Hello for Sugar Grove, Ohio I'm new to the site. I am working on 1964 F100 with a 292. I had an old timer tell me not to use manifold gaskets on a 292. According to him they are not needed as long as both surfaces are true. He tells me that that is why so many tabs are broken off on the manifolds. Has any one every heard of this before.

From another old timer for whatever it's worth;

Ford did not use gaskets between the exhaust manifolds and the head from the factory. I have put many of them back without gaskets over the years, but good straight manifolds are getting harder to come by without resurfacing them. That is what I did (resurface) last time and they are still fine without gaskets. At least so far (5 years but not many miles).

I can see the argument on those thick, metal covered paper gaskets causing cracking problems, and I think it is probably true to some extent. I know they are hard to keep the bolts from coming loose.



Tom from the chiggerfarm located in the beautiful Heart of Central Texas

When you cannot dazzle others with your brilliance, baffle them with bullcorn!

I believe the steel exhaust manifold gaskets for trucks are still available.

I have some solid copper gaskets that I use. I just anneal them when I have them off and reuse them. I don't remember where I got them but I have a spare set still in the package (I think). I'll see if they have a name on the package when I mosey out to the garage later.

"The Master Cylinder"

Enjoying life at the beach in SOCAL

I just ordered a set of steel shim gaskets on ebay. The vendor for the first set gave me a refund as he was out of stock. The second vender sold me one of two remaining. I checked many web sites offering the steel shim gaskets but all were out of stock. Others may know of other sources.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170815943879?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

This guy has one set left.

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

If you have the manifolds AND the head surfaces trued, then no gaskets would be needed. If not concerned with OEM look, then the secret to using gaskets without cracking the manifold tabs is to only evenly snug the bolts, as it is over-tightening warped mating surfaces that causes damage. I use locking bolts with allen inserts to prevent loosening/leaks. The standard foil-covered gaskets will kind of weld themselves to head & manifold surfaces, and carbon will complete the seal.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

For what it's worth, here is a picture of the copper gaskets I have. From Resto Relic's in Bismarck, ND. No URL. Part#195562-272292312F.The are ~1/16" thick.



"The Master Cylinder"

Enjoying life at the beach in SOCAL

Thanks for all of the good info.

Hi Guys, Update on COPPER exhaust gaskets...

I e-mailed Resto-relic's and got this response;

Hi Dennis,

We did get out of selling the gaskets, we are trying to sell off the remaining inventory. We have nothing in stock for the Ford Y-blocks, however we may be making another production run in the future if we get enough orders together to do so. At this time I do not know when they may be available again?

Thanks!

Leon

Also, after checking, I found the Fel-Pro steel truck gaskets are no longer being made either, the guy on ePay must have the last ones...

"The Master Cylinder"

Enjoying life at the beach in SOCAL

Ted Eaton had input on this topic on June 13th in another thread here on the Forum.

Using the fibre or composition gaskets under the exhaust manifolds does speed up the tendency for the exhaust manifolds to crack or break. Unequal expansion rates of the manifold by lieu of poor heat dissipation when using the fibre gaskets would be the explanation for this. By the original design, the exhaust manifolds were to be a metal to metal fit to the heads. The larger trucks used a metal gasket that incorporated a shield to keep the heat off of the valve covers but it is a metal gasket without any fibre backing and helps to promote better equal heat transfer from the exhaust manifold back to the head versus using the fibre backed gaskets. A very thin film of ‘red’ RTV on the exhaust manifolds in lieu of using any gaskets does seem to give the best exhaust manifold life while still being leak free.

Hope this helps.

NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York