any issue with stainless bolts going into a cast iron block and head?
And finally,
- Do these need to tightened (torqued) to a certain spec?
Another related question...My new engine has an aluminum Edelbrock Tri-power intake manifold, if I want to use any other of the ARP stainless 12 pt. bolt sets for attaching things to the aluminum manifold, (coil bracket, distr. hold down or thermostat housing, do I need to be concerned about that? (The stainless to aluminum issue?)

I'll answer part of your question, and let the engine experts tell you the real scoop on this subject. The absolutely correct way to do it is to remove your manifold completely, clean the mating surfaces, and install a brand new gasket set.

Now, that being said, we have all removed one bolt at a time, installed a new bolt, and retorqued it. Usually no problems occur if you do it one at a time, but every so often it will bite you.

Don

Check my comments in the text below.

Originally Posted by resin addict

A few questions relative to this...
- Should I remove and replace these one at a time? I wouldn't. You may get by with it, maybe not.Remove them all, remove the manifold, clean the surfaces and use new gaskets. I use hi-temp silicone across the front and rear block rails instead of those little gasket pieces.
- Is there any particular order I should do this? Yes. Start with the center bolts, and work to the ends in a criss-cross fashion. See this website for more info: http://members.tripod.com/torquespecs/gmfs70-88chv8.htm
- Do they need any kind of sealant or thread locker? Sealant - yes. Thread locker - don't even go there.
- If so how do I clean out the ex. holes after I remove the ex. bolts? Get a 3/8 coarse tap and chase the threads.
- Is there any issue with stainless bolts going into a cast iron block and head? Yes. Stainless can gall. The sealant will prevent that.
And finally,
- Do these need to tightened (torqued) to a certain spec? Yes. 30 ft. lbs. Do it in three increments of about 10 ft. lbs each.
Another related question...My new engine has an aluminum Edelbrock Tri-power intake manifold, if I want to use any other of the ARP stainless 12 pt. bolt sets for attaching things to the aluminum manifold, (coil bracket, distr. hold down or thermostat housing, do I need to be concerned about that? (The stainless to aluminum issue?) Yes. Use a good anti-sieze compound on the bolts to prevent galling. All the auto supply stores carry it.

You can't get a better answer than what Henry gave you. I would use Fel-Pro gaskets, something like this; http://store.summitracing.com/partde...2&autoview=sku

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the answers!

Just thought of one more quick question...what type of sealant should I use?

I prefer something like Permatex with teflon (Mfr PN 56521). However, any parts store can sell you what you need if you just tell them what you're up to.

Or this: http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku