Anybody have any advice on sealing up the plastic-to-metal junction of the oval intake duct to the throttle body on an 87? I put a smoker on the front of the intake where the MAF mounts and, under light pressure, have smoke escaping from this connection. In the FSM and online, I can't find any references to factory or aftermarket solutions (gaskets...think thick rubber band) to solve this...just the standard metal clamp. A light coating of high temp thread sealant? RTV? I lightly sanded the plastic to knock down any irregularities to no avail. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

I had the exact same issue on my '87. After resurfacing the plastic inside, I found that nothing would really create a tight seal without an additive. I used Permatex Ultra Copper Gasket Maker and have had zero vacuum leaks since. On smoke testing, my "leaks" moved from this junction point to the actual throttle body shaft ends, which are relatively common as very few are truly fully sealed. The caveat is that you won't be able to really remove the induction coupler from the throttle body, but you don't really need to anyway. It compresses enough to remove the MAF sensor and disassemble as a conjoined unit when necessary. Hope that helps.

 

Hahaha. Idiot. I replied to myself. Conversations with yourself are super fun. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 

At least you don't lose any arguments that way. 😉

Thanks for posting your solution as it may help others in the future.

 

OMG ! Thanks for the laugh today. The wife and I got quite the laugh from you responding to your own question, especially the last comment “ hope that helps “ 😂
Seriously now, hope you find a solution, there’s a lot of knowledge guys on here