Okay! we are going to be taking off the intake manifolds on a 88Se to change out the vacuum lines. We have bought all new intake manifold gaskets and i was wondering if when we replace them do we need to put some sort of gasket sealer, like RTV etc. or do they seal fine without any sealing agent added?

 

If you have a new gasket, and the mating surfaces are nice and flat, I don't recommend RTV on the UIM to LIM gasket anymore (I used to). I've discovered that RTV gets very "slippery" when cured into a very thin layer (on one side of the new gasket), and you don't exactly want movement in that particular area...

I don't like the liquid red gasket sealer crap from the auto parts store, either. It tends to make a mess, and the uncured portions tend to get sucked down the intake path when the car is started...

A new gasket, and a good steady cross-torque on the nuts/bolt will do the trick...

 

on the other hand...having a thin layer of RTV on a paper gasket makes it come off about 50x easier if you need to take the manifolds off later down the road.

 

Nothing that a 3M scothbrite rotary gasket remover pad can't take care of in about 30 seconds

I used RTV extensively during my rebuild, but that is one area I won't anymore. But...that's just me...

 

You know, I never did torque my intake bolts, any of them. I also re-used the old gaskets cause they weren't ripped or torn, just stuck onto the flange like glue.

Could this be why im having a VAC leak?

Is it worth taking it all off again, buying all new gaskets and torquing the bolts to spec?

Not to hijack the thread, but the question has been answered so...

 

BP!!!! Get outa town. you didn't just say that!! Whats worse than saying it is doing it!! FSM factory torque specs "everywhere". Criss cross patterns, new gaskets. I hope that is the problem. cause you found it and now you can fix it. Now go torque your nuts!

my answer...no I didn't use gasket sealer of any kind in these areas.

 

lmao, I... ugh.. I.. just ca... welp..

lol, ****. Yes I did do all of that. hahhaa.
Do you think I warped the intake flanges not torquing it?

Im buying new gaskets for the intire intake tomorrow at mazda, teardown time once again. The FSM has the torque specs and torque patterns im assuming right?

at the time I didn't have a torque wrench. Now I got a nice half inch drive one with an adapter, so I can do this properly.

 

Its probably in Inch pounds..... maybe 17 ft lbs. Seems thats the number that comes to mind with out looking it up. The fsm won't give you a pattern.

No you wouldn't warp anything. The new gasket....The old gasket is hard and crumbly yadda yadda.

 

The old one was still in a complete piece, it had a waxy slippery surface..

anyways, thx for the advice.

 

The gaskets alone are fine, RTV is not needed.

 

ALright, I was going to use RTV but I won't if your sure its going to be ok. I just got back from mazda, im doing this right. I got all the gaskets and new bolts just to make it look pretty. Tomorrow when I pick them up im going to get a couple other things as well

-New oil injector ends (the part that the vac line hooks up to). the ends, last time I tested them could pass air both ways, they were fucked, but I installed them anyways.
-New oil injector vac lines to the spider. I'll order the hoses seperatley and put them onto the spider piece that I already have. I made a homemade one out of fuel line and zip tied them down, but I honestly don't think they are doing the job very well. Might as well do it right.

After all that ****, I'll do it on sunday, I'll post my results

I was thinking of putting RTV on my EGR block off plate that I got from mazdatrix and torquing it to spec as well.

thanks hammons for your advice btw!

 

You could not even use a gasket and only use ATV (the gray, like "permatex ultra gray" or gray "mazda bond"). But if you have the gasket you might as well use it.