Vacuum Leak?

[Zektor]

Hi All,
I have a 1982 Corvette. On this particular year they did away with the rubber end seals that mate the intake to the block, according to the manual that comes with the intake gasket set, you just need to run a bead of RTV sealant down the mating surfaces.
Now my question is this, is this join supposed to be air tight? Or is the RTV just to stop the ingress of dirt etc. Because if it's supposed to be vacuum tight... I'm not impressed!!!
Can anyone give me the run down?

Cheers
Dazza

 

[mvftw]

Thats correct. I use RTV Black, start about a 1/2" up on the intake gasket then across then back up a 1/2". Let it cure for about 10mins first. It should work fine. I'm sure others will tell you that they use other colors of RTV, I'm sure there're all good.

 

[JohnZ]

The RTV makes a FAR better seal than the old end seals did, and it lasts forever (assuming you clean the mating surfaces thoroughly on the block and intake first so you get a good bond). I've done this countless times on many cars over the years, and I've never had a leaker. The end seals that come in every gasket kit are guaranteed leakers, whether they're cork or rubber - just pitch them and use RTV instead.

Color is optional - I use Permatex Hi-Temp Ultra-Copper, as it's fairly close to Chevy Engine Orange.