stealth said:
That sounds really bad. I did do a ton of reading, but this is the first I've heard of this. If this is the problem will I need new/different intake manifolds? Does this usually happen with the upper or the lower?
The two most common reasons a manifold gets warped is improper intallation or removal sequence (i.e. removing one bolt at a time starting at one end and working to the other, rather than starting in the middle and working your way out and doing it in stages) and overheating.
When you spray the mating surfaces you will know pretty quickly if you have a leak. If you have a leak then you will need to remove the manifold and check it using a machinists straight edge. You measure diagonally across the surface. If its badly warped it could be machined flat but it would probably be easier and cheaper to just get another one.
The good news if you rarely have to go to that extreme. Usually is you just use a quality gasket coated evenly on both sides with a sealant (RTV in a tube spread on thinly and evenly, or a spray on gasket maker) then you can get the manifolds to seal. I helped a buddy remove his intake and we discovered that someone used what appeared to be a cardboard box like a cereal box and a ton of RTV and it was holding seal. Obviously thats not what you want to do but like I said, its been done and worked before.
But first things first, dont sweat the cure right now until you find out if thats the problem. It takes like 5 minutes to open the hood and spray something in there around the seal to see if you have a leak.
