Felpro 1250 Intake Gaskets Are Trash!!

8950HO · Oct 18, 2006

5spd GT said:
Going over and over the torqueing sequence is normal after an intake install. I did mine 7 times at first, over and over. Then after I drove it for about 50-100 miles and a few heat cycles, I took off the upper and retorqued them.

No problems with the two installs I have did with FEL-1250's.

Make sure the proper order is followed.

The proper order was followed and gone over numerous times until they all tightened down evenly in 4 stages.(10,15,20,25lb-ft)
I took more care to install them than most people probably do,and these pos gaskets still start leaking again over time.

I think they must compress/shrink too much,because the 4 times I`ve pulled the upper to retorque the lower,all the bolts are kind of on the loose side.

They all move again to the 25lb-ft final spec and the seepage stops for maybe 2-3 months,then it starts seeping again.

I refuse to buy 1250`s again.

Nobody retorqued the lower intake when the cars left the factory and they seem to not have any leakage issues,granted the factory didn`t use 1250`s thankfully.

woodsy · Oct 18, 2006

a resounding majority have no problems with the 1250's, hmmm

5spd GT · Oct 18, 2006

Did you take off the upper and retorque all the bolts in order after it has been driven for a bit. Say 100 miles...3-4 heat cycles?...

The 1250's do compress a bit...they are supposed to.

I have had two different sets on my car, one for the h/c/i swap and the other for rebuilding the bottomend. No problems.

I guess it is just me

thehueypilot · Oct 18, 2006

I think the gasket is splitting around the water passages because the RTV that is applied is too thick. When the RTV dries it becomes harder than the gasket material so when you retorque the intake you are pushing the harder RTV into the gasket and splitting the weaker gasket material open. The RTV becomes like "Moses" and splits the "red sea" gasket material.

EDC · Oct 18, 2006

Never had a problem...

Sicarius428 · Oct 18, 2006

Havn't had a problem yet. I trim the nub off the water port to give less restriction and I don't need a flap in there too.
Kevin

jtfairlane · Oct 18, 2006

5.02GO said:
Operator error my butt!

These things dont last very long at all. They tear at the #1 water port.

I think they suck. They are junk. Might last 6 months to a year.

That's exactly where mine fail, at the water port by cylinder 1 intake port every time

Biggeley · Oct 18, 2006

AS for the failure near the #1 water port.. Are you trimming the tab off the gasket that protrudes into each water port?

Also, 25 ft/lbs seems a bit high to torque the intake manifold.. A lot of the aluminum head/intake guys are tightening them to 18-20 ft/lbs.

Are you putting the side with the blue printoseal upwards towards the intake manifold?

Also, I do use a bit of high-tack gasket sealer on the back side of the gaskets around the water ports. This is to hold them to the heads during assembly. I could see problems occuring from RTV as it gets hard, whereas gasket sealer is very thing and stays pliable.

Just trying to think of reasons why some people have problems and others never have a problem (like myself).

Sicarius428 · Oct 18, 2006

Another trick is to use studs to line up the lower when you drop it down. This helps prevent the intake from moving when you are lowering it and it lines it up pretty well.
Kevin

MatthewP · Oct 18, 2006

I've never had a problem with the 1250's, 1262's or 1262R's. I always use the cork end seals too.

Are you sure your torque wrench is ok? If you store a click type torque wrench with a setting other than "minimum" it can stretch the spring and ruin it. I almost wrecked a set of drag lites once with a bad torque wrench because of this problem. It's worth considering anyway.

-Matthew

txstang84 · Oct 18, 2006

same here MatthewP...most people tell you to ditch the cork...I've used 1250's on at least a dozen engine builds and intake swaps, and never had a days trouble with them.

If you really don't want to use Fel-Pro though, I've also used Mr Gasket # 5834 with great success in the absence of 1250's...the port openings are actually a tiny bit bigger, but they go on like a glove, and I've never even need to rtv around the coolant passages...just a blob at the corners where the cork seals mate to the gasket itself.

Now, on the flipside of that, you can't expect gaskets to last forever, but mine held up perfectly fine for over 6 years (until I pulled the engine out)...I only retorqed them once during that entire time with no adverse effects. It's up to you hoss...keep in mind that if you buy FRPP intake gaskets they are made by Fel-Pro...

8950HO · Oct 18, 2006

Biggeley said:
Also, 25 ft/lbs seems a bit high to torque the intake manifold.. A lot of the aluminum head/intake guys are tightening them to 18-20 ft/lbs.

My Ford shop manual say`s 23-25lb-ft for the final torque spec on the lower with stock heads.

5.02GO · Oct 19, 2006

I torque at 20ftlbs. Start off with 10, 15 and then 20. I probobly have to retorque them anywhere from 5-10 times befor ALL bolts torque out at 20. Then i put the plenum on.

I have tried adhesive and silicone. Gasket always tear at #1 water port. Maybe there is some movement that goes on because of the heat cycles.

I have retorqued 2-3 times after heat cycles have occured.

I am gonna try copper silicone around ALL ports, and a thin film of black on the outside of gasket (i have done the gaskets with and without the black silicone on the intake side of the gasket.) Couldnt see any difference. I do like to use it because i feel like it lets the intake slide evenly when i torque it.

Maybe i need to retorque several MORE times after heat cycles?

Intake was just recently machined. From front to back there was a difference of .002.

Maybe this time around it will be different. Still would rather try graphite instead.

Thanks guys!

txstang84 · Oct 19, 2006

this may be a silly question, but; are you making sure that the intake gasket is interlocking into the head gasket overhang? I'm just trying to grasp why only a handful of people are having problems with them...I've installed 1250's on iron heads, and aluminum alike, with all types of different intakes whether it's single plane, dual plane, FI...never seemed to matter.

Now, I did have to step torq them about 10 times on the way down, but I've never had one tear. I can't remember if anyone else mentioned it, but is your torq wrench good?

5.02GO · Oct 20, 2006

I dont know why my torque wrench wouldnt be good or bad?

Craftsman, havent had trouble out of anything else.

MatthewP · Oct 20, 2006

5.02GO said:
I dont know why my torque wrench wouldnt be good or bad?

Craftsman, havent had trouble out of anything else.

There is nothing wrong with Craftsman torque wrenches, but if you set it, then store it for a significant amount of time on a higher than "minimum" torque setting, you can ruin it. Example - if you have a torque wrench with a setting range of 20-90 ft-lbs, and you store it at a 70 ft-lb setting for a while, you can ruin it. You should always store it at the lowest (20 in this case) setting.

Of course, I am assuming that you are using a click type torque wrench. Deflection wrenches can't be damaged in this way.

I'm not saying that this is your problem. In fact, it's a bit of a long shot, but it is something that noone else on this thread has pointed out as a possibility. It does seem tough to reconcile your experience with the Fel Pro 1250 gasket set with my own and that of many others here, so if there is not something inherently wrong with the gaskets, you have to start looking at everything else.

-Matthew

Muscleford · Oct 21, 2006

I have the Ford shop manuals for my 1984 and it calls for re-torquing HOT.

George

BlownFiveLiter · Oct 22, 2006

I've also never had a problem with the 1250's. The installation instructions for my for my intake specified 15-18 lb. ft. of torque for the lower intake bolts. It took me at least 10 times around to get all of the lower bolts to the 18 lb. ft. specification. I also cut open the water ports on the gaskets and used 4 studs to guide the intake down without the gaskets sliding.

mercurycapri · Oct 22, 2006

5.02GO said:
Man, is there another alternative to the 1250 crap?

I need the port size the same as the 1250's though 1.2x2.0

Mr.Gasket?
Rol?

Gonna replace them this weekend so need to be able to them fast!

What about graphite gaskets?

thanks guys!

Ive always have had good luck with Mr. Gasket and the gasket set is cheap in summit and jegs

Philster1 · Apr 25, 2009

Coolant seeping

I have a '66 with a '69 302. I used these gaskets with Edlebrock's gaska-cinch and they worked great on the daily driver for about 2 years, then they started to seep. I think the reason for the seepage is that the aluminum intake has a different expansion coefficient than the heads. The cycling between the different materials eventually loosens the bolts until the seal is lost between the two surfaces. Originally I thought it might be the bolts stretching (I was young at the time and didn't know any better), so I used stainless bolts. Now I've got galvanic corrosion between the aluminum intake and stainless bolts. My next step is to go back to the original bolts, use the gaska-cinch, and re-torque the intake bolts every time I change the oil. Hopefully, this will work.

Felpro 1250 Intake Gaskets Are Trash!!

8950HO

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