Can RTV be used in place of the paper or metal upper intake manifold gasket ?

 

I would not use RTV over an actual gasket. While you have it off, do a search for a phenolic gasket so you don't have as much heat transfer from the block to the intake manifold.

 

You can probably get away with it if you use the high temp stuff.

Having said that; dont be cheap, buy the correct gasket.

When you have to take the UIM off again you will not have to spend 30 mins trying to make sure the old RTV does not fall into the intake when you scrape it off to reseal it.


John

 

Go OEM.

 

The upper manifold doesn't have much torque on it. I wouldn't trust sealant only with the amount of vibrations going on for that connection.

 

Shortcuts on this car are always a bad idea.

 

^Agreed. And then you might be tempted to over-tighten, which would be worse yet.
IIRC the metal gaskets are <$15 shipped from Ray @ Malloy.

 

Bad idea

Shortcuts on an FD almost always end badly

 

IMHO even Mazda must have underestimated the rate of degradation of the FD's original fiberboard lower LIM gasket. Have no idea when the improved stainless steel gasket replacement was incorporated, but I do know that our '94, built in November '93, came with the OEM "paper" gasket. Changing the burnt-out OEM gasket to the S/S version really improved our FD's idle.

 

Thanks for the input, I ordered the metal one from Atkins.The old one was metal also I wasn't sure if you could use more than once.

Its quite a job removing the UIM ,can believe the how heat soaked the harness gets with the connectors etc.

 

^ Good Choice


FWIW, The stock UIM to LIM gasket can be reused. Good thing because if I had to buy a new one every time I had to remove the UIM.... well you know the rest





John

 

IMHO removing the UIM cannot compare to the pain of removing the LIM!!

 

That is for certain!