Hey all, Stinky needs a new intake gasket (1995 civic lx 1.5l). I guess I was a little drunk when I put the rebuilt head on last year.. Any tips or tricks that I should know? Im thinking, pull the intake, make sure its flat and smooth. Then SKIM some gasket sealer on the head and the intake, put the new FELPRO gasket on, tighten bolts and call it a day. Does anyone have any secrets that they use when they replace intake manifold gaskets?
Thanks
Steve

 

Tighten from the center out. The torque spec is 16 ft/lbs. Make sure none of the old gasket paper is stuck to the head or intake manifold mounting flanges... and if it is, scrape it off so the surfaces are smooth.

 

SO, Ive been chasing a wierd idle problem for the last couple days. It would start and run fine but would not idle down to below 1000rpm. It was one tooth advanced on the timing belt, FIXED. But it still would not come down to below 1000. Reset Ignition timing, ok getting better, now it would idle at 1000 but would hold at 12-1300rpm for a few seconds before it dropped to 1000. Then cleaned the IAC, OK that got me somewhere, now it would idle below 1000 but still had the weird hold over 1000 for a few seconds as it came from anything above 1200 rpm. and then randomly drop to below idle (sometime it would go to an idle, sometime it wouldnt) Then cleaned the FITV that did nothing. I then put a vacuum gauge on it. The fine high quality Harbor Freight (I only buy the best) at idle, using the fuel pressure regulator port read over 22inhg. Taking Carb cleaner, I started spraying around any and all possible seals on the intake side, the engine bogged down and acted really odd when the carb cleaner hit the center of the intake manifold at the head. New intake gasket installed with a skim of grey rtv. WOW what a difference. Idle is now at just a tick above the first line on the tach, comes down to idle almost instantly and is a strong idle. Problem resolved. Vacuum gauge though now shows a decrease in vacuum, it is now at 22inhg (the high end of the scale where as before it was above the scale, possibly due to a higher RPM.....) All i know is that at 400000 miles this car runs perfect now.
Just wanted to brag
Thanks
Steve