I'm not able to make a trip to the local dealer which is an hour away just to order intake manifold gaskets that will take a week to get there. I'm stuck with e-bay and the internet. Any good ones out there? I guess a better question is, which ones aren't cardboard? These seem like a good deal but I have no idea what they're made of.

 

http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Victor-MS15269-Engine-Intake-Manifold-Gasket-Set-/77116729

 

Any input is much appreciated. I need to get this thing back on the road. I'm tired of fixing it!!! I gotta go to work!!!!

Yes, they are all more or less 'cardboard'. There may be something else out there, but I've never had a major issue with the fiber ones so I haven't looked. I will tell you if your rig is down and you need it bad, then take a shoebox, trace the manifold, cut them out and use them. They will work. I've had to do it 3 times on different rigs in BFE circumstances. The worst was hunting season in Colorado at Dunn Peak 10,000 feet elevation. 10 days on a 4x4 with a shoebox gasket where the thermostat was because they didn't have either in Montrose. Never leaked.

I just replaced mine on the loyale with some from autozone and they work fine, better than whatever blew out after 22 years.  I'd order those.

No, the OEM intake gaskets are nothing like cardboard or any other composite material. Cardboard is certainly not a substitute for a genuine intake manifold gasket. It will not last long before failing and you will be driving a flat four steam engine!

 

The real gaskets have a layer of metal that sandwiches between the head and intake manifold. They are similar to exhaust gaskets. With the mixture of petrol, coolant and heat, cardboard simply will not last.

Edited March 25, 201412 yr by Leeroy

I just replaced mine on the loyale with some from autozone and they work fine, better than whatever blew out after 22 years.  I'd order those.

Last time I used the cardboard gaskets from autozone they lasted about a month. Did you do anything special to them?

• Crap its only been 2 weeks so might need more time to tell if they're any good. At least we threw some antiseize on those bolts. Several of them were nasty to get out. Wire wheeled the mating surfaces and used some sealer with the gaskets is all we did. I plan on retorquing the bolts this weekend.

 

2 dealers in my area had nothing in stock I needed and didn't really sound like they wanted to stock anything for a car that old. Found a nice little independent repair shop where they did some diagnostics and checked it over for free.

I have used the thick black gasket material from autozone and copper spray and it holds up just fine. just have to be careful cutting as the material is a bit brittle. just make sure the surfaces are cleaned thoroughly even though its a pain. i use a piece of Plexiglas with a sanding disk stuck on it to get smooth surfaces quickly.

^^Sounds like my ticket right there!!!^^

I have used the thick black gasket material from autozone and copper spray and it holds up just fine. just have to be careful cutting as the material is a bit brittle.

 

Best way to do make these is to press the material over the hole in the head.....then use a small ball peen hammer to "imprint" the pattern into the material..If you do it just right, the "drops" will just peel right out.....no need for scissors or razor knife.

Subaru only !

If you want factory Subaru, you can order online from http://subaruparts.com/ or http://heubergersubaruparts.com/

I fashioned some gaskets out of the black rubber-like gasket material and coated them with about 8 coats of Permatex copper spray-a-gasket. Hopefully it holds up for a while. The stuff seemed pretty tachy, so I'm thinking it will do fine for a while.

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/permatex-copper-spray-a-gasket-hi-temp-adhesive-sealant-10-oz-80697/7160111-p?cm_mmc=ACQ-_-Google-_-GPLA-_-7160111&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=7160111&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=&gclid=CPfHjuOusb0CFUtk7Aodv1IAvw#utm_source=acq&utm_medium=google&utm_campaign=gpla&utm_content=7160111

I have had good luck with parts from the BOSAL catalog such as at NAPA. Bosal is mainly an exhaust part supplier. these are metal gaskets. oem subaru gaskets are metal with a graphite face that allows for differing expansion rates between the intake and the heads.

Mine always hold up fine. I was sketchy about doing it at first but all was well. just as long as a paper product like the blue is not used. I agree that the original equipment is the way to go but when its your daily driver and you gotta get to work you don't have time to wait for a delivery and these are not readily available auto parts stock.The copper spray is the perfect bond as no beads are formed with an even coating when tightening and dry time is quick.

I learned to keep a set of legit ones in my garage at all times. 

Mine always hold up fine. I was sketchy about doing it at first but all was well. just as long as a paper product like the blue is not used. I agree that the original equipment is the way to go but when its your daily driver and you gotta get to work you don't have time to wait for a delivery and these are not readily available auto parts stock.The copper spray is the perfect bond as no beads are formed with an even coating when tightening and dry time is quick.

I learned to keep a set of legit ones in my garage at all times. 

Good to hear. Sounds like I made the right choice. I think keeping extras is a great idea, will make a trip to Subaru asap.

Rubber gasket material with copper spray didn't work worth a damn. So if you are reading this thread wondering what route you should take, just use the real gaskets. Unless you only need your engine to run properly for about 20 seconds, in that case go for it!!!

These look better.....more exactly shaped and same looking material as OE.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ITM-Engine-Components-09-51326-Intake-Manifold-Gasket-/321355972685?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3ASubaru&hash=item4ad24f004d&vxp=mtr

Also this

 

beck arnley 039-6309

 

This part # brings up a big variety of more correct looking type.

 

I don't like the "triangle shape" of those aftermarket.......leaves a narrow spot rather than an even contact surface like the OE type.

Best way to clean up and old gasket surface is to use an Oil stone, most other methods either do not get things flat or gouge the aluminium, Just keep a pocket Oil stone in new of as new shape handy for the job and do not use it for anything else.

Edited March 29, 201412 yr by coxy

rockauto.com

 

Stupid cheap, fast. Order the Fel-Pros, I've never had a problem with them.

The Subaru ones are grafite coated steel others are just cardboard and as the engine heats and cools the expanding and contracting will tear them apart. The Subaru ones are ment to let the intake move

rockauto.com

 

Stupid cheap, fast. Order the Fel-Pros, I've never had a problem with them.

Aren't the Fel-pros cardboard?

Honestly, I've had 50/50 with the felpros.. I've had the graphite covered in the box and the cardboard. Haven't had problems with either, once the surfaces were prepped correctly.

 

Wait, wait, wait. I understand that the aluminum expands and contracts, but assuming it's not the plastic intake, but being made of the same material, both having coolant run through them (at least on the EA82 SPFI), bolted together... How does the intake move, let alone enough to disturb the gasket?

Intake is one piece engine is 4 pieces

But sharing the same expansion rate, won't they match each other? And the bolts and the holes in the intake don't have THAT large of diameter difference.

 

And since the gaskets are a negligible thermal barrier, the heat at the head/intake interface is the same... I'm not seeing how the intake can shift (grow) differently enough to disturb the gaskets...