Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

[Bill O.]

I’m back asking for your help again.

My question relates to only the tab portion of the side gaskets in a kit.

On the web catalog of a corvette parts supplier…the tab is shown as rounded at the top, as seen in the attached jpg.

In the other attached jpg is what they actually sent…that tab being squared at the top.

Can anyone tell me which, if either, is correct for a 1962?

As always, I appreciate the help and advice.
I have to correct myself...when I enlarged the picture what I thought was a rounded tab is clearly square...Would that be correct?
Sorry for the confusion.

[William C.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

Might have to get rid of the embossed ribs left from the donor gasket's tab. A little work with a hammer usually works. Or, you might just try cutting a later gasket to the square configuration...

[Bill O.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

Thanks, Bill.
You are saying that the square tab is the correct one...I think.

[John F.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

Bill, Here are pictures of the side intake tabs and front tabs as best as I could get them. #0029. Are you going to the conventioin?

[William C.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

Yes, the square tab is correct, just not the ribs visible , surface should be flat. Go you have the end gaskets with the little "GM" molded into them?

[Bill O.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

JOHN...Thanks very much for the pics...no...I had wanted to go sooooo much but we are having our Denver clan (with grandkids) here for the 4th.

BILL...I only have used gaskets with the correct GM markings for the front and rear. We think they can be made to work with sealant. Couldn't find NOS.
Thanks for the clarification.

[Robert B.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

BILL...I only have used gaskets with the correct GM markings for the front and rear. We think they can be made to work with sealant. Couldn't find NOS.
Thanks for the clarification.

Bill, it sounds like you know what the tabs are supposed to look like on the front and rear from your used ones. Here is a picture of ones I bought on eBay and just installed on my '60.

GM Intake Manifold TABS.jpg

[Mark D.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

Bill

I think Dan Patch has the NOS end gaskets you need

Mark

[Bill O.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

ROBERT...here's what I have.

MARK...I've emailed Dan...Thanks so much.

gasket.JPG

[Timothy B.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

Can someone tell me when the front rubber gasket changed to the non circular type that only sealed around the edge. That seems important because it makes the engine breathe from the lower crankcase instead of the intake gallery. PCV in rear of carburetor breathes from intake gallery through oil seperator, air in from oil fill tube to lower crankcase.

Also, when did the change to the rounded side tabs occur if the 62's used square tabs.

[John D.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

There are two variations of the repro intake manifold gaskets being sold. One has the camel top and the other is the same gasket except the top is snipped off to end up flat.

With Bill Clupper stating that the top is square or flat then that must mean that 62 down had the flat tops and 63 up to??? had the camel hump.
Use a machinists vise or a small ball bean hammer to flatten out the verticle rip on those repro gaskets.

Here is one for you. Be careful you doin't' mess up and use the early style 283 gaskets on a 327 just because you want the proper end tabs for points.
Not going to mention who did this here (one of the gang) but it wasn't the FI unit causing the problem. It was the smaller port gaskets.

[Joe L.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

Can someone tell me when the front rubber gasket changed to the non circular type that only sealed around the edge. That seems important because it makes the engine breathe from the lower crankcase instead of the intake gallery. PCV in rear of carburetor breathes from intake gallery through oil seperator, air in from oil fill tube to lower crankcase.

Also, when did the change to the rounded side tabs occur if the 62's used square tabs.

Timothy------

My guess is that the "tab" on the side gaskets represented a means to identify the manufacturer of the gasket (with the gasket installed on the engine). This is because I can see no functional reason for the tab and I'm sure it was not there by "accident". So, the round tab could have represented one manufacturer and the "squared off" tab another. It's also possible that the tab was a means to identify some feature of gasket configuration (e.g. port size, etc.) with the gasket installed on the engine.

I do not know when the front end seal configuration changed. However, I can tell you that the last SERVICE gasket set which GM sold for 1956-68 small blocks (i.e. engines with the "over-the-edge" tabs for end seal alignment rather than the "pin" type used from 1969 onward) included a front end seal without the "full round" configuration. So, apparently, GM considered that the "full round" was not necessary for applications that originally used that style (unless only 1955 used it).

[Barry H.]

Re: Help with Correct Intake Manifold Gasket Cinfig

According to Old Service Managers who were there during the "period" the square tabs on the side gaskets were the only ones installed at engine factory, Flint & Tonawanda. Any replacements were rounded, even from GM Parts. this was to identify an engine that had been previously apart by owners, "racers", for warranty purposes. GM took a dim view of engines modified, then "exploded" at Drag Strips on Sun and brought in to Service for warranty on monday with all the origional GM parts installed.
Barry Holmes #940