Okay, I decided today I will take off my manifold and well, check the gasket to see if it is in good shape. When I took it off after an hour of trying to find the 2 12mm screws antifreeze started pouring out of it. I am wondering if that is normal for that to happen? Also I did find out my intake manifold was absolutely horrible. The intake itself and where the engine connects to it looks like it has been stuck under a car with a major oil leak from an oil pan for 40 years and never cleaned. Plus what little bit of a gasket there was came off in pieces.

 

Coolant leaking out is normal as the intake on the 12a's has coolant running through it to help warm it up for cooler months I guess.

As for the gasket, its normal for it to come off in pieces. Scrape off any leftover pieces of gasket, give the manifold a good cleaning and reinstall it with a new gasket. Use a tiny bit of RTV on the gasket surfaces to hold the new gasket in place and ensure a good seal. Don't go overboard with it though, just a small bead is all thats needed.

 

And that's why we install freeze plugs on emissions-exempt engines.

 

Alright thanks I am on the phone with o reilley now to get a new one

 

Don't forget to replace the o-rings around the coolant passages or you'll end up with coolant shooting out of your exhaust pipe.

 

Or if you don't want coolant all over you the next time you remove the intake manifold just install some freeze plugs in the engine side. I can't recall what size you need, but I'm sure a quick search of the archives will turn something up.

 

20mm freeze plugs and install them with a 12mm socket.

 

Yeah the gasket I looked at has those o rings in it. Unfortunately it will take 3 to 5 days to get here and have to pay extra for shipping. And I will definitely take a look into the freeze plugs

 

I don't recommend using freeze plugs if you still have an active ACV port, as it will cause the manifold to get very hot.

 

I have not done anything to the intake itself although I have thought about attempting to modify it a little and do what I saw one person do on here. I just didn't want to take a chance in messing anything up. But any way to go ahead and get more air flow and do it while it is off the car would be useful so I won't have to do it again another time.

 

where do yall find your gaskets and freeze plugs? No one in VA (napa, mazda, autozone, advance) has the intake gasket. None of them have 20mm freeze plugs.

 

if it is emissions exempt with an ACv delete ( blanked )
then it is prudent to seal over the coolant crossovers and the ACv passage under the primary runners

since you will need epoxy metal /devcon/belzona etc to seal the acv passage,, why not also use it in the coolant crossover?
( instead of the hassle of finding the welch plugs ,, AND still requiring metal putty for the ACv port )

i have been doing this to most engines for years and never had a leak

in aus one of our small coins ( 5c ) fits inside the coolant crossover and allows you to backfill the coolant crossover passage with epoxy metal
( without filling up the blocks internal water gallery )

 

I thought about taking that off but the only thing i have to seal it is jb weld and its a pretty big hole to plug with that. I don't know if it would cover it all

 

Alright so I used this putty that dries as hard as steel and used it to seal all the deleted things off the manifold and carb. I use it to block the coolant passages then I used DIY gasket maker which comes in a huge sheet and cut my own intake manifold gasket. It was a success!