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Intake Manifold Gasket (my own Do-It-Yourself experience)


Suburban-97
08-07-2005, 07:36 PM
I did it, I did it!!! Thanks to all of you and your advice I finally replaced my intake manifold gasket, all by myself. It wasn't easy, it took me a very long time, but I am done and everything is fine now!

I have compiled a small web page with my own pictures and my own comments about this project. Feel free to visit it and click on all the links you see for the pics that I took in the process of fixing my truck.

Feel free to post here any questions or comments you may have..

>>> Click here to see my project page! (http://www.market-place.com/intake/intake.htm) <<<

Thanks again!

:)

NoEcm
08-08-2005, 01:09 AM
Very nicely done and well documented. I've bookmarked your page so I can use it when it comes time to replace my intake manifold gasket.

Thanks for a great posting!!!!

MIkeman28
08-08-2005, 03:32 AM
AWESOME! No feeling better than doing it yourself!

Suburban-97
08-08-2005, 02:36 PM
Yes, I really think so too.. There is a HUUUUUGE satisfaction when you do it yourself! :bananasmi
I also think that not even the best and most dedicated mechanic would do the cleaning part as well as YOU do it on your own car. It would take too long.. they get paid by the hour, to them it's just another job that needs to be done in a timely manner.

There are many other websites on this topic, mine is not perfect either and it lacks some important pictures as well. For instance I was afraid to stop and take a picture after applying the RTV beads, because I thought I was already late in dropping the intake manifold on the gaskets and the RTV would harden right away. (I really didn't know how to really apply the RTV, how thick I should go.. My knowledge wasn't that mature and my imagination was not enough). Then I read the instructions on the tube and it said that it would take up to 1 hour until it starts to harden. Well, anyhow, I wish I had someone to take the pictures. I did my best and I have tons more pictures that I haven't published, pictures that I took because I was afraid I couldn't remember how all the 'stuff' was before I disconnected it..
I had to publish the pictures that show how the A/C bracket slides forward vs. just prying it, because I wasn't able to find those pictures anyhere else on the Internet. Same with the picture of the shiny spots on the distributor gear metal.. I've heard about it, but never saw it. If I had my own pictures before I started, I would have been much better off, and THAT's exactly why I hope that some other do-it-yourselfers can benefit of my posting.

NoEcm
10-25-2005, 05:13 PM
Suburban-97> Thanks for the excellent web page documenting your intake manifold gasket replacement/repair.

I just completed my intake manifold gasket replacement this afternoon using the tips/instructions/guidance from your web page. That, the short instructions that were included with the Fel Pro gasket and a copy of the Chilton's page showing the torque sequence was all I used during the replacement.

Total time for the replacement was ~ 8 hours (6 hours one day and 2 hours the next).

Thanks again for an excellent posting and a well written and concise web page documenting your experience.

Pakeboy2
10-25-2005, 06:54 PM
Great job!!!

Suburban-97
10-26-2005, 11:40 PM
3,000 miles later.. Everything is still PERFECT! :smile:

mikeinut
11-10-2005, 03:06 PM
I just completed this repair last weekend on my '99 suburban. While it is fresh in my mind I wanted to add a few notes here and there. In no way am I trying to discount or take credit for anything "Suburban-97" has written. It was because of his excellent information that I even took on this project. I am referring to the numbered sequence that he posted on his "project page."

#2-It was physically impossible to get my hand or a tool on the radiator drain valve of my '99 suburban. Save yourself a lot of cussing and just undo the lower hose on the bottem left side of the radiator. Even this step turned me into a sailor because I couldn't get pliers around the hose clamp. You'll see what I mean...it's hard to get to. When I FINALLY got the clamp off I replaced it with a regular screw down clamp. That .67 cents saved me a lot of braindamage. Those quick clamps are great when you can access them easily.

#7- I was into this step about 10 minutes when I had an "oh shit" moment. This was my longest step by far. I used blue painters tape and a sharpee marker to label all of the wire clips. I labeled both ends so it would be easy to retrace my steps. I also labeled sealable sandwich bags with all of the nuts and bolt I took off. I even put what size of socket I used...this step alone saved me tons of time during reassembly. You will be amazed at how many different sizes of bolts they use..even on the same part. Let me warn you about 2 ugly wiring issues you will have to deal with. There is a black skinny bracket at the back left side of the engine. It holds one or two of the wiring arteries and also holds the ingition coil. See it? I had to remove this completely before I could remove the intake manifold. Just take it off at this point. There is a bolt on the back side of the engine that hold this bracket. It also holds TWO ground wires! You have to undo the first nut to remove the ground wires and then the second nut will allow you to remove that bracket. It's a pain but you'll thank yourself later. The second pain-in-the-butt wiring thing to undo goes to the alternator...runs around the left side of the engine and down below to a ground and two sensors. That ground nut is a biatch! The leads to the sensors are easy to take off. In looking back I think these were the hardest parts of the project. Putting it back together was 10 times easier for some reason.

#11- This step kind of had me scared. Everybody made a big deal about this step but it's really not that difficult. When you reassemble the engine after the intake manifold and plenum (the black plastic looking thing that sits on the intake manifold) are in place you have to slide the distributor gear (about 10" long) down into the engine. If you are one spline off it will put you about an inch out of alignment so it's easy to tell if you're off. I was thinking that I might be 1/8" off and not know it. This isn't the case. I used duct tape and put two 3" strips on the firewall(the back wall of the engine compartment). I put one skinny piece across the top of the distributor cap and took a cut-down Home Depot paint stick and used it as a straight edge to draw a line on the tape. Then, where the stick touched the firewall I made another intersect mark. I used the exact same process for the rotor using another paint stick. Make sure you label them. Leave the rotor attached to the distributor gear. During reassembly you will insert the distributor gear, align it with your paint stick to make sure you're on the right spline. If you're off you lift the gear up about an inch...turn the rotor just a tiny but and slide it down again. Do this until your mark lines up. Then you'll put the cap on (make sure you know which side is in front) and use your other stick to align it with your mark. THEN you tighten the bolt at the base of the Distributor and you're done! (ps. My distributor gear looked perfect so I didn't buy a new one)

#15 I had some trouble with this step. When I removed the metal fuel lines from the plenum a part flew off. Make sure and do as he states...disconnect the firewall side first. A small crescent wrench works great to undo the line at the fittings. Then, between the fittings, there's a #10 bolt that mounts it to the engine. Undo that! Then you can wiggle the lines and remove them from the plenum side. Just do it slowly so you don't do what I did.

#19-He was a genius...the a/c bracket slid just like he said. If anybody tells you to pry the bracket they aren't doing it right! Here's the secret- Remove the bolts like he says...they are all on the front side of the brack and NONE of them require you to remover the pulley!!!!!!! If you look down around the right side of the a/c bracket you will see a nut that points to the firewall. In your mind it makes sense to remove that nut. Don't! Reach down below it and you will feel another nut...you can even see it if you get your head down around that right side far enough. This is the magic nut! If you've removed the front bolts and nut...and then loosen this "magic nut" (don't remove it...just loosen it) the whole bracket will slide forward easily.

#21-This picture alone helped me IMMENSLEY! I printed it off and labeled the different bolts with a pen as I removed them. I'd write "clip" or "wire nut" or "bracket" and draw a line to the particular nut. I didn't purposely use the same bolt in the same hole. I made sure they were the same length and put them in a baggie. I just didn't have a box top handy. You have to pay attention because there are different bolt lengths. Make notes and label as necessary. I cleaned the threads with a wire brush after they soaked all night in white fuel (Coleman fuel).

#24-No, my engine did not look like his upon reassembly! Did he have have a pack of elves working on it or what? Amazing! I only had the weekend to complete this repair and I did the best I could in the time I had. I went through 2 cans of carb cleaner in about 3 minutes. I ended up using my can of White Fuel and a stiff toothbrush. It was economical and worked great! It disolved the engine grime very well. I had a rubbermaid garbage can full of wadded up newspapers. I set the pars on end and scrubbed them. The newspapers cushioned the parts and absorbed all of the yummy gravy. If I could do it again I'd run a bottle of Gunk Engine Cleaner (About $3) through the engine before I even started the project. It will require one extra oil change but I think the time you save would easily cover that extra oil change. My engine was filthy. I can't tell you how much sludge was in the "lifter valley" and on both sides of the intake manifold and the plenum. So much for regular oil changes.

#27- The ball point pen idea was great. My problem was...during my practice sessions I managed to break off 4 ballpoint pens in the bolt holes. I'm a genius! They were easy to extract with a wood screw but still...I swore a lot. Here's my secret. I had to tip the back end of the manifold downward to clear that brass fitting at the back side of the manifold wall. Then I tilted the right side of the manifold down and banked it into the right valve cover tucking it just under the valve cover lip. THEN...I made sure the holes were aligned and lowered the manifold in place. It was a pain but after about 3 tries I had it down. I would HIGHLY recommend buying a larger tube of the black RTV with an applicator nozzle. The one in the kit is undersized and barely allows you to put a 1/4" bead on both ends. Plus, it has no applicator nozzle.

#28 Between the different torque stages...wait 2-3 minutes. This will ensure that the final 11/ft/lb torque will be right on and the gasket will have adjusted to the pressure more gradually. Just my opinion.

Was this an easy project? No! Is it a fun project? NO! My body felt like I had been beaten by a band of gypsies and left for dead. Leaning your body over metal engine parts for a many hours is painful! I finally got smart and leaned my carcass over a life jacket. If only I had done that from the start! Take your time and keep looking over your parts when putting everything back together so you don't accidentally forget about a part! Good Luck!

Suburban-97
11-11-2005, 02:02 AM
Congrats mikeinut!!! :thumbsup:

I know it was a nasty job, but don't you feel much better now? When I did my repair, I felt like going out and telling everyone what I did, expecting them to tell me I was 'Tha Man'. Most of them replied with: "Intake Mani-WHAT?!?" :dunno:

I still feel good about what I did, nobody can take that away from me. Would I do it again? Hmm.., let's just hope that there is no next time, but if there is I'll probably pass next time. Knowing what I now know I'll probably be a pain in the butt to the mechanic who'll do it :)

And you are so right in regards to the pain, mikeinut. I remember my rib cage hurting like crazy after this repair. In my case it lasted for about a week or maybe even two after I had finished the job, even though I used a few very soft pillows placed on top of the radiator. At times I thought I could feel serious pain in the liver/pancreas area, but it turned to be just 'Intakemanifolditis' :)

I am glad that my project page (http://www.market-place.com/intake/intake.htm) has helped a little bit in accomplishing your goal. Maybe some day I'll redo it and put the pictures on the same page rather than just links. Pictures are really worth a thousand words, but just 1000 words are not worth anything without a bit of a 'visual'. While doing my Internet research before my repair, trying to gather as much material on the intake manifold gasket replacement as I could, I found many people like me, trying to describe what they did and how they did it, but it still didn't help me much without pictures. Then I took certain words like 'intake' + 'rtv' + 'bead' + 'intake' and did just picture searches and I found pictures of beads of RTV on engine blocks.. Gosh, I am so glad I was able to use the Internet for this! I would have been lost without it..

As an update, my Suburban is still ..PERFECT!
I am now used to check it for leaks, coolant and oil levels and all that every time I fill it up with gas or change the oil and all seems 100% OK. No signs of anything, no sweet coolant smell. This truck seems to say 'Thank you!' for the fact that I took good care of it so far.

:)

dbezzant
02-19-2006, 02:32 AM
Thanks Guys for your helpful tips. I am going todo this on my 98 Suburban this weekend. I looked all over the net and even at the auto stores. Thanks again, this will save me some great time and headaches.

David

wafrederick
02-19-2006, 02:18 PM
Go with the updated intake gaskets from Fel Pro(part #MS98000 T).The updated ones are made out of metal instead of plastic.

NoEcm
02-19-2006, 05:10 PM
While you have the intake manifold off you may want to change the heater hose quick disconnect with a steel one (the factory ones are pot metal and will start to leak sooner or later). If you have the manifold off and the quick disconnect breaks while taking it off it's better now than later.

If you already have a steel one no change is necessary.

Here's a tutorial:
http://www.angelfire.com/mech/pa/heater_hose.html

The steel fitting should be available at your local auto parts store and here is what it looks like:
http://www.rockauto.com/ref/RB/Detail2.html?http://www.dormanproducts.com/images/items/hwrap1/6047166.jpg

The fitting is $6 and the FelPro MS98000 T intake gasket is $55 at rockauto.com (if you look on the internet sometimes you can find a 5% off discount code that you can apply to your order).

Good luck

dbezzant
02-21-2006, 03:19 PM
I purchased my intake gasket from the GM dealer Sat and it has the metal tabs.

Last year my heater quick disconnect broke off, I did not replace it with the same fittng, I used another one and a hose clamp, much easer and cheaper.

I now have my engine taken apart, hopefully will get it together tonight, what a fun project.

surfin_phil
02-23-2006, 05:54 PM
OK, so I'm going to tackle my 99 Tahoe intake here in the next xouple weeks.
Quick question though, do you put Dexcool back in the engine or some other coolant?

Thanks for the excellent information, I'm sure it will help a great deal.

Phil.

dbezzant
02-23-2006, 08:20 PM
Hi Phil:

I have heard that the regular green will work just fine. I am going to put in the new stuff that Prestone has out that will work with any type. It looks pretty good. One thing to remember is to mark all your cables well. There are a lot of them. Good luck

NM_HighPlains
04-04-2006, 11:45 AM
Ahhhh...this thread is JUST what I was looking for. I have the infamous coolant leak and it matches all descriptions here. I've had a small leak for awhile (6-8 months), but when I changed my oil yesterday in preparation for a 800 mile RT to OKC, I found that the leak was worse and I had to add almost 1/2 quart of coolant. That's when I hit the 'net and found out about the intake manifold leak. I think I'll be borrowing my grandmother's '05 Toyota 4Runner for the OKC trip- with 2 adults, 2 child seats, and 1 11 yr old, it'll be a little tight, but at least we can do it. Much better to do that than get stranded on I-40, yeah?

I'm a fair mechanic, having worked on dirt bikes for about 30 years and ranch pickups for 15 or so, but this will be new territory. I think I can handle it, though and I'll be ordering the gaskets and getting the stuff together real quick-like here. I'll also get the distributor gear while I'm at it. Our '99 has 104,000 on it, and I'd sure like to keep it another 1-2 years.

MANY THANKS for that superb DIY website!

Suburban-97
04-05-2006, 05:20 PM
Good Luck with your repair, HighPlains!

Please come back and report the success when you're done, Ok? :)
It's likely to be a bit different than fixing dirt bikes though..

Have Fun! :)

NM_HighPlains
04-05-2006, 06:14 PM
Please come back and report the success when you're done, Ok? :)
It's likely to be a bit different than fixing dirt bikes though..


I'll report back. Are there any additional pictures that we need while I'm doing this?

Dirt bikes- I hear ya, there, but I have done the top end on a Toyota 20R engine, several water pumps, alternators, that sort of thing. I'm anticipating busted knuckles and bruised ribs. :icon16:

Suburban-97
04-05-2006, 06:27 PM
Hmmm.. There are some pictures on my project page (see first post), and if you followed the underlined links in it, you should have seen all the pics you need to do this repair. Some day I will change that page to show the pictures directly, without having to click on links. Some day.. But you know the saying.. "There is no coming back from the 'I'll-Do-It-Tomorrow Land!' ". We'll see.. :)

NM_HighPlains
04-05-2006, 06:46 PM
I got the linked photos- just wondering if there were any additional shots we needed. Like, for instance, the gasket in place? Or the pens in action? I'll just shoot what I think will be useful and go from there.... You gave us plenty to work with!

Suburban-97
04-05-2006, 07:04 PM
HighPlains, If you feel that you have the time to take some pictures as you do the repair, please go ahead and do it. I would gladly post them onto my project page and give you credit for it.

As a matter of fact, If ANYONE has pictures that could help others with this project, please send me an email to the address provided at the bottom of my project page and I will post them next time I update it.

I appreciate your contribution to this post! :thumbsup:

Suburban-97

NoEcm
04-05-2006, 07:56 PM
Thanks again to Suburban-97 for the great posting. 4,000 miles after I changed my intake manifold gasket everything is still perfect.

While you are changing the intake manifold gasket you might also want to change the heater hose quick disconnect fitting with a steel one. The stock one is pot metal one will fail sooner or later. If it's going to break off better that this happens with the intake manifold off the engine. I understand that there is a factory fitting that is steel but I don't have the part #. The aftermarket one is made by Dorman and is part # 800-401. You can get the fitting at Rockauto.com for $5.00 along with your intake manifold gasket.

Quote from another forum:

"At www.rockauto.com for 5% off here is the code# 385239360427 just put it in the box for discount when you checkout, it works until May, 2 2006 and I all ready tried it and it works."

Suburban-97
04-05-2006, 08:19 PM
I didn't replace the quick disconnect fitting mentioned by NoEcm when I did my intake manifold gaskets, and I am still sorry I did not..

Good to hear that your truck is doing fine, NoEcm! Same here.

I am hopeful we'll hear a similar story from NM_HighPlains soon.

NM_HighPlains
04-10-2006, 08:38 PM
I have the manifold off. No major problems- LOTS of connections and hoses and clamps and clips and thingymajigs, though. I marked everything well.

To get the radiator drain out, I removed the top RIGHT hose and then had clear access to the plug. A 1/4" drive fits into the plug and out she comes. Maybe there's a trick after that, but I ended up with coolant all over the floor and my first job was to clean that up.

I took pictures of the "magic" nuts that lets the A/C bracket slide forward and will send those on after I get done and everything starts.

The only gotchya that occurred was when I loosened the black plastic hose that runs across the engine, thinking it was the "fuel line"- it's marked "tank" and has a relief valve on it! Then, when I went to pull the actual fuel line, I loosened it from the plenum first and got sprayed with gas. That was a "duh" moment.

My coolant leak was definitely coming from the right hand side of the flat surface right next to the actual gasket, so done right, this should get my problem solved. I plan to go ahead and replace the distributor gear and quick connect hose while I'm in. Anything else I should replace? How about the distributor rotor and cap? There is some corrosion on both- dunno yet how well they'll clean up but if I should replace, I will.

Oh yeah, one thing I can't figure out- is this thing metric or standard??? Sometimes 13 mm or 1/2" fit, sometimes 14 mm, sometimes 7/16", sometimes 6 mm.

A deep 1/2" comes in mighty handy for removing the thermostat housing nuts.

NoEcm
04-11-2006, 02:02 AM
I plan to go ahead and replace the distributor gear and quick connect hose while I'm in. Anything else I should replace? How about the distributor rotor and cap?

I wouldn't replace the Distributor Cap until after you've got the car on the road and have it running for a while. You'll need the old distributor cap to line the distributor back up to the marks you made on the firewall. At this point make as few changes as possible. If you do have problems it will be much easier to troubleshoot later.

Oh yeah, one thing I can't figure out- is this thing metric or standard??? Sometimes 13 mm or 1/2" fit, sometimes 14 mm, sometimes 7/16", sometimes 6 mm.

The car is 1/2 metric and 1/2 SAE. It confuses me too. The stock lug nuts use a 22mm socket and as you said the thermostat housing uses a 1/2" deep socket. Go figure.

Good luck with your project.

Suburban-97
04-11-2006, 09:40 AM
NoEcm is right, it is good to use the old distributor cap for alignment and then to eventually replace it while you're there. That's what I did too. I also spent probably over an hour marking the position of all distributor parts (closed and open) and also taking many detailed pictures, and the reward was that I did not get any error codes at the end.. Take it easy, it isn't wasted time!

wafrederick
04-12-2006, 09:10 AM
Mark the distribitor before pulling out.The timing is not adjustable and you have to set the distribitor with a scan tool,not a timing light.

NM_HighPlains
04-15-2006, 03:31 PM
Does anyone have torque specs for the plastic manifold cover bolts?

NM_HighPlains
04-20-2006, 05:16 PM
Alright! I got 'er done. Been 300 miles and it's looking good- no leaks, coolant level hasn't budged in either the radiator or overflow and oil looks great. Here are some things I discovered:

1) empty .223 shells make perfect "studs" for aligning the intake manifold. Sturdy, won't bend, just the right height. I used two- one in the rear left and one in the front right. This let me tilt the manifold to clear the fitting, then align with the rear .223, then align with the front .223, then set the manifold straight down. Cake.

2) I used too much sealant, but I did take a picture of the "before", so you can compare and adjust.

3) the oil pump turned on me and the distributor didn't line up. It lined up, but wouldn't drop all the way down. So I called my auto shop (I do a lot of business there!) and they told me to just turn the oil pump until it all fit- common problem, they said. I taped a small socket to a long straight screwdriver and turned until it lined up. And it did.

4) I got the fuel line holder-downer upside down the first time and fuel sprayed out. It's HARD getting those fuel lines down enough to thread the nut.

5) another pain in the rear is the hose clamp right in front of the thermostat. I forgot to put that clamp on during reassembly and had to fish it into place afterwards- that took 20-30 minutes alone! I used a regular hose clamp.

6) Useful tools to have before you start: a deep 1/2" socket for the thermostat bolts, a deep 10 mm socket for the plenum bolts, the torque wrench, a foam pad to lay over the engine for you to lay on, a magnetic parts tray, and a lovely and helpful wife to hand you parts and take removed parts and offer sympathy.

7) take a lot of pictures from different angles at different distances. The pictures were invaluable in reassembly.

Truck started 1st crank! I think it idles better now (distributor gear? clean intake? clean fuel injectors?). Everything works- heater, a/c, cruise control, etc. I saved some $$$, learned a lot about my engine, and got 'er done. Thanks a bunch! I'll send some photos to '97 Suburban.

Revenelson
04-21-2006, 11:02 PM
You guys are having waay too much fun. I'm going to replace mine tomorrow, along with the fuel injectors (you can search on my name for that thread). Hey, at least I have the two problems at the same time so I don't have to take everything apart twice! I will let everyone know if there is anything different on the big block.

NM_HighPlains
04-22-2006, 10:26 PM
I spoke too soon. It's leaking like crazy right now. However, I don't think it's the intake manifold now, I think it's the water pump. I crawled underneath and there's just a steady heavy drip of antifreeze coming down from somewhere beneath the intake manifold. I checked the heater hoses- no leak, nothing at the thermostat. I can't see any leak from the top of the engine, just underneath. Plus, the coolant is clear coolant w/ no oil like it was before.

Oh well, it's going to have to go to the mechanic. Bummer.

NoEcm
04-24-2006, 05:08 PM
I spoke too soon. It's leaking like crazy right now. However, I don't think it's the intake manifold now, I think it's the water pump. I crawled underneath and there's just a steady heavy drip of antifreeze coming down from somewhere beneath the intake manifold. I checked the heater hoses- no leak, nothing at the thermostat. I can't see any leak from the top of the engine, just underneath. Plus, the coolant is clear coolant w/ no oil like it was before.

Oh well, it's going to have to go to the mechanic. Bummer.

Have you checked the bypass hose and the heater hose that goes to the water pump?

If the water leak is from the water pump it's a pretty easy repair.

Don't give up yet. If you have the ability to change the intake manifold gasket you certainly have the ability to find your coolant leak.

Good luck!!!!!

NM_HighPlains
04-27-2006, 05:59 PM
Have you checked the bypass hose and the heater hose that goes to the water pump?

If the water leak is from the water pump it's a pretty easy repair.

Don't give up yet. If you have the ability to change the intake manifold gasket you certainly have the ability to find your coolant leak.

Good luck!!!!!
Yes on the hoses- no problem.

I just didn't have time to do the water pump. With the manifold, I had a week's window there, but now I've got 2,000 head of yearling cattle coming in and I just don't have time. Mechanic (a guy I trust) has it and it is indeed the water pump. I'm wondering whether I should have him do the timing chain while he's there...104k miles on truck. I don't mind preventative maint and I hate having things break down.

What do y'all think?
==================================
edit: I'm picking the rig up today. Had the water pump, rear brakes, fuel filter, and fuel pump (weak pressure) replaced. Timing chain was in good shape, so we left it alone. It's been a busy week for me here on the ranch- I got nearly 1,000 yearlings in and there's just no way I would have had time to do the work myself. Oh well, the way I look at it, me replacing the head gasket saved the money that the other repairs cost!

97Burb&99Sierra
06-05-2006, 11:43 AM
I want to thank Suburban-97 and NoECM for this thread. I had to complete this repair due to the heater quick disconnect breaking off at the threads when I was in the process of doing my annual failed-alternator change (:banghead: - love those reman alternators!). I can handle many repairs, but this thread was monumentally helpful -- both of the repair books I have don't give any of the details needed to complete this right. My biggest challenge was getting the wiring all disconnected and out of the way, then connected back correctly after it was complete -- there's a ton of those suckers! Thanks to your article, putting the manifold back on was actually the easy part -- the pens worked great! But it all worked -- started right up on the first crank, no leaks.

Related to this, several years ago we had a fuel injector fail. I spent $800+ having the dealer change that one $75 injector and "clean" it all out. As a result I started using Chevron Fuel System Cleaner at every oil change, and haven't had any trouble since. Despite that, the intake manifold was extremely dirty when I pulled it off last week -- could be over time, or they didn't do it well/at all in the first place. This time when I did it, I burned through 10 cans of the Valvoline synthetic carb/TB cleaner -- that stuff is amazing, but the engine was real dirty inside, and that gunk is hard to get off otherwise.

Anyway, thanks again, great thread!!!

kraf
06-10-2006, 05:56 PM
This is a great thread. I have a 93 Suburban with leaking coolant that I think is coming out of the intake manifold just above the right water pump attachment. Will these directions work for a 93 as well? From the pics, I saw one difference was the AC compressor. I'm wondering what else is different as I may be so bold/foolish to take this on myself since it purports to be such an expensive repair shop job. Thanks.

NoEcm
06-11-2006, 11:17 PM
This is a great thread. I have a 93 Suburban with leaking coolant that I think is coming out of the intake manifold just above the right water pump attachment. Will these directions work for a 93 as well? From the pics, I saw one difference was the AC compressor. I'm wondering what else is different as I may be so bold/foolish to take this on myself since it purports to be such an expensive repair shop job. Thanks.

I have no knowledge regarding a 93 but this may help:
http://www.chevytalk.org/threads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1552659

Especially note the following from the above link:
"Intake gasket, and from what I have read here, when a TBI motors intake leaks it can easily make a turn into the intake port, fit it ASAP."

Scramblendan
06-15-2007, 04:04 PM
I did it, I did it!!! Thanks to all of you and your advice I finally replaced my intake manifold gasket, all by myself. It wasn't easy, it took me a very long time, but I am done and everything is fine now!

I have compiled a small web page with my own pictures and my own comments about this project. Feel free to visit it and click on all the links you see for the pics that I took in the process of fixing my truck.

Feel free to post here any questions or comments you may have..

>>> Click here to see my project page! (http://www.market-place.com/intake/intake.htm) <<<

Thanks again!

:)
Your Project page was very helpful !! Your info and pics gave me more confidence to do this on my own than the Haynes manual. The time you spent putting this together is very much appreciated.
Thanks

NoEcm
02-01-2008, 02:10 AM
Thanks again to Suburban-97 for the great posting. 4,000 miles after I changed my intake manifold gasket everything is still perfect.

While you are changing the intake manifold gasket you might also want to change the heater hose quick disconnect fitting with a steel one. The stock one is pot metal one will fail sooner or later. If it's going to break off better that this happens with the intake manifold off the engine. I understand that there is a factory fitting that is steel but I don't have the part #. The aftermarket one is made by Dorman and is part # 800-401. You can get the fitting at Rockauto.com for $5.00 along with your intake manifold gasket.

Quote from another forum:

"At www.rockauto.com for 5% off here is the code# 385239360427 just put it in the box for discount when you checkout, it works until May, 2 2006 and I all ready tried it and it works."

Suburban-97's: Intake Manifold Gasket (my own Do-It-Yourself experience) (http://www.market-place.com/intake/intake.htm)


Glutton for punishment? Just bought a 1996 Tahoe with 81k on the odometer a couple of weeks ago.

First project on the Tahoe: Lower Intake manifold gasket replacement using Suburban-97's instructions again. The only change I made to the procedure this time was to buy a 2nd valve cover gasket (the Fel-Pro kit only comes with 1 valve cover gasket). Removing both valve covers sure made it easier to drop the Intake Manifold back onto the engine.

My costs for the project came to ~$200:

Fel-Pro Intake manifold gasket set $50
2nd Valve Cover Gasket $8
New Water Pump $40 (why not change it while I was in there)
Lower Radiator Hose $20 (this hose is not easy to get to when everything is together. I made the decision to change this while I was changing the water pump and had the thing apart. I did not change the upper hose at this time as this will be real easy to get to when it needs replacement.)
Steel Heater Hose Quick Disconnect $8
Both By-Pass hoses for the water pump $10
Heater Control Valve (it had a small leak) $11
2 Gallons of Green Anti-Freeze $20
1 gallon of solvent $5 (clean, clean, clean)
2 Oil changes with filters $18
1 tube of Permatex Ultra Black RTV $6 (the Fel-Pro kit only comes with 1 tiny tube)
1 tube of Blue Loctite $4


Thanks again for Suburban-97's original post again. Everything went super smooth again.

Suburban-97
02-01-2008, 08:02 PM
Hey NoEcm! :)

Nice "Deja Vu"! Great news to hear that you did it again! :)

Almost 3 years and ~ 40Kmiles later and my 97 Burb is still the greatest on Earth! I haven't posted much in this forum since my intake manifold repair, but I just could not resist coming back to give my congrats to you, my friend! :)

Suburban-97

PS - I live in Canada now. My Suburban probably hates the salt here, but drives like a #1! I never used the 4x4 in Florida, but here.. it's a must have!

Torque_Nut
03-05-2008, 06:21 PM
Suburban-97 et al.,
GREAT Thread! I have a 97 Suburban K2500 w/7.4L with 195K miles on it. It has been a terrific vehicle and has worked hard for me over the years. I am pretty meticulous about taking care of it and am hoping to put another 100K on it. I have a friend that has a 94 GMC 2500 and he has 360K miles on it (everything original!) ... so I'm hopeful.

A couple of months ago I noticed the infamous "coolant leak" also. Mine ended up being the water pump so I replaced it. Took care of it, except for a tiny little leak...a few drops per couple days. My bigger fix was leaking oil cooler lines that I replaced. However, I do believe have an intake mainfold leak that is passing oil and fouling my #4 plug. I think all of the problems started when I had my serpentine belt break on the freeway, the belt tensioner pully seized and burned the belt. I smelled it, but I was going down a slight hill at the time and an 18-wheeler was just ahead of me and I thought it was him riding his brakes. Well, first thing I noticed was that my power steering was out and by the time I managed to lift my hand up to scratch my head, I noticed the temp guage going up fast..:banghead: I got her shut down and pulled over before I think anything serious happened, but I suspect some seals developed some leaks. After getting towed home, changed the belt, pulley, oil and coolant and everyting seemed fine.

A mechanic friend warned me that the intake man. gasket probably developed a leak and to watch out for it. Well, after reading the EXCELLECNT posts in this thread I think I will finally tackle the intake manifold. HOWEVER, I have the 7.4L Vortec which has a different configuration that the 5.7L....Has anybody done the 7.4 intake manifold?
I imagine that it is not too different other than where things are located, but having somebody post it like you guys have done here is REALLY valuable. You know what I mean, when I read the Haynes manual it basically reads as follows: 1) disconnect neg. batt. cable, 2) Remove intake manifold, 3) replace gasket (see figure), 4) re-install intake manifold and connect battery cable. :angryfire Okay, it's not quite that bad but you know what I mean.
My big fear is the distributor (and rotor) removal/reinstall alignment issues, but sounds like everybody here has had no trouble PROVIDED that you are meticulous about marking and documenting every exact position.

If anybody knows of any issues related to the 7.4L procedures, please advise.

Thanks!!!!

yukon6inchlift
11-25-2008, 09:20 PM
i was still hoping to hear the torque specs on the upper manifold. also the upper is not mentioned alot,,,i'm hoping this means its pretty straight forward. i'm going to be starting this project soon. i think i remember a couple people talking about injector problems, cracked clips or something. do i need to take extra care when cleaning this area, will these injectors be exposed when the intake is off?? are the injectors in the upper or lower?? this will be my first intake project and its on my one and only vehicle so i need not to have any problems or i will be bumming rides to the parts store lol too cold to ride the bike, but i will if i have to hahaha

mints33
11-26-2008, 06:14 PM
Upper Intake Manifold Bolts In Sequence:
First Pass: 5 Nm (44 inch lbs.)
Final Pass: 10 Nm (88 inch lbs.)

The injectors are accessed by opening up the upper intake, and be real careful removing the suckers, the clips are brittle as heck and will break off easily. You will need to remove those suckers if you want to get a good cleaning of your intake. I only managed to break one off, but I got the spider upgrade, so it didn't really matter.

I'm still in the process of doing mine, in the cleaning stage, it sux!!! Cleaning is probably the worse part of the job, and it's been 2 weekends for me. It's taking this long because I can't seem to spend more than 3 hours a day doing it, in 30 degree temp.

mints33
11-26-2008, 06:18 PM
i will be bumming rides to the parts store lol too cold to ride the bike, but i will if i have to hahaha

Plan on it, you'll probably have to!! lol

yukon6inchlift
11-26-2008, 08:10 PM
thanks mints33. i had just found it(on ebay of all places) and logged on to post it, u beat me to it lol.

i dont have 2 wks to do this, i was thinking 2 days. i read where you can leave the upper on. think i may take that route and save the injectors for another day.

i just want to keep the antifreeze out of my oil for right now so i dont blow another motor up:disappoin

Happy Meal
05-12-2010, 04:17 PM
I've got a 7.4 2500. Looks to be leaking in the same spot -right next to the oil filler.
Will the change out be significantly different?
I've got 102k miles. Any suggestions on additional parts to change out.
She runs like a top otherwise.

Suburban-97
05-14-2010, 10:50 AM
I am not sure whether the 2500 and the 1500 are similar when it comes to this fix, but if you look at the pics in my very first post on page #1 and they look similar to what you have, it shouldn't be much different. Both are Vortec engines, but as another poster (Torque_Nut) mentioned earlier, these engines have a different configuration. I don't know what's different, never looked under the hood of a 7.4L, but I just wanted to wish you luck with this repair. Maybe you return here and let us know what's so "different" about the 2500.

Have Fun!!! :)

Happy Meal
05-14-2010, 09:38 PM
Thanks. I'm being told it's basically a bigger version of the 350.
My concern is mounting brackets, like the AC with the "magic bolt".
Those little secrets can save time and aggravation.

The upside is, I can take my time on it an do a clean job and change out parts and improve stuff as I go.

RPush
10-07-2010, 03:44 PM
My 98 Yukon is running now -- purrs like a proverbial "kitten" and I'm happy as a proverbial "pig in s*#@" -- for now, let's hope it keeps on. So far no leaks or codes.:smooch:

Thanks to Suburban-97 for the helpful thread.

One thing that could be emphasized is to hand crank the engine to TDC before removing the distributor.

I didn't pay enough attention to mark the distributor and rotor position. So, I ended up having to time the distributor. And, that meant that I had to reposition the oil pump shaft. I couldn't feel the shaft with my very large long screw driver and "assumed" it was too big.

So, I carefully put a bit adabter and screw driver bit on a long 1/4" extension. I turned it some, but still couldn't seat the distributor. On my second try, the extension came back missing the adapter and bit.

I posted in the Yukon forum:
http://staticaf.com/vbulletin/images/misc/navbits_start.gif (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/#) Automotive Forums .com Car Chat (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/index.php) > GMC (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=738) > Yukon (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=184) http://staticaf.com/vbulletin/images/misc/navbits_finallink_ltr.gif (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=6812649) Dump Thing - Dropped Socket in GM 5.7

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=6812649#post6812649

Everything seems fine now. But, I do have a small nut and a smaller nut left over.

jim85541
10-04-2012, 12:42 PM
For an old poop like me a must have tool was my over the fender creeper. Let me lay on a nice cushion while working on the truck. Best 200 bucks I've spent in a long time! http://www.amazon.com/REL-Stapleton-REL3100-Foldable-TopSide/dp/B002Y090BY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349372510&sr=8-1&keywords=topside+creeper

paulhead
05-17-2014, 11:53 PM
I think I may have to do this repair. Need to verify it's an intake manifold leak but pretty sure. I know this is an old thread but great info. Read as much as I could but wanted to ask is the Fel-Pro gasket is the best way to go and is there any difference for a 454. (97 3/4 ton sub)

Castconcrete
03-19-2018, 05:12 AM
Hello
New member here who is hoping that someone saved original poster's instructions and photos and could provide that information.
Thsnks

j cAT
03-19-2018, 10:08 AM
[quote=Castconcrete;7208752]Hello
New member here who is hoping that someone saved original poster's instructions and photos and could provide that information.
Thanks [quote]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look up you tube video on this as many as you can find .. buy the correct gasket kit from felpro @rock auto

Castconcrete
03-19-2018, 10:23 AM
Thanks for the response.
Got the felpro gasket from rock.
Watched videos, not much of quality out there.
So many praised the write-up here, was just hoping that someone who had accessed it and saved it was still around.

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