How To Rebuild Your Small-Block Ford

looks good u p t o this point. As the manifold is tightened down, the gaskets begin t o squeeze out from behind the manifold

To install your manifold-to-block gaskets successfully you'll have t o adhere them t o the block so they can't squeeze

thinner, then you can apply a thin bead

tip. Do the same thing t o the mating side of the gaskets so when the two surfaces contact each other they stick. However, before installing the gaskets let the sealer dry t o the point of being tacky, then install them. Now apply silicone sealer around .the cylinder-head-to-manifold water passages and install the gaskets o n the heads. Make sure the ends of the gaskets interlock with th e block-to-manifold gaskets. Some more silicone sealer around the four water-passage openings and some a t the junction of the four gaskets followed by a bead of gasket adhesive sealer o n to p of the block gaskets and you can install the manifold. Letting the adhesive sealer get tacky before you install the manifold will further ensure the end gaskets won't squeeze out .

Install your intake manifold by lowering it carefully over the gaskets. If you have a 302 , the 4 studs solve this problem, otherwise avoid shifting the manifold on the engine once it's down on the gaskets-you may slide them out of place. This is difficult t o d o because of the weight of the manifold, but it's also necessary. Try t o sight down on the manifold and the to p of the engine so you can see what you're doing. Thread the bolts into place and begin tightening them. Keep an eye o n the gaskets t o make sure they stay in place. Tighten the bolts and final torque them in the sequence shown in the sketch. There is a unique sequence for the 351Ws because of their four additional attachments. In sequence, torque the bolts and stud nuts in tw o stages, the first one 15-1 7 ft. lbs. and the final one 20-22 ft. lbs. Because the gaskets relax, go back over the bolts and retorque them until they've fully compressed.

Sealer Instead of Gaskets-Another method of sealing the intake manifold t o the engine block is t o substitute silicone sealer in place of the tw o cork end gaskets. This method avoids the possibility of the gaskets squeezing out , however, the block and manifold gasket surfaces must be clean for the silicone t o work. Therefore, take special care t o clean these surfaces using lacquer thinner. Now, with the

Intake-manifold torquing sequences:

cylinder-head-to-manifold gaskets in place apply a 114-in. bead of silicone sealer t o the cylinder-block gasket surfaces-just enough so the intake manifold will contact and squeeze the bead wide enough t o seal after the manifold is torqued down. Install the manifold as previously outlined being careful not t o disturb the 2 cylinderhead gaskets and silicone beads, then torque the manifold bolts in sequence. Valve Covers-Without using any gasket sealer, install the valve-cover gaskets in their valve covers. Insert the tabs o n th e periphery of each gasket in the notches provided for them in the valve-cover flanges. Someone was using his grey matter when he thought these up. You don't have t o worry about the gasket shifting or falling out of place when installing the covers.

With the gaskets in place, install the covers o n the cylinder heads. Secure them with 6 1/4-20 x 518-inch-long bolts with their lock washers. Don't over-torque these bolts or you'll succeed in bending th e valve-cover flanges and not muc h else. Torque the bolts 3-5 ft . lbs. Retorque them after the gasket has had time t o compress.

STE P 1 15-17 f t . Ibs.

STE P 2 23-25 f t . Ibs.

Exhaust Manifolds-In your gasket set you'll find 2 exhaust-manifold gaskets. They are either composition-type gasketsasbestos and metal-or all-metal. If you have the composition type, mount the metal side against the manifold-it will be marked M A N I F O L D SIDE . Use adhesive sealer o n the gasket. Apply it t o both sides of the all-metal gaskets, but just the metal side of the composition gaskets. Mount each manifold and gasket loosely with a short bolt a t the front and rear of the manifold. Because an exhaust manifold can float around o n th e mounting surface of its cylinder head due t o oversized mounting holes, it's possible that they will end u p being positioned too low o n the cylinder head. If this happens, there won't be enough room t o use your sparkplug socket. With this in mind, snug the 2 bolts down while lifting u p o n the manifold t o position the manifold high enough t o be able t o service your sparkplugs.

Install the other exhaust-manifold bolts, but don't d o it indiscriminately. There may be 2 or 4 of the long manifold bolts which have studs protruding from their heads. If you have 2 o f these, they go in the middle of the right manifold.