Phenolic spacer
Joined: 12-30-07
Posts: 14,079
Likes: 197
From: NEPA
I wouldn't waste your time with those silly phenolic spacers. They have never work great and most users ended up experiencing a vac leak due to poor sealing.
I haven't had an issue with mine, but the only reason I run it is to bridge the difference between the base and the lsj pcv ports together. I milled a channel into the spacer. I used copper rtv spray on both sides without a gasket and haven't had any issues
Joined: 05-15-11
Posts: 27,333
Likes: 584
From: Livonia, MI
The paper gaskets and rtv work fine, even used them without the spacer. What mike said is true but you can also acheive this by cutting a channel into the manifold flange itself.
I'm mainly using it to restore proper PCV operation. The situation I had without it was a vacuum leak through the IM PCV valve and also had oil getting into the intake somehow. I've already bought it and even got the special 8mm-6mm shoulder bolts for my L61. I'm going to use it one way or another. It has to help with heat soak. Aluminum is fairly conductive and as long as the temp of the IM is less than the head it will be pulling in excess heat from the engine at a significant rate. The phenolic spacer doesn't eliminate this heat transfer but should slow it significantly to the point where hopefully my IC will be functioning to cool my intake charge instead of as a 2nd engine radiator. Depending on the specific conductivity of the phenolic spacer the added resistance will result in a lower steady state temperature.
I'm doing the same thing. To clarify you used the RTV and didn't use the paper at all?
But when you cut a channel into the manifold the stock metal gasket doesn't have provisions for this. If you just slot out the gasket you wouldn't get a good seal. I would think you would have to use some sort of RTV to make it work properly this way as well.
put many light coats on it until i could tell it had a nice even layer on it and let it tack up. when i torqued the manifold, A very tiny, continuous, uniform bead worked its way out around the spacer on both sides.
Joined: 05-15-11
Posts: 27,333
Likes: 584
From: Livonia, MI
I said i used the paper gasket lol
I used this stuff (but in squeeze tube form) on my Exhaust to header one time. Was not fun to bust loose so I haven't used it sense. Have you ever taken off your intake manifold since you did this? The way my luck goes this won't be the last time I have to take the IM off.
