Anyone had trouble with alumiunun intakes?I have put 2 differnt ones on and the both leak antifreeze.Do they make a thicker gasket?Does bead blasting hurt the intakes?

 

Are the intakes new?
Have the heads been milled?

 

Your not using that turkey tray steel gasket are you?

 

I did but Im going to use the 2 piece gasket today,try it again!

 

Aluminum intakes are know to warp over time.Glass bead will not affect them at all

 

And yet, the factory had no problems using the metal gasket with aluminum intakes...

 

Now Joe you know as well as I do that the factory didnt always do it right.........If it isnt sealing there has to be a issue somewere......Composite gaskets are cheap and easy to get so i would use them,You feel free to use that big ole chunk of pressed steel I'll pass ................Jerr

 

I used an ordinary composite Mr. Gasket on my Edlebrock intake, it lasted 7 or 8 years before the gasket blew out on the driver’s side rear coolant passage. My replacement gasket has lasted two years so far. Be sure to retork a few times. Also they must seat perfectly parallel. Use a good RTV sealer around the coolant passages. I also used Permatex sealer (the thin gooey stuff) around the intake ports. I’m sure the metal gaskets can be made to work but mine also leaked the first time I changed over to the aluminum and used the turkey tray. If it’s a big block there are gaskets available which utilize silicone beads around each port, get one of those. Unfortunately as far as I know no one makes a beaded gasket for the 350. I did buy a set of Mr. Gasket Ultraseal III and put them away for possible future use. Also the surfaces must be perfectly clean, use a good sharp gasket scraper and solvents or gasket remover.