FelPro MS96004 Intake Gasket Problem
May 19th, 2011, 11:17 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Maryland
Posts: 1,665
FelPro MS96004 Intake Gasket Problem
Just curious if anyone else has recently experienced the problem I have with a FelPro MS96004 intake gasket/turkey tray.
I have a 69 400, completely stock, that had an intake leak so I purchased a new PelPro gasket. The same part number FelPro gasket was originally installed about 2 years ago when the engine was rebuilt. In test fitting the new gasket, the locating tabs on the passenger side do not line up. I'd say they are off about 1/16". The drivers side tabs line up perfectly. If I flip the gasket around and to see if the drivers side tabs align with the pass head, although upside down, they do. I have another set of C heads around so I tried the same with them. Same issue. The tabs on the pass side of this gasket don't line up. The 2 year old FelPro gasket lines up pefectly on all 4 tabs. So I bought another MS96004 thinking maybe I just got a goofy one. Nope, same problem. If I lift the center on one of the new gaskets slightly for this passenger side the tabs will drop in place but now the gasket won't lay flat and will likely have a leak. I called FelPro, told them I thought they have a quality/tolerence issue and all they told me was the center to center dimension for the locating tabs. The dimension is the same for both sides and is 16.710" +/- .005. I don't have any tools to measure down to that level so I can't tell them specifically how far off the tabs are. They suggested I just grind a little off of the edge of the tab until it dropped into place. I guess I'll do this but somewhat reluctantly. Anyone else run into this issue? Anyone have the ability to measure the distance between the tabs on one of these gaskets if you have access to a new one sold very recently? FelPro said they would notify engineering if I could tell them it was off. Well, I already did that and one would think it would be real easy for them to pull one and check it. But I guess not.
I have a 69 400, completely stock, that had an intake leak so I purchased a new PelPro gasket. The same part number FelPro gasket was originally installed about 2 years ago when the engine was rebuilt. In test fitting the new gasket, the locating tabs on the passenger side do not line up. I'd say they are off about 1/16". The drivers side tabs line up perfectly. If I flip the gasket around and to see if the drivers side tabs align with the pass head, although upside down, they do. I have another set of C heads around so I tried the same with them. Same issue. The tabs on the pass side of this gasket don't line up. The 2 year old FelPro gasket lines up pefectly on all 4 tabs. So I bought another MS96004 thinking maybe I just got a goofy one. Nope, same problem. If I lift the center on one of the new gaskets slightly for this passenger side the tabs will drop in place but now the gasket won't lay flat and will likely have a leak. I called FelPro, told them I thought they have a quality/tolerence issue and all they told me was the center to center dimension for the locating tabs. The dimension is the same for both sides and is 16.710" +/- .005. I don't have any tools to measure down to that level so I can't tell them specifically how far off the tabs are. They suggested I just grind a little off of the edge of the tab until it dropped into place. I guess I'll do this but somewhat reluctantly. Anyone else run into this issue? Anyone have the ability to measure the distance between the tabs on one of these gaskets if you have access to a new one sold very recently? FelPro said they would notify engineering if I could tell them it was off. Well, I already did that and one would think it would be real easy for them to pull one and check it. But I guess not.
May 20th, 2011, 09:02 PM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Southwest Chigagoland
Posts: 129
I just put one on the other day. The passenger side definatly didn't line up the same as the driver side, seemed like it was further foreward. I did bend the center of the tray down a little more and got it to fit. I have not started the engine yet so I hope this does not cause a leak!
May 20th, 2011, 09:32 PM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 3,194
I've experienced this quite a few times with the metal FelPro Turkey Tray....as recent as a couple months ago.
Solution: File away the downward/outward lip around the offending alignment hole in the turkey tray. In my case I think the P side front alignment hole was slightly forward of where it needed to be so I ended up grinding/filing off approx 2/3 of the lip (the forward 2/3). Filed, checked, kept filing, etc until it snaps into place WITHOUT ANY NEED TO BEND OR DISTORT the gasket area around there.
No leaks, no problems, etc. It's a manufacturing defect in the parts and not your motor.
EDIT: On another motor owned by the guy I did the last one for I can see where the engine builder didn't do this to the metal tray and at the top edge of the tray that sticks out above the top edge of the intake you can see where the metal tray is distorted/slightly trying to fold.
I don't like the idea of having a gasket/seal that doesn't really want to sit FLUSH. On the other hand, I haven't heard of any "non-modified" FelPro turkey trays having problems.
This has been a problem with their trays for YEARS.
Still....I'd do the mod if I was installing a new one......why create a potential problem area by installing it "as is"????
Solution: File away the downward/outward lip around the offending alignment hole in the turkey tray. In my case I think the P side front alignment hole was slightly forward of where it needed to be so I ended up grinding/filing off approx 2/3 of the lip (the forward 2/3). Filed, checked, kept filing, etc until it snaps into place WITHOUT ANY NEED TO BEND OR DISTORT the gasket area around there.
No leaks, no problems, etc. It's a manufacturing defect in the parts and not your motor.
EDIT: On another motor owned by the guy I did the last one for I can see where the engine builder didn't do this to the metal tray and at the top edge of the tray that sticks out above the top edge of the intake you can see where the metal tray is distorted/slightly trying to fold.
I don't like the idea of having a gasket/seal that doesn't really want to sit FLUSH. On the other hand, I haven't heard of any "non-modified" FelPro turkey trays having problems.
This has been a problem with their trays for YEARS.
Still....I'd do the mod if I was installing a new one......why create a potential problem area by installing it "as is"????
Last edited by 70Post; May 20th, 2011 at 11:07 PM.
May 21st, 2011, 06:28 AM
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Maryland
Posts: 1,665
I ended up grinding off a portion of each tab on the passenger side of the gasket until it dropped into place. I too was concerned that it wouldn't sit flat if I forced the tabs into the holes. It may work fine doing so but I would hate to find a problem and have to pull the manifold. It's a shame that the response I received from FelPro wasn't more of concern. In fact, they seemed just fine to recommend that I take a small grinder to their product to make it fit.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
