Rebuilt Heads Intake won't line up.

[David Downey]

Must be the intake because I have done 2 sets of heads wonder why they would bolt up to the old heads and neither set of the new rebuilt heads the company where I got them assured me that they take minimal amount off each head I do have arp studs which are torqued to the correct amount I guess I will try another intake don't know what else to do.

 

[TahoeTom]

I had the same problem and ovalized the holes a bit with a rat tail file until the bolts would start. I assume this was ok as I now have 45k miles on it.

 

[David Downey]

I thought I was the only one with this problem. I still think that the Felpro gasket is thinner than the factory gasket I did not keep the old just trashed it.Thanks for all the input on this problem if anyone else can think of something please let me know.

 

[Thewespaul]

Fel pro gaskets are about 10 thou thicker than stock when compressed. Could the deck of the block be the issue?

 

[David Downey]

The block has never been touched just replacing the heads. I have worked on a couple of these engines before but have never run into this problem before especially since I have put 2 different sets of heads on this motor and have had the same problem both times so one would think that it can't be the heads although both sets of heads were decked by the same shop but the crazy part is that the manifold bolted to the old head no problem just not to 2 sets of new ones. And I no longer have the old heads returned for core. Now if I were to elongate the holes in the manifold I'm sure I could get them to work just wanted not to do that route?

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

I have a 6.9 I have had since virtually new. At about 250,000 a lifter roller failed and took out the cam. The head gaskets were weeping so I pulled it and did rings bearings cam and rebuilt heads including surfacing. I don’t recall having any issues installing the intake manifold.
At 500,000 it really beginning to go through a lot of oil. I should have replaced the pistons the first time because ring groove wear was the problem. It was kind of a pride thing “look at that 250k and the pistons and cylinder walls are fine”
So it got rebuilt again, the heads needed surfaced again as well as the block. The heads are down to the minimum thickness. No valve protrusion issues because it was a HD diesel experienced shop. They sunk the valves in to match.

The point of all this info?

When I went to put the intake manifold on I had to drill out the holes to get the bolts in.

Wether it was a tolerance stack up, different gasket thickness or what I don’t know but it turned out fine.

 

[typ4]

and the 40 plus engines I've rebuilt about half of them had to have a little file work done or else you started all the bolts and they went in hard because obviously the intake of such close tolerance is it doesn't like any adjustments.
also I was out at work so I pulled some bolts out of the intake on my U-Haul engine and it's very obvious that the holes are biased closer to the block from the intake so it's definitely an issue but the way the intake is designed it should seal up just fine.
And if I remember correctly when Justin Wheeler put his studs in his intake manifold he had a hell of a time getting them to start and that engine had been rebuilt also.

 

[David Downey]

Thanks for the info I just wanted to make sure that I was not doing something wrong. My plan is to bore out the holes slightly in the intake manifold to make it fit. I am thankful for the help from this group and all the people that have helped me with this problem. Thanks to all!!!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I've run into this a very few times with 6.9/7.3s. It was much more common with 6.2/6.5s. I've drilled the holes out bigger with no issues that I know of. That was faster than trying to make them oblong shaped. I have no idea whether or not it was "right". Edit to try to complete the info. When I saw this in the past, it was always on an engine that had the heads and the block go through the machine shop. NEVER on one that only had the heads replaced. That's what makes me wonder about this one time. I hope it's nothing major.

 

[Randy Bush]

Back a lot of years ago when I was doing engine rebuilding always ran into weird stuff like this. 350 chevs had a special tool for spreading the exhaust manifold to get the bolts to line up. and like on Ford FE engines, 352- 390, always left the head bolts loose until the intake was on and torqued to the heads the did the heads. Lots of engine when you really look the bolts rub one side or the other on different parts.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

on Ford FE engines, 352- 390, always left the head bolts loose until the intake was on and torqued to the heads the did the heads.

Now I'm not the most up on the FE engines. I really don't particularly care for them. Didn't the intake actually go underneath the valve covers?

 

[Randy Bush]

Now I'm not the most up on the FE engines. I really don't particularly care for them. Didn't the intake actually go underneath the valve covers?

Yes they did, actually the intake in a sense was part of the head, pretty good engine really, it was such a strong engine that Nascar made rules to prohibit it.

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

Yep Ford 390 is one of those overbuilt bulletproof things from times past. Still have my Moms 66 Galaxy LTD. Had 200,000 on it when she got it and then drove it 20 years. Finally did have to rebuild it but that was more due to the demise of leaded gas than anything. Used to have Ford 750’s with the 391 truck version. Tough.
Getting back to your clutch rattle, do you have a rough idle or misfires? I’ve had the clutch rattle as you describe due to that. Another case I cured by raising idle speed 50 rpm.