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    Bad intake gasket? Or cracked intake?

    Hey all. Lately I've been having issues with the intake gaskets on my car. They have been fixed by the last shop but a few weeks later I noticed a few things:

    -Oil and coolant mixing (low coolant level, oil level HIGH on dipstick)
    -white smoke and moisture coming out of driver's side tailpipe
    -very little, if any, coolant leaking from engine onto ground

    I haven't had time to tear into it and haven't driven it in almost two weeks. With all the work done to the intake gaskets I'm inclined to think that is what could be the problem. What's throwing me off is the fact that it is only smoking out one side of the exhaust and hardly anything is dripping on the ground. Last time the gaskets leaked I could see all the coolant dribbling from the back of the engine. Could it be that the bolts simply need to be retorqued?

    Since it is a junkyard intake is it likely that it could be cracked? I know the '89's had the heavy metal intakes and I didn't notice any visible fractures in it. Do those things commonly crack?

    1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
    2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
    2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

    #2
    The intake gasket can leak into the front or rear cylinders without getting into the oil or leaking out side the head. If the somke is more one side possible issue is with that side. Head gaskets can do the same.

    Havent seen any cracked intakes on a 5.0. Bolt holes stripped an orasional cracked bolt boss.
    Scars are tatoos of the fearless

    Comment


      #3
      get your hands on a coolant pressure tester.
      03 Marauder DPB, HS, 6disk, Organizer Mods> LED's in & Out, M&Z rear control arms, Oil deflector, U-Haul Trans Pan, Blue Fuzzy Dice
      02 SL500 Silver Arrow
      08 TC Signature Limited, HID's Mods>06 Mustang Bullet Rims 235/55-17 Z rated BFG G-Force Comp-2 A/S Plus, Addco 1" rear Sway, Posi Carrier, Compustar Remote Start, floor liners, trunk organizer, Two part Sun Visors, B&M Trans drain Plug, Winter=05 Mustang GT rims, Nokian Hakkapeliitta R-2 235/55-17
      12 Escape Limited V6 AWD, 225/65R17 Vredestein Quatrac Pro, Winter 235/70-16 Conti Viking Contact7 Mods>Beamtech LED headlight bulbs, Husky floor liners

      Comment


        #4
        more likely the gasket wasn't installed properly or there is damage to the mating surface. The intakes don't really crack often. The EGR spacer gaskets can leak too. Might be worth replacing them if they haven't been touched. Don't drive it if there is coolant in the oil. I had to replace an engine from doing that.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          #5
          What should I look for with the EGR spacer?

          The problem I'm having now is that my car is sitting in a parking garage at my school 175 miles from home. The shop back home that originally changed the intake gaskets offered to look at the car again and I'm hesitant to pay a different shop another $400 to do the same job over again. At the very least I'm changing the oil before I drive it anywhere.

          1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
          2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
          2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

          Comment


            #6
            open the throttle up and look for signs of crusty crap growing in around the edges between the parts. Check around the outside too. if you see anything that looks odd, pull it apart and re-gasket it.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

            Comment


              #7
              Thought this morning wounder if they went bad that fast if the shop just tighted up your intake bolts and charged you for a R&R of the intake gaskets. Many intake gaskets have issues with the ends were the water jackets cross getting smashed / crushed and dont seal for long. Retorqing can help once this happens can help but sometimes shortly after starts leaking again. Felpro Printoseal are prone to leak in short order thier S series with a metal core might be working better. Because of the power output of my engine its been fairly easy for the block to twist enough to seperate the intake gasket along the valley and most of the time just suck oil into the intake system, the more often I GET ON IT THE SOONER IT HAPPENS.
              The best gaskets have been discontinued for the 302 they were Victor Rientz. I can find them for 390s, 460s, but not for the high production 302 dosent figure.
              Scars are tatoos of the fearless

              Comment


                #8
                I havent had any trouble with the FelPro Permadry gaskets, but I drive like a little old lady. Only intake gasket failures I've ever had were end walls, but fixing that requires replacing the side gaskets too. Something I have found that makes the process a little less prone to error is to use some pieces of allthread or a beheaded bolt as alignment pins. Thread 2 into each side, put the gasket on over the pins, install the end seals, then slide the intake down. If the intake gaskets slide out of position and get kinked under the intake, it can damage them. Its also quite honestly a pain trying to install an intake in proper alignment while watching for 4 gaskets to stay in position. The pins keep all that from moving and ensures the intake drops in place exactly where it belongs. Can't do that on a Chevy engine.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                Comment


                  #9
                  I used the threaded pin technique when I first did the gaskets and it helped out a lot! Apparently when I did it the first time the gasket surfaces weren't clean enough and it leaked from the end wall gasket by the firewall. First time I used FelPro Permadrys. I don't know which kind the shop installed. I've driven about 300 miles this way and the engine still seems to run fine. I had no idea what was going on until I looked at the exhaust. That makes me think that it can make it back home at the very least (less than 200 miles). I think I'll just check the throttle body for coolant, change the oil and top off the coolant, and drive it home and park it in the garage until the summer.

                  1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
                  2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
                  2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by turbo2256b View Post
                    Thought this morning wounder if they went bad that fast if the shop just tighted up your intake bolts and charged you for a R&R of the intake gaskets.
                    If so, that would be shop #3 that has taken me for a ride to the cleaners.

                    1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
                    2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
                    2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I got less than 100 miles out of mine with watery oil before it lost all oil pressure forever. Drive at your own risk. It had however much water gets into the oil from changing the lower intake gasket. The cooling system was drained, so it was just whatever was laying in the intake itself, maybe a cup.
                      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I don't have much of a choice other than trying to drive it back. I'll definitely change the oil beforehand and take some extra oil with me. When I'm halfway back (~100 miles) I'll check the oil again and change it again if I need to. From the looks of it, the leak isn't too bad. Not quite the smokeshow I saw last time.

                        1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
                        2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
                        2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Think drive between VA and Charlotte. If you run into problems and need help, let me know. If you're still on-line, PM me and I'll give you my cell number. I'm only a few blocks off I-40 in the edge of W/S and only 8 miles from Hwy 52. Good luck.....Stan

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Did you get your car home?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I'll be driving it home friday morning! I-77 north all the way to the 1-81. I'll change the oil before I leave and again right before the VA border. If it made it here fine I think it will be okay driving back.

                              1989 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series | 249k miles, current project car
                              2018 BMW 430i xDrive M-Sport | 50k miles
                              2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport | 97k miles

                              Comment

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