My low miles '73 needed the Rochester rebuilt due to the normal leak down that occurs with that carb over time. One look at that intake manifold and there was NO WAY I was installing that minty fresh carb on that nasty intake. So I was like..."I can pull this intake, clean it up, prime it and paint it without really alot of trouble. Well I was wrong (kind of!). After 36 years rubber vaccum hoses tend to become very fragile and I broke some. So I will have to replace all of the rubber vaccum lines up top. Not a big deal. But what is a big deal to me at this point is that I have never been this far into an Olds engine. So when I get things all cleaned up and painted and ready to go back together......Are there any secrets or tricks that I need to know as far as that bath tub gasket on the re-installation of the intake?

 

Follow the instructions that come with it. There is some sealant in the box that goes around the intake ports. You should use a LIGHT coat of RTV around the water jackets. Also don't use the front and rear seal that come with it, put down a 1/8" bead of RTV on the front and back instead. The seals tend to push out over time and the RTV seals better.

 

This information would have been far more useful two hours ago when I used the seals while attaching my intake. Rats.

 

Run them, if installed properly they will be just fine.

 

What color RTV for the intake and water jackets?

 

Please be black, please be black, please be black....

 

That's what I would recomend. I don't use blue any more if I can avoid it.
And remember just a LIGHT skim on the water ports. No need to glob it on.

 

I may have 'globbed' it on a little. But for a reason.

I owned two 307's of mid to late eighties vintage. On both of them, I had the front water port spring a leak.

Of course, this was probably due to the aluminum vs. iron fight that occurs. I guess I have no excuse and there probably will end up being dollops of silicone floating through my cooling system.

Sigh.

 

That's why not to glob it on .

 

Exactly - different expansion rates.

This is where "bigger the blob, better the job" does NOT hold true...