Intake Manifold Leak- Still

[Macs95lt1]

Can't seem to fix my intake manifold leak. Frankly I'm getting tired of my car being down and I'm looking for some answers to help my mechanic get it right. Typical problem of oil coming down the back of block from the rear of intake on passenger side. My mechanic just redid this repair for the second time in three weeks and it still leaks. Oil sending unit was replaced too. My egr line is the solid type not flex. This is a new motor, only 14,000 miles on it. Intake is off of my stock motor, the intake has 114,000 miles it.
This last time the mechanic put a 3/8 bead of The Right Stuff on the block and a 1/4 bead on the intake itself and waited for it to become a little tacky, then assembled. Car sat for three days before starting. At idle there were no leaks. After taking it for a test drive, it's leaking. Is this the right amount of bead, the right rtv to use, the right procedure? The first time a bead was only put on the block and of course it leaked. Is there something about an oil galley on that rear corner next to the intake bolt that I should know or am missing. I have gone to shoebox and Brent Franker's web site's, but can only get one of the intake fix links to open. Please provide anything you think will be of help. Thank You in advance.
Oh yeah, if this intake has to come off again, should I get it P/P? How much would I gain/benefit from doing this and who should I have do it & cost? Please check sig to see other mods.

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95 T/A A-4,209/214@50,P & P heads w matched gaskets CAI,TF Elbow,52 mm Tb w AF Tb bypass UD pulley's Msd coil & wires Pace Setter LT w 3" Y-Pipe 3" Magnaflow cat back Pcmforless tune LCA 21mm RSB Poly bushings 2.73 PH Bar SFC Poly MM & TM Trans Go SK

[Fire67]

I personally dont like "The right stuff" rtv sealant... Especially for the intake.
Here's my trick, and its worked for me lots of times:
You need to clean the intake rail, block rail, and intake gasket deck surfaces with brake clean over and over with the blue shop towels. Repeat untill no more residue is removed from these parts.
When dry, with the intake gaskets off, run a 3/8" bead of Permatex black Hi-Temp RTV across the rail on the block and about an inch up the head on the intake gasket deck. Then install the intake gaskets to the heads. Once installed, add a small amount of RTV on top of the intake gasket from the rail to about an inch up.
Let the RTV stand untill it starts to skin over. I usually wait about 20min.
Carefully set the intake down on the motor without sliding it forward or back. This is very important, because the bead will get pulled around and make a bad seal. Make sure the intake gets lined up before contacting the RTV, then set it straight down. If you have to push the intake forward or back to align the bolt holes, you just ruined the seal. Now that the intake is in place let it sit for another 1/2 - 1 hour before bolting the intake down.
Also, make sure the proper bolt sequence is followed when the intake is torqued down.

The 'tricks' are the THOUROUGH cleaning of the surfaces to be sealed, the wait times for the RTV to cure, and careful placement of the intake when its sat in place.
Good luck

[94m6hardtopz]

what did you clean the intake and block with? if you dont get the oil off the block and intake before sealing it, you will continue to have a leak. my car has never had an intake leak, but ive fixed them for people. the process Fire67 used is what i do. although i use paint thinner to clean the intake and back of the block.

[93yellowfbody]

there may be a crack in the intake...............and you may just need an oil valley pan that sits inside the oil valley that helps reduce the oil flying around in there....

[93yellowfbody]

oh yeah make sure the pcv valve is good casue you have to release the pressure that is built up from blowby.........that maybe be the prob...............

[Macs95lt1]

Thanks for the in depth responce Fire67. I like details. This motor only has 14,000 on it and PCV is a new AC Delco and I put a breather in the vavle cover and got rid of that hose running to TB. If I understand this right, after the thourogh cleaning, make sure the intake is lined up with bolt holes and lower down evenly. Now I want to make sure I got this part- You said to let it sit for 1/2 to 1 hour before tightening, sooo I don't even put the bolts in or just don't tighten them?
93yellowfbody, whats an oil valley pan, where do you get one?
I'm not the one who did this, my mechanic is and each time, the leak got worse. Not sure what or for how long it was cleaned, but considering it's getting worse, I think the prep maybe the problem.

One last thing guy's. Please look at my sig, since this intake has to come off again, should I get it P/P? What will this cost, what will I gain, Where do I get it done and is it worth it or does someone already have a P/P LT1 intake in very good condition for sale. I guess that was really 5 things.

[94m6hardtopz]

if its stock displacement you dont need to port the intake with that cam. let the rtv 'skim over' for 30-60 minutes. then drop the intake directly over the bolt holes, if you have to move it your screwed. i usually just tighten it down after putting it on, but leaving it to set definatly wont hurt anything.

[93yellowfbody]

it's something like this:http://www.safbe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44

[Fire67]

Id put at least the front and rear bolts into the holes a couple of threads to make sure the rtv doesnt get in there and harden... The idea is to let it "ALMOST" harden so that it gets squeezed tight upon torquing the intake down instead of just squeezing out to a thin film the oil will easily seep by.
If you have to move the intake forward or back, you'll roll/tear the bead and almost garauntee that the oil will have a route past it.
If your motor is stock displacement, you probably wouldnt notice much of a difference. But it couldnt hurt. It only took a blown head gasket on my stock motor and while I had it apart I took my grinder to the heads and intake
I had a blower on my car and it still wasnt much of a difference.

[Macs95lt1]

Thanks everyone, gonna try again on Monday.

[lt1firebirdslp]

you said the manifold leaked on the back passengers side. the egr pipe runs straight past there. heres what could be happening.

at idle nothing is warm and all started off as a good seal. (no leaks)

everything warms up and that egr pipe gets very hot. because the rtv has not had forever and a day to cure it starts to get heat radiating from the egr pipe that runs right past there.

the rtv weakens and separates from the intake or the block rail and begins to allow pressurized oil to flow through the weak seal. this will happen over and over again especially if you didnt install the intake in the manner the guys above listed out.

remedy? go to advanced auto parts and buy header thermal wrap. just a 3 foot roll will do or the shortest availible, its expensive stuff. start at the bottom. just like you would wrap any pipe start coiling from the bottom and work your way up to the top. it requires some time and a good amount of patience. the hardest part is getting the stuff to stay put. if you want take a tab of rtv hi temp and put it at the bottom in a tiny pea sized dot. just enough to tack the wrap to the pipe. start out by rolling it around twice to 2.5 times then start working your way up. the heat wrap stops a lot (not all) of radiant heat from getting out of the egr pipe. and could possibly cure your intake leak issue. good luck.