I did the same job on a old 390. That intake weighs a lot.

I hung a come-a-long from the ceiling of the garage to pull and
replace that big boy.

I don't recall if I used the end gaskets or not, but I think I did.

I knew there was no way I way gonna be able to get that intake on
correctly without something supporting the weight.

mort

rchapman@mail.com (sanpablo) wrote in news:47e2d074.7268968
@news.verizon.net:

I would not trust RTV to fill that fairly large opening. The end gaskets
have tabs that lock into the side gaskets.

As mentioned, it IS heavy. If you're of a mind to, this would be an
excellent time to switch to an aftermarket aluminum intake, losing about 75
pounds of engine weight in the process. The aftermarket intakes are much
better designed, and you should see an increase in performance as well as
economy.

"Back in the day".... these things had cork end gaskets... Install those
with contact cement and add a dab of RTV at each corner.... The "Y" joint is
the usual culprit for leaks.

To install the manifiold, I'd lay a couple of long socket extensions, pieces
of cold rolled or even rebar on top of the heads... Position the manifold as
close as I can and then get into an embarassing position.... Lift slightly
on the manifold and have an assistant slide the supports out and drop the
manifold into place....