I have an edelbrock aluminum intake and the problem I'm having is that my water neck (Mr. Gasket) leaks and I've gone through two of them. I have done everything I can to seal everything and it still leaks towards the top bolt. Also it looks like something is eating away at the water neck from the inside. So I don't know if the corrosion would cause a crack and then make it leak. I'm not sure what to do at this point. Do I go back to the original aluminum housing. Also can I find an aluminum in chroms the Mr. Gasket ones are steel. Any help would be great.

Welcome to the world of cheap, crap, Mr Gasket junk. The process they use to make those chrome outlets leaves an acid under the chrome and against the cheap crap metal they cast the body from. In other words, it eats it's self up from the inside out. Your never going to get one to last more than a few years, and most fail and begin to weep in just months.

Options are to go back to a stock GM unit or pony up the $'s for a anodized solid aluminum outlet. The annodization helps protect the aluminum from corrosion and erroding from electralisis, but it's not a final cure all. Make sure you run a anit-corrosive in the coolant to help protect the aluminum parts, AND I have heard of some guys using a sacrificial annode in one of the radiator hoses. I'll let the more knowledagable on the subject elaborate, but as I understand it you just need a thin strip of aluminum inserted into a radiator hose and ground it to the iron block somehow. But I don't remember for sure exactly so stay tuned for more correct advice on that.

The simple cure is find a stock outlet,,, or replace the Mr Gasket crap with every oil change. http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif

(BTW, nice last name there Mr Davis http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif )

Thanks for the information that explains why I went through two of them that were being eaten away. Do you know where I could find an anodized solid aluminum neck from? Also so I got it right the original neck is aluminum?

Marv is correct about the annode.

J. Chris Davis, depending on where you live, the water quality may or may not be that good. For any vehicle, you should not use "tap" water as it contains minerals and deposits that can affect your cooling system performance.

The best way to go is distilled water that you can buy at a grocery store. This is not just purified but most of the deposits are removed so you won't have problems with "hard" water as many do in some areas.

The antifreeze you choose is entirely up to you. Both Dex-cool or regular coolant work fine but make sure you don't mix the two or you'll end-up with a gelatin mess! Just mix 50% distilled water and 50% anitfreeze.

Anodes are available from some Corvette suppliers or you can go online and find "Rad-Cap". This is a good product that is attached to your radiator cap and wears away to prevent electrolysis.

As for your Mr Gasket Chrome outlet. Get ride of it! Find a good quality billet or US made anodized aluminmum outlet. Get a Fel-Pro reuseable outlet gasket with the plastic body and a captured O-ring and you shouldn't have a problem again. the Fel-Pro is expensive, (about $15.00), but you'll never have to buy another again.

One other thing, I've had good results using additives like 40 below or Redline Water Wetter. Both of these help keep temperatures stable and also help preserve waterpump seals.

i am using a summit brand chrome water neck with an o-ring instead of a gasket and it has worked fine now for about 2 years...

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by RS_SS350:
i am using a summit brand chrome water neck with an o-ring instead of a gasket and it has worked fine now for about 2 years...</font>

Your time is coming, not a matter of if, but when. Been there - done that. I picked up a stock unit, put the wire brush wheel to it, painted it, and grin when I see green stuff on someone else's manifold. Chris - two very knowledgeable guys have spoken here - believe the word. http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/smile.gif

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79 Z28 Bought new, honeymoon ride, same wife, same car.

[This message has been edited by CorkyE (edited September 07, 2005).]

My experiences with these things exactly match what you guys have seen.

If they don't fail due to corrosion, they fail due to warpage- even when cold. My camaro was in storage for years and leaked here when I pulled it out. I've always checked them against a piece of glass and they're warped after two years or so.

These are not quality aluminum parts- I suspect that they're a very poor alloy if there is any aluminum at all. I suspect a lot of zinc is involved, but it really doesn't matter. They're unsuitable for anything but T-buckets and such where you don't mind replacing them every year or two because you only put a couple hundred miles per year on them.

Sometimes a part store will carry an aluminum and/or a cast iron replacement on their shelves. As long as the neck points in the right direction, either one is fine.

By the way- a useful sacrificial anode will have to be zinc or something besides aluminum- otherwise it won't be any more effective than your aluminum manifold and/or cylinder heads! The ones marketed for Corvette guys are probably perfect. Just make sure there's a reasonable electrical connection between the anode and the block. Most people don't realize that the hoses we use aren't actually rubber, but neoprene based. This is useful because neoprene conducts electricity- which is why the compound was invented for tires. Some of you will remember when most trucks had chains or cables dragging on the ground to deplete static charges built up in the trucks- conductive tires eliminated this for most applications. They use similar compounds of neoprene with lots of lampblack in the hoses which has similar properties. The point of mentioning all of this is just to say that if you put them in the hose, try to position it as close as possible to the engine. Before I learned this I tried to use a piece of hose as an electrical insulator- I was sure glad to find why my battery kept running down after a few months!

Ahh, put a small bead of permatex around the perimeter and off you go.

I had one fail, and I didn't know what I had done to the engine. Thought I blew head gasket at first, but it turned out to be water/antifreeze was rushing out the top of the cheap ass water neck where it popped, hitting the hood, and getting sucked down the carb. I went back to a cast iron piece and never looked back. I won't ever run one of those pieces of garbage ever again on any engine.

i get the one autozone has (spectre?).. i've used 2 or 3 now on diffrent engines.. no problems... has a o-ring so no gasket is needed... i smear a thin coat of sealer just for extra pertection...

Ditto on the Mr Gasket POS water outlet.

Thing started leaking 8 months after I put it on. Bought a stock unit for minmal change and it didn't leak until I pulled the engine 5 years later.

never again.


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Soon to be BBC, TH-400 w/2000 stall, 3.73 diff w/ Powertrax locker.

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by 1981coupe400ci:
i get the one autozone has (spectre?).. i've used 2 or 3 now on diffrent engines.. no problems... has a o-ring so no gasket is needed... i smear a thin coat of sealer just for extra pertection...</font>

It is only a matter of time. Have a look at the underside next time you take it off, if it doesn't pop before then. It will be severely pitted and eaten up.

I use the peak global coolant premix, no water needed, also supposed to be better for aluminum. change coolant at least every two years no matter what you drive, sooner if the car sits alot, cheap protection. chrome water necks are only good for smashing with a hammer and laughing! even tried the felpro plastic gasket, no luck.

I installed one on my other car and it only lasted about 2 years and the darn car only was used for about 4 months per year and then back in storage.Ate a hole out through the top.

TBART1970 has a few good points.

The Peak premix coolant is a good way to go, (or any name brand for that matter). Changing the coolant regularly is a necessity especially if it sits for long periods of time.

Many collectors of concours type vehicles have a "ground" connector attached to the car and a ground point in the garage to slow down the electrolysis process.

The Chrome water necks will always be a debate as some have good luck and some don't. There are just too many variables to say what will be a guaranteed fix.

Those who have bought and used the imported outlets with the O-rings have had mixed results, Some good, some bad.

We're all looking for great deals and have gone to swap meets, speed shops, online, etc, etc, etc. I'm sure most of us have bought some part and thought it was a great deal until it gave us problems. Right?

Something as simple as a water outlet requires a little attention to prevent a bigger headache. Because of the problems I've experienced with this, I've become anal about checking the surfaces of the manifold and the water outlet. Even the high quality products should be checked!

In any engine building tool box should be a thick plate of glass. Many machine shops have a precision granite block but not everyone will shell out thousands of dollars for one.

Using a good straight edge to check for "flatness" on both the water oulet and manifold will reveal if you need to resurface either. Believe me, even the high dollar products can have production variances. If the outlet is not flat, use a fine grade of wet-or-dry sandpaper with a little solvent on the plate of glass and "re-surface" the sealing face by sanding in a figure-8 pattern until it's level.

If the manifold is installed, use a fine file and "mill-file" the surface, pulling the file in one direction until it's even.

I stated previously that the Fel-Pro plastic gasket was the best way to go. TBART1970 had no luck with this and to be honest, I had some leaks too and this was on a brand new Edelbrock manifold and Billet Specialties water outlet! After I resurfaced both the outlet and manifold, and smeared some grease on both sides of the o-ring gasket, it never leaked again. This car has had over 65,000 miles on it and has had the thermostat changed twice each year using the same gasket for the past 5 years.

One other thing to consider; try using studs instead of bolts for the water outlet housing. Repetitive threading and unthreading in an aluminum manifold can cause loose bolts, cracked threads or leaks. It also helps to locate the gasket and housing.

Yep......just changed one out on the wifes Monte Carlo....never would quit leaking. I got a cast iron one and painted it cast gray. Looks good against the aluminum intake.

Shine the old chrome one up and hang it on the wall....thats all its good for.

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If all else fails...Tap lightly with a 5lb hammer!

when i took my motor out about 4 years ago i took the hose off and the whole top to of the water neck was eaten away!!!!damn i need a stock one!!

wow, and i was trying to get rid of my stock one... guess i'll hold on to it until my summit one goes bad..

yea had the same problem loosing coolant like crazy so i went out bought a regular stock cast one with a gasket and had it powdercoated for 20 bucks looks better than the chrome one and seals beautiful

You asked where to get a solid aluminum outlet,, they don't exactly give these things away, but it will be the last one you buy,,, CSR makes em and Jeggie sels them for about $85. The outlet swivels 360° so outlet orientation is up to you, O-ring base, annodized, choice of hose sizes,, pretty nice piece.

http://www.jegs.com/photos/170911R.jpg