Cascade Crew

Twilightoptics

This PSA is brought to you today again from the guys at Garage in Vancouver.

With all the intake swaps going on around here, I thought this would be pertinent.

When installing your new intake you may find ports and threaded places on the intake that will require plugging or fittings to go in. Often times these fittings run PVC, Brake Vacuum, HVAC, etc.

WHEN installing these fittings and plugs:
1. Make sure the threads are PIPE threads if putting in a pipe fitting. Pipe fittings are threaded and tapered. Tighten until snug, with pipe dope or teflon Tape.

2. Do NOT over tighten pipe threaded plugs and fittings. Doing so, especially on an aluminum intake, can cause the threads in the manifold to straighten and for the plug to suck itself down into the intake, even a year and a half later.

Like this guy had happen. Now his hot rod solid roller cammed 327 has a broken engine block, broken head, bent valves, broken forged piston, and bent Eagle I beam.

The really strange thing, is the plug was centered over the #8 port, yet found it's way to the #2 bore!

Thank you.
-Paul

Laughing

DBL_TKE · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

ouch, that sounds like a costly lesson.

blue89 · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject:

Ouch man. What did the customer say was the problem? Lol.

Leejo2005 · Member Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 466 Location: Kennewick

My friend helped me with my cam/intake swap recently and dropped an EGR bolt into the manifold. Evil or Very Mad

He was too much of a man I suppose to tell me this and we went ahead and started the motor. Started up but had a fairly bad miss and backfired at times. Drove it from Chimicum to Poulsbo so I could have my dad help me with it and the engine died just short of his house and wouldn't crank.

My dad, who was angry I put such a big cam in, thought I had valve spring bind. So I bought some springs and began installing them. When I got to Cyl. 8 I couldn't get the engine to hold air pressure on the valve.

So I tear the head off and lo and behold there is a bolt, meant for the EGR valve sitting on the piston. Luckily the block and the piston were fine but the valve was bent and the valve seat was mashed.

The engine runs great now and all is happy in my world. Give Me Beer

I'll get some pictures on here when I get off work...Monday evening.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:36 pm Post subject:

Customer said it died on him. So he started it up and it would run, but like shizzle.

He pulled a spark plug out and brought it in. The ground strap looked like a pretzel. I expected bottom end failure... until I started prepping to pull the engine and saw a big hole in the intake!

Alphius · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:18 am Post subject:

Good lesson. Yay for intake swaps!

redlava · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:23 am Post subject:

Just make sure you get the bolts with the the hex head so that they can not be sucked in, even if they are tightened to tight.

Quasi-Traction · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:48 pm Post subject:

Whoops. A costly mistake indeed.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:26 pm Post subject:

aaron_sK · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:33 pm Post subject:

At the local Ace hardware they sell ones with hex heads, or the standard square head. It's the only place I've ever seen the hex heads on them.

rjmcgee · The Hammer Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 2328

Most brass fittings have a hex on them. I prefer brass for the engine fittings anyway.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:22 pm Post subject:

OH yeah yeah yeah I see which ones you're talking about now.

Never use them in the auto world really LOL always a square head or allen female.

You could definitely use those. They just aren't as pretty but would definitely save this trouble!