I6 Manifold Install

I'm getting ready to swap my old bolted together cast iron intake and exhaust manifolds for a later model aluminum intake and new cast iron exhaust.

What is the consensus regarding best practices for installing these items, sealants, torque, etc.

 

Uh, follow the FSM regarding torques and order of assembly.

Protect the radiator.

The iron manifolds come out as a unit and are heavy.

Be sure to put the EGR tube (between the manifolds) in before you tighten the manifolds to the head.

Use anti-sieze thread compound on all the bolts.

I replaced the bolts on each end with studs - makes the installation easier.

Make sure all the surfaces are perfectly flat and clean.

I used spray copper-coat on the gasket. Not sure if it helped, but it didn't hurt.

Retorque after a few hours of operation.

 

The metallic side of the gasket faces away from the head right?

 

Who's gasket do you have? If it's a Felpro, it'll say in the instructions if you need to put the metal to one side or the other. I've only used the Felpro gasket, and IIRC it has paper for the intake and metal both sides for the exhaust. If your manifold and head are nice and clean and flat, you can get just the intake manifold gasket and go with no gasket on the exhaust. This is how the factory did it when they built the engine. You need to get the right gaskets for the manifold, not for the engine (you can make the old-style gasket fit with a little trimming though).

If you're referring to the exhaust gasket, I'd expect you put the metal toward the hot (manifold) side. That's be my guess.

Gasket sealer won't matter on the manifold side of the exhaust gasket - in fact, I'd avoid any sealant there.

 

The last time I change the manifold it was to go from a one barrel to a two barrel cast iron manifold. That gasket had one side metallic on side non-metallic. There were no instructions so I faced the metallic out. I actually had not looked at the new one I just got to swap to the aluminum and assumed it was the same. I took it out of the package and both sides are metallic.
I guess that sort of makes my last question moot.

One more item. the donut that goes between the exhaust manifold and exhaust down pipe seems to be made of a fiber (not asbestos I assume). I have seen reference to a steel replacement that NAPA carries. I searched their online catalog but can't seem to find one like that. Was I dreaming?

 

Not dreaming. You won't need a gasket with the new manifold though (if it's like mine) - the gasket is cast into the end on the manifold. Iron-to-steel, no gasket.

The steel gasket can be had from Felpro - don't know about Napa. An independent FLAPS that stocks Felpro will show it in their books (or e-books).

 

Well I guess that's why I had such a hard time getting the donut to fit the last time I swapped in a new exhaust manifold. The new manifold had (as you mention above) the gasket cast into the end.

Oh well they gave me a gasket and I was going to use it come hell or high water.
Thanks for the info:

 

One little tip; clean the surface with a wire wheel PRIOR to mounting the manifolds, any flake of rust will cause a huge exhaust leak. Ask me how i know