Decking the block and heads

[Leonidas Rex]

When you get the block and heads decked for straightness, does that have any impact on how the intake manifold fits? Will the geometry of the engine change and create any gaps or irregular fit of the intake manifold?

Thanks!

[Plumcrazy]

As you remove material from the block and heads, the distance between intake sides of the heads decreases.   The machine shop needs to provide you with the total amount of material machined from the block/heads.  Depending on what that number is, you may not need to do anything or you may need some material removed from the intake manifold.

[histoy]

I believe that on B & RB engines, for every 0.010" removed from the block or heads, 0.012" should be removed from the intake manifold to provide for correct port alignment.

[tecmopar]

The #'s above are correct but if we mill the heads we always take it off the intake side of the heads, this way any manifold will fit and the heads can go from motor to motor without cutting any more manifolds, good luck.

[Chatt69chgr]

If you build a zero deck engine, you are going to be milling the block.  Depending on the rod you use (modern H-beams are 8 thousands shorter than stock rods) and the piston ( I have not found one with a compression height greater than 2.067 unless you have one custom made) you may be milling the block up to 25 thousands----assuming that the factory deck height of 10.725 is correct which it usually isn't and std stroke of 3.75.  So if you don't plan on messing with the heads (you may have just bought a stealth head or edelbrock head) what is the rule concerning milling the intake manifold?   

[firefighter3931]

The factory used steel shim head gaskets which are .020 thick when compressed. Most folks use a .040 composite head gasket when reassembling the engine so even if you mill the heads or deck the block it should be fine....unless you take a lot off of either/both.

Mine was decked .020 to bring the pistons flush (zero deck) and we used the felpro .040 composite head gaskets and everything fit fine. The Edelbrock heads were unmilled.


Ron