Can't go wrong with OEM or Fel-Pro unless you install a Dorman manifold, then you have to use the Dorman gaskets.

 

I never did find out why my motor was leaking before tearing it apart..... hopefully, it isn't that crossover at the front, otherwise I will be tearing it apart soon after this repair.....

you have personally used felpro? I am old school, and I know with old toyotas that Felpro head gaskets are no go.... but I guess that is kinda apples to oranges here....

 

The 1999 (P.I.) 5.4 F150's came with an aluminium intake manifold. That is the only direct swap that I know of.

Fel-Pro gaskets are good quality. Usually the best you will find at a parts store.

 

Those 1999 aluminum manifolds are getting very hard to find.

 

ok so I have been looking @ the felpro gaskets, it seems there are 2 different types? one is the regular and one is perma dry? I a, seeing tons of different part numbers as well

this also got me thinking, could it be the junction where aluminium crossover pipe mates to the plastic intake? could this be where my leak was from?

I never did find out where it was from.....

does a new gasket set have the provisions for the crossover to intake path, or is that another gasket set?

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ket+/+set,5424

The Fel-Pro PermaDry gaskets are an improved design over factory but not totally necessary. The set comes with intake, throttle body and thermostat.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ting+set,10261

^Those are for the coolant crossover. Those usually don't fail but I have seen the plastic around the crossover crack and leak. I've also seen post from people that cracked the intake trying to remove the coolant crossover.

 

Just ordered the:
FEL-PRO MS98008T3
FEL-PRO ES71213
Hope it isn't my manifold that is leaking... if it is, at least I will know how to do it when I pull it again

I will be doing the coolant pipe mod/fix when I get this intake off as well

 

going to try and pull the manifold tomorrow

 

so, still don't have this done yet..... and I am not 100% sure that the pipe is my leak, but I hope it is
if not, I know how to do this again if need be GRRRRRRRRRRR

I have the manifold almost off, just need to pop the fuel rail clips, and then remove the bolts to the manifold itself. everything else is off and good to go

I have read all the threads I can find pertaining to this, what is the correct way I should look to replace it? run a regular hose all the way from just behind the water pump, or do a small section?

 

I've done this repair on three trucks now and on two of them the source of the leak was the connection behind the water pump.

On those two trucks I only cut the last few inches off the pipe and replaced that small section with hose.

The third truck had a pin hole leak in the pipe itself so I replaced the entire pipe with hose.

 

erik, what do you think of this way? I do plan to take my whole intake off though to get in there and clean it all up

(I am no joke about 5 minutes from having the intake off, and a real 5 minutes, not the 5 minutes we all tell our wives it is going to take and takes 3 weeks )

 

deleted

 

GOT THE MANIFOLD OFF!!!!!!!!

now the fun begins, this thing is gross

also, there is a wire connector @ the back, whatever it is goes into the middle of the valley, but the wires insulation is pretty trashed.. so will need to address that......

ok, so why was my junk leaking?!

that pipe looks pretty dry really, but that valley is nasty and full of liquid.... in the front it appears to be full of oil.... EEK?!













sorry these pics are huge!

 

I think that wire is for the knock sensor.

 

That is the knock sensor wiring.

The pipe itself isn't what leaks or gets wet, its the connection of the pipe to the water pump that leaks. It's hard to tell from pictures if that is where your leak is coming from but it looks pretty gunked up at the water pump connection.

You can replace the pipe with hose like in the video you linked, I've never done it that way but it should be fine.

If that is not the source of the leak it could also be an intake gasket leak or the actual intake leaking.