Well, just returned from an epic journey to Minnesota, pulling my car hauler with my toy ('92 Lexus SC400) and I can say that the guidance and advice that I received from you folks made the difference. Thanks to all you wrenches out there for posting the remedy for my plenum problem. My '96 318 never missed a beat, and I gouged the heck outta it. I have to make this trip 2 or three more times as I am moving from Tennessee to change jobs. Thanks again, all!

 

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted in this thread. I read and re-read almost every post before I decided to try this. Last week I swapped my intakes, I had bought a spare and modded it and installed Hughes kit, and this past week i re-did the exhaust new Cat and Muffler and 3 inch pipes. So now my truck has all the power id ever need again sooo happy thank you again!

 

'Killing Me'...So the Hughes kit arrived last week..one of the intake gaskets had indentations on a quater size area on one of them(looked like a cat had chewed on it, only on one side tho)...So I called Hughes told them the problem and the said they would send me a new set(ok cool, right?). The new set arrived today but it was different. It's the 'victor reinz' set...The first set came with a rigid fiber type plenum gasket (which doesn't line up very well with the holes in the pan btw)...The VR set has a thin metal plenum gasket. The intake gaskets are also different. One set being thicker and the other is a slightly different in shape I don't know what to do/which to use..any advise would be a big help! Hope I'm making sence over here

 

Go to your local parts store, and buy a Fel-Pro set.

 

Just spoke with the stealership and they're selling the medal type plenum gasket..I think that doesn't solve their issue with an aluminum pan and a aluminum IM and using a stamped steel gasket...I know I'm crazy but what are they thinking...It's gotta be me..Off for the fel-pro set, thanks bro!!

 

Well, just an FYI. But the Hughes plate also comes with a stamped steel gasket. I'm doing a plenum fix in the next couple week. And I'm going with the steel gasket, to see what happens.

 

FYI, the 'victor reinz' kit they sent me today came with a stamped steel belly pan gasket..the package they sent last week came with a fiber/felt type gasket, NOT cork tho..from what I know the thin metal one they sent me can melt and/or distort rather quickly under high heat..IDK,

 

My suggestion, before you go and lay out the coin on a Hughes kit, Felpro or any other kit is to do your research. Deside on weather you plan to use a stamped metal or fiber type plenum gasket...FYI, hughes sent me BOTH types after there was a issue with the IM gaskets they sent in the original order. They sent the fiber type in original order. Then they sent the stamped metal type in a kit to replace the damaged IM gasket. ('victor reinz' kit)

 

Going with the metal plenum gasket...does anyone use blue locktite on the IM bolts?

 

Blue locktite on the pan bolts. No chems on the IM bolts.