Teflon LSJ Intake Manifold Gasket Idea
03-19-2018, 07:10 PM
#1
Teflon LSJ Intake Manifold Gasket Idea
Hello All,
Haven't posted in a while but recently I have been thinking of a cheaper alternative to ZZP's phenolic spacer. As a supercharged L61 I would have to modify the phenolic spacer before installing and with the gasket being almost $100 it makes me wonder if there is a more cost effective solution.
The idea is to laser cut a gasket out of PTFE(Teflon) sheet to reduce heat soak. I would also add a provision for the L61 PCV system to improve airflow. One idea is to buy 3/8" sheet and surface mill both sides of it to achieve a final thickness of .25" (or thinner). This ensures uniform thickness across the sheet before laser cutting.
The concerns I have with this project is how well will Teflon seal to the aluminum flanges and whether it will require 2 paper gaskets like the ZZP phenolic spacer has. Another concern is whether the gasket will hold up under heat and pressure and if the heat cycles will lead to degradation of the gasket over time.
So far it's only an idea and any input is appreciated as it would likely save me from wasting my time.
Haven't posted in a while but recently I have been thinking of a cheaper alternative to ZZP's phenolic spacer. As a supercharged L61 I would have to modify the phenolic spacer before installing and with the gasket being almost $100 it makes me wonder if there is a more cost effective solution.
The idea is to laser cut a gasket out of PTFE(Teflon) sheet to reduce heat soak. I would also add a provision for the L61 PCV system to improve airflow. One idea is to buy 3/8" sheet and surface mill both sides of it to achieve a final thickness of .25" (or thinner). This ensures uniform thickness across the sheet before laser cutting.
The concerns I have with this project is how well will Teflon seal to the aluminum flanges and whether it will require 2 paper gaskets like the ZZP phenolic spacer has. Another concern is whether the gasket will hold up under heat and pressure and if the heat cycles will lead to degradation of the gasket over time.
So far it's only an idea and any input is appreciated as it would likely save me from wasting my time.
03-20-2018, 05:03 PM
#6
i wonder if it would be strong enough. when we use PTFE as bearing liners it has a fabric that provides structure. The teflon then doesn't move around in the bearing. Granted, these bearings I'm thinking of are WAY more stressed than you'd see, but still could be a concern. I also haven't heard of PTFE being used to seal (it's a friction-reducer, after all) so I'd expect you'd need the gaskets as well.
03-20-2018, 05:27 PM
#7
Senior Member
iTrader: (6)
I've used PTFE as seals, it works fine. As long as you can keep it from deforming. Usually the gasket is in a groove or its a gasket for a sanitary fitting. So if you can make a raised edge to compress with the intake manifold bolts (assuming the bolts and head can handle is) you should be fine.
It starts to deform/become soft around 220*C iirc, it might be at a lower temp like 175*C but either way I don't think the engine will see those temps.
It starts to deform/become soft around 220*C iirc, it might be at a lower temp like 175*C but either way I don't think the engine will see those temps.
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