.
If you are going to use the stock manifold again, I would highly recommend
leaving it on and taking it too the machine shop for cleaning. The machinist
that I used just charged $20 to clean it and I didn't even use it. Plus I didn't
even have to take the pan off, he would of done that for me.
Your right on the name of it "heat shield". I had to put mine onto the
edelbrock manifold but that was no big deal. After talking to my machinist, he
said that he removes them and saves the rivets and re-uses them and has no
problem with that when he puts them back on the stock intake.
The new Edelbrock unit comes with pins that you drive in to hold it in place.
I had to call Fel-Pro and ask them about using the valley pan gasket along
with the "regular" gaskets for the intake. After talking with him and
Edelbrock, here's what I have found out;
You do not have to use the valley pan gasket if you change your oil every 3000
or less, (however.... Fel-Pro doesn't make "regular" intake gaskets for the
amc). Reason being..... old oil will collect at the bottom of the intake and
make the intake hotter, just what you don't want. But if you change the oil
regularly you wont have this problem.
So, you're stuck just using the valley pan gasket.
As mentioned in a earlier post, Edelbrock doesn't recommend using end seals and
the end seals come with the valley pan gasket. The Fel-Pro re-build gasket
set doesn't come with a valley pan gasket and you have to purchase one
separately.
After talking to a Fel-Pro rep and reading the instructions to everything
associated with all of the gaskets, manifold etc. here's what you need to do to
install the new Edelbrock intake to your block and a pointer or two;
- Dry fit your intake to see just how much of a bead of RTV is needed at the end
seals. I didn`t do this and a 1/4" wasn't enough for me and I had one heck of a
mess.
- Use a brushable gasket sealer and put it around the intake ports of your heads
and use a liberal amount of RTV on the water passages. Coat the valley pan
with the brushable sealer around the intake ports as well.
- Install valley pan gasket.
- Put more RTV on the water ports of the valley pan gasket and coat the intake
ports of the valley pan again with sealer around the intake ports.
- Put the required amount of RTV on the end seals.
- Put more brushable sealer around the intake ports of the intake manifold and
coat the water ports with RTV.
- Install manifold to specs and thats it. Job well done.
My engine was out of the Jeep when I did mine and I didn't start it until
about 7 days later. I have had no troubles yet (knock on wood) and I would
recommend the Edelbrock Performer package to everyone. I am a satisfied
customer :)
