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vxcalais_01

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Seriously? You've done this?
Yes. I am talking the end gaskets, not the LIM itself. Orange strips at the bottom. You can use right stuff or permatex gray in their place to help the manifold sit tighter on the LIM gasket face.

limCapture.JPG
 

losh1971

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To the earlier comment I read around using sealant on top of the plastic LIM, I would only use something like Hylomar spray as it won't add as much pressure to the sealing surface like using sealant blue or similar.
Ok this is why I was confused.
 

losh1971

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I know which seals you were referring too. I'm surprised anyone would consider doing away with them.
 

gtrboyy

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If engine block or heads have been machined & intake hasn't you'd probably need dab of sealant on corners but never seen it done on v6 tbh
 

vxcalais_01

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If engine block or heads have been machined & intake hasn't you'd probably need dab of sealant on corners but never seen it done on v6 tbh
Your right as the dab in the corners is a must regardless of what type of LIM you use, but often people use those end seals, put the blobs, wipe some ultra blue under it, and some more on top. By the time it gets torqued it can tear it on the inside and also cause the manifold to not sit as tight. Each time your trying to make the surface smooth takes off some albeit only minor but removing the ends gets it a lil tighter. Sometimes skimming the surface with hitemp jbweld and then sanding can help with bad pitting.
 

vc commodore

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Good point. The other problem is over time each time the intake manifold is off, people sand, scrape wire brush the surface to clean it and the surface eventually is not the flattest. In the end you sometimes better off not using those rubber end gaskets and just running a thick bead along with Ultra Grey or 'the right stuff'.

I honestly can't see the point using these pellets and the sealant as well.....

You are using 2 types of sealant for the same job.....
 

vxcalais_01

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I honestly can't see the point using these pellets and the sealant as well.....

You are using 2 types of sealant for the same job.....
Sealant is a must in the corners where the head meets the block for the LIM. The pellets are a totally different use case and is more of a preventative than a must and is personal choice. It's something that has worked well for me and for many others. Would things have been different if I didn't use the tabs or a stop leak in the system who knows....but if it seals up a weep starting around the water pump, welche plugs, radiator, a hose, and water to air/oil leak in the LIM or heads then all the better. It was more around the assumed notion that using stop leaks was bad and I raised the GM thing to make a point that the manufacturer recommended it. It's not a die in the ditch matter.

Sealant in the corners is a different matter. There's a physical void in that area regardless of the condition of the engine..........

sealCapture.JPG
 

vc commodore

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Sealant is a must in the corners where the head meets the block for the LIM. The pellets are a totally different use case and is more of a preventative than a must and is personal choice. It's something that has worked well for me and for many others. Would things have been different if I didn't use the tabs or a stop leak in the system who knows....but if it seals up a weep starting around the water pump, welche plugs, radiator, a hose, and water to air/oil leak in the LIM or heads then all the better. It was more around the assumed notion that using stop leaks was bad and I raised the GM thing to make a point that the manufacturer recommended it. It's not a die in the ditch matter.

Sealant in the corners is a different matter. There's a physical void in that area regardless of the condition of the engine..........

View attachment 239148


So as I first mentioned, those pellets aren't required if you do the job properly.....All the rest you have posted is confirmation of that
 

vxcalais_01

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So as I first mentioned, those pellets aren't required if you do the job properly.....All the rest you have posted is confirmation of tha
So as I first mentioned, those pellets aren't required if you do the job properly.....All the rest you have posted is confirmation of that
You obviously havent understood anything, but who can be bothered. And of no benefit to anyone especially the OP.
 

Immortality

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I remember a member on this forum saying he used to work at the casting plant where they made the V6 intake manifolds and that they had issues with porosity in the castings. Those pallets Holden added to the cooling system would help reduce those suspect manifold leaking.

Personally, in all my years of owning V6 motors I've never used em.

Those OEM plastic intake manifold gaskets were definitely a design failing, but then, GM only cared about the cars making it past the warranty period. GM finally fixed that issue with the alloy intake gaskets somewhere during the last of the V6 models in the US market.
 
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