So I go to bolt the manifold down and...What To Do!!HELP ME...WHY ME!!!!!!!

[Goldfinger71]

Hello All,

So we go to bolt the manifold down(Performer RPM)down on the 440 with the ARP bolts I ordered and some of the bolt holes don't align with the holes in the top of the heads to bolt it down!I was told from the person I bought the motor from that it was a 62,000 mile original motor with a stock bore.My buddy told me that the block may have been decked or the heads shaved...Anyone elase run into this?....What do I need to do? Any advice would be very helpful!  Please advise!
                                                                                                          Thanks!

[67_Dodge_Charger]

I had the same problem on my engine as well.  I used a thicker intake gasket to help line up the bolt holes. 

Robert

[General_01]

Are you using two sets of gaskets? If you are, that is the problem. You only use one set of gaskets. I used the gasket against the head, then the tray, then I siliconed where the intake manifold matched up to the tray.

[Ghoste]

You may even have to go to just the valley pan and no paper gaskets at all.

[Goldfinger71]

Thanks to everyone for the coments thus far.

I only had one set of gaskets I was using.I took those off to see if the holes lined up and they don't that's why I posted the thread becuase I now don't know what to do.

When you align one set of bolts and put in the bolts all the other holes on the other side don't line up and the bolts don't go all the way in.Only gaket on is the valley pan gasket.

I am at a pure standstill!

[Ghoste]

Do you have a stock intake laying around?  If you do, first see if the holes line up with it and if they do, then compare it to the Eddy intake.  Find out if the change is in the intake or the shortblock.

[histoy]

Whenever I've run into the problem you describe (the bolts go into 1 side of the manifold, but don't fit into the other side) it's because the heads have been resurfaced.   When heads are resurfaced, you need to remove stock from the intake manifold in order for it to seat down properly for the bolt holes to line up.   If I remember correctly, for each 0.010" removed from the head, 0.012" should be removed from the intake surface.   Someone please correct my numbers, if I'm wrong.

[andy74]

i agree,if you have the stock intake or one you can borrow,try to eyeball it first-if you need the intake machined it should be pretty inexpensive though,shoot me some current pics when you get a chance!

[Rob R]

I can't count how many times I've seen intakes modified to correct what you have...the quick and ugly is 7/16 bolt holes drilled in the intake...I must have seen at least a 100 intakes with the bolt holes enlarged...

[73charger528cid]

I enlaged mine on my 440 in my old coronet 10yrs ago and it worked fine ran both set of gaskets and valley pan never had a intake leak.

[Ghoste]

Then I'd say you were lucky.

[73charger528cid]

not luck just oblonged the holes to make it fit .
this was on a 11-1 440 heads milled and block decked .020/.020 or more zero deck with flat tops, it was a Tm7 manifold.

If you want it done right take it to a machine shop.

the methode he was talking about is a old street racer trick guys did this to go fast on the least amount of $$$$ and it does work.

[RD]

just run a valley pan without the gaskets.  use permatex around the intake ports on both sides of the valley pan and use silicone where the valley pan and the heads/block meet in the corners.

i have done this for years and no leaks.

[Goldfinger71]

Thanks for the replies/advise thus far!

....Once again this has nothing to do with gaskets.That theory was one of the first test we did,and eliminated before I started this thread..I took the gaskets off and the bolt holes are not lining up,nothing to do with the gaskets...Thanks again!

[Fast_68_440]

I had the same problem on a 440 in the past.  It turned out that the bolt holes in the intake manifold wouldn't line up properly until several of them were already torqued down.  I believe I had to align it so the front drivers side hole and rear passenger side hole both had a bolt in them, then torqued those two down and the rest lined up properly.  It is worth a shot before taking it to a machine shop.

[superduperbee]

just run a valley pan without the gaskets.  use permatex around the intake ports on both sides of the valley pan and use silicone where the valley pan and the heads/block meet in the corners.

i have done this for years and no leaks.

Same here. I haven't used gaskets in years, just  Black Permatex.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Are you sure you have a manifold for a 440?  A 383-400  manifold will not fit.......

Whats the part # on the Eddy manifold?

Just food for thought