Stupid intake manifold questions?

[cmkryzer]

I have been working on and off my 1967 GTX for the last 8 years, and had a 440 rebuilt and have slowly been puting it together. I had recently got to putting the aluminum intake on, which was new from mopar and has been sitting in its box for the last six years, and low and behold..it dont fit, almost seams like it shrunk. I can get one bankof the bolts to line up, and not the other side.
I am not sure what the deal is. Heads where not shaved, and I have pretty stock head gaskets on it. So am i that blind and missing something, or has anyone else had this problem??
Thanks in advance!

 

[MarPar]

Welcome!!!!!

hmmmm....do you remember ordering the right one??? what P/N is it???

 

[Meep-Meep]

Are you using any other gaskets besides the valley pan? In my experience you can't add paper gaskets to the valley pan.

 

[MarPar]

Are you using any other gaskets besides the valley pan? In my experience you can't add paper gaskets to the valley pan.

i was thinking the same thing, Meep.

but then again, with an aluminum surface being in contact with an iron (im assuming) one, wouldn't you want some sort of gasket for the different expansion/contraction rates of the diff metals??

plus it seems that his alum intake is too small if i read it right...could that gap be for the gaskets?

just spitballing here...

 

[Meep-Meep]

Yeah MAR, it did seem that he alluded to the manifold being narrow, but too narrow shouldn't prevent you from getting the bolts started - I don't think. Never had one like that. The typical problem I have seen is it's too wide and having the bolts start on one side and not the other has been a dead giveaway for that problem. I'm fighting this exact same thing on a Ford FE right now and I had to take .035" off of each intake surface! Not that I care because it's just a cast iron 2V, but so far it looks like it's going to work. Damn those things are heavy! If the OP's intake is narrow then you could very well be correct about having to add the extra gaskets, but that would be new technology to me! I never had anything but a valley pan on an aluminum or iron intake.

As you pointed out there is a different expansion rate for aluminum (aluminum is about double of cast iron), but I don't think in the temps we are looking at there is enough difference to cause a problem - at least I never detected one on my end. Doing a quick calculation I get a differential expansion of about .022" at the end of a 24" section with a delta temp of 140 deg. The height has a difference of about .0025". I'm just using rough numbers to get an idea because you had me wondering!

 

[MarPar]

you da Man, Meep....

 

[5.7 hemi]

Was the block and heads milled? If so, the intake wont fit.

 

[MoparBill]

383/400 intake??

 

[tpodwdog]

Was the block and heads milled? If so, the intake wont fit.

thats exactly what i was thinkin' !:headbang:

 

[1moreproject]

Was the block decked? If so, were the head-to-block alignment dowels replaced after machining?

 

[WP29440SE]

383/400 intake??

my thoughts exactly

 

[Cranky]

i was thinking the same thing, Meep.

but then again, with an aluminum surface being in contact with an iron (im assuming) one, wouldn't you want some sort of gasket for the different expansion/contraction rates of the diff metals??

plus it seems that his alum intake is too small if i read it right...could that gap be for the gaskets?

just spitballing here...

Using a stock valley pan gaskets with an aluminum intake is ok buy not for aluminum heads. There's much more heat in the heads plus the pounding of the cylinders firing and the rapid heat expansion of the heads vs the block's slower expansion will waste steel shim gaskets fairly quick and will also etch the heads.

Was the block and heads milled? If so, the intake wont fit.

If that was the case, his intake would have become too big....he said it's like it shrunk....

 

[67 coronet]

if the manifold is too small it is the wrong one.with the one side bolted up is there a space between head and intake on the other side?if pretty close,you should look through the bolt holes in the intake and see where the holes in the head are.if they are above the intake hole,you manifold is too small.if they are below the manifold holes,your intake is too big.just trying to make sure.they make spacers too take up the difference if manifold is too small.you will need to machine intake if it is too big.how about a pic if possible.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Manifold seemed to shrink...

I had that happen to me once. Seems they "shrink" over time if not installed.
Check the box the manifold came in. They usually post the "shelf life".
LOL!
mark

 

[cmkryzer]

I think that may be my problem......i have the tin valley pan and the gaskets that it sounds like I should not be using....see I thought it was a stupid question, but one I had to ask. I will have to double check it tonight when I get home from work...
Thanks guys for all your input!