Since its all back together, I would just see how it goes, but the ports sucking in oil can be hard to detect unless you're looking for it. You really need the right clearance to clamp the gaskets tight then use some copper coat or hylomar if you want to glue them up. Was the intake corrected to the heads with everything at the same angles and the right clearances? It sounds like something might have been off a little bit.

 

Kevin,
That's along the lines of what I was thinking. He milled the heads to get some of the chamber volume down. Perhaps this has provided a 'gap' of sorts from a slight difference of angles. The Canfields I just pulled off had oil in their ports as well. I still have it's intake gaskets so I'll have a look at them after a bit.
Thanks for your input!

 

I also wanted to mention, while I had the heads off, the pistons and the cyclinders looked pristine. No ridge on the top of the cyclinders and the tops of the pistons just wiped off clean and shiney with a few paper towels dampened with carb cleaner. It's been running since 2008 and everything looks good inside

 

I think you might be correct. I have my tune from the prior setup, no changes. My O2's are working correctly, according to datamasters log/scan. Yet, at anything above idle but below boost, it's running lean according to my WideBand. Once into boost, then it's running good, but I suspect it's blowing into the lifter valley.

I've sat here and tried to think how to measure/calculate how many thousandths(and the resulting angle) the intake would have to be milled to get the intake/heads to match up. I'm stumped. How do machine shops measure such things? Based on the gaskets I pulled off, the top edge of the manifold is wider than it needs to be since the gasket isn't being clamped sufficiently at the bottom.

 

If you didn't know what angles you're heads were milled to, you could come really close with a machinist protractor measuring the china wall to the heads (block) and china wall to the intake ports (intake) and you might have to cut the bottom to get it to settle down in the valley and get the ports to line up vertically - not really sure what the machine shop does, but they do know how to handle this. Maybe you should ask them since they are going to need to correct it for you anyway.

 

I talked to a machinist and he said he can fix this.... if I pull the motor and then the heads. Lol.. well, THAT'S not happening. I can assure you of that. He then suggested using some compound called "Right Stuff" by Permatex.

I'm to pull the intake, clean all surfaces on heads, block and intake. Wipe them all down with Brake Cleaner. Then I have to have everything ready to go because the "right stuff" cures fairly quickly. I'll put my beads of silicone sealer on the china walls first. Next some a 'film' (he said not too thick and not too thin) of "Right Stuff" on the heads and intake around the ports and bottom edge where the gasket will go. Then put the gaskets on the heads, then set the intake straight down on the heads/block, put in all bolts and tighten them very lightly (finger tight). This last bit is to prevent squeezing all the "Right Stuff" out before it skins over (approx 15 minutes in my preliminary test here today) after a period of 20 or so minutes, I'll torque them to spec (two steps, 71 inch lbs, then 35ft lbs, in sequence).

He said the only drawback is that it will take quite an effort to ever get the intake off again. I ordered a gasket for it and it's over at the parts store now. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. After pulling the intake, I'll look to see if THESE gaskets that are on there now truely look compromised and if there's once again, oil mist in the ports.

 

I was worried about that. The Right Stuff is a great gasket sealer - if anything works, that stuff will. It's what I use on the china wall.

Did you call Lloyd to discuss this? Maybe he can help.

 

I did send an email to Lloyd and of course, he responded. Great guy. He said that the angles were left stock when he milled the heads. He thought it unlikely the intake had been resurfaced before I got it but perhaps it could be that. I never saw the intake before I sent it to Lloyd. I bought it from someone on the classifieds, sight unseen, and had them forward it on to Lloyd for porting. When I received it, the bolt holes in the intake were elongated but I don't know if Lloyd does that rountinely or if it was like that when he got it.

I got about half the stuff undone for the removal but the rain god, seeing me working outdoors, decided this cannot be allowed and started raining on me. So, tomorrow we resume

 

Maybe borrow a stock manifold just for comparison, or check the uneven gap with some clay, or like I suggested, check the intake against the head/block with a protractor of some sort.

 

I have my original stock manifold. I just finished cleaning it off so I may lay it on there, bare, tomorrow.

 

Finished pulling the manifold and examined the gasket. Sure enough, oil had been able to invade the ports.


I then cleaned both my stock intake and my ported one and placed them both on the block, one after the other and they seemed to set perfectly flush with the heads/china wall w/o the gasket in place. I'm baffled by this... At any rate, I pulled them off and cleaned the ported intake and the heads/china walls thoroughly and put on a fresh bead of silicone on the front/rear. Then, I put on the 'Right Stuff' sealant around each port. I hurredly put on the intake and only applied the 71 inch lbs torque, in sequence. I'm letting it sit overnight and will apply the full 35 ft lbs tomorrow morning.

I pulled the front 2 plugs on each side and replaced them. Some showed evidence of oil from the leaking intake. I'll replace the rest in the morning after torquing the intake.

I'll post the results of the application of the 'right stuff' after I drive her tomorrow.

 

You know what I did after my heads and block were cut - I set the manifold on there and measured the clearance with feeler gages and made sure my gasket thicknesses were going to work. Also made sure my manifold would sit on there right with the bolt hole alignment. Can't remember if the uncompressed gasket thickness was 60 thou or something for the LT4 performance gaskets, but I made sure they would compress once everything was tightened down.

 

This is the ONLY "rtv" I use on my china walls and around intake ports. It simply seals better than anything else I've used. I used it once for an intake gasket as well. Just smeared it all over the head face and let it tack up abit before putting the manifold down.

Year later on tear down for new build, I could darn near pull the motor with that intake with the bolts out! Only thing holding it together was Right Stuff.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I tried it/tested it separately before using it on the motor and it was impressive. I do cringe when I think of having to pull it off again.

 

so did this seal up or what?