I got my new plate in today i bought the gaskets and what not and some blue loctite. I have rtv i think brown gasket sealer and a torque wrench. What are some tips when installing these gaskets like where to add the Sealant and the torque of the bolts?

 

Grab the service manual, it will have all the torque values, and the proper sequence for tightening the bolts.

A dab of RTV goes in the corners, where the intake gaskets meet the gaskets that go across the top of the block at the front and rear of the valley.

Before you put things back together, make sure it is all CLEAN. And I mean spotless. There isn't a lot of torque on the bolts, so, any crud that's left, will cause you problems. Do it once, do it right, don't worry about it again.

Also, reading thru the plenum thread at the top of this forum will give you a great deal of info on this particular job........ more than you ever really wanted to know.

 

The coolant ports on the heads need a smooth, thin layer around them. Use a little on the back of the gaskets to help hold it in place, but be sure to smooth it out.

And be on the easy side with the silicone, you Gould use RTV silicone. If you think it's too much it propbably is.

Don't put big clumps off it anywhere, especially at the corners.

The front and back gaskets are just rubber pieces with little "****" on them. Make sure these go in to the holes in the block very securely. Make sure nothing at all is in them.

Use new manifold bolts as the old ones are, well, old. Try to get a torque wrench for the intake manifold bolts and tighten them down according to specs. In the correct sequence.

If you don't have a torque wrench don't be afraid to wrench them good but don't go overboard.

Trust me, do it right once, I just had to do it all over again becaus I folded a gasket the first time and got coolant all in my oil.

If you don't think the gasket is quite right PULL IT and try again.

 

Alright i read it over in the manual too and it seems pretty straight forward. I borrowed a snap on torque wrench and i will be doing this veeerrryy slowly to make sure everything is right. i did the TB mod and the Kegger mod and hopefully i will see some performance gains but who knows. I think i will also adjust the TV cable just a little for firmer shifts. I bought a new PCV valve from the dealer and it seems so much more high quality then the auto zone one that's all plastic. I grabbed a stant 180 thermostat then returned it and bought a $11 duralast 180 cause didn't want to feel cheap. Hopefully the install will go off without a hitch i will update tomorrow when i get it all done. Also i started my custom "Ram Air" today. Its stock intake tube off a 2005 cummins coming up from in between the radiator and frame to a hole im cutting in CAI box. IDK if it will do anything but it might.

 

I would go back to a 195 stay unless you're getting a tuner real soon

 

Why is that?

 

The stock PCM doesn't play well with a 180 stat.

From what I gather it just makes the engine run really rich, so all it really is doing is burning even more of your gas.

 

very true, and my 180 after the plenum fix threw a code for not reaching operating temps. 195 thermostat fixed it though. I read later, some of the later model 2nd gen pcm's don't like the 180 thermostats, and will throw codes. I have no issues though with a 195. Had a few bad experiences with fail-safe thermostats, so I will never suggest them. A regular one, will do just fine. Knocking on wood, but I haven't seen a CEL since switching the thermostat, right after changing my plenum.

 

Wont the 180 thermostat suck during those cold Chesapeake bay winters?

 

depends on the year truck I guess ...mine has a 180 stat and I noticed no increase in fuel consumption....and the scanner confirms its in full closed loop mode looking for .8 at the o2 sensor and adjusts fuel trims accordingly long before it hits 185... and no codes in the three years its been installed... it usually tops out at about 185degrees not enough to effect my heat in the cold buffalo snow...