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Better intake gaskets than FelPro? Massive leak with no evidence...


Ketch
11-02-2005, 11:30 AM
99 Suburban 1500 with 5.7L engine. 2 years ago I fixed the infamous intake gasket leak. Not long after, fixed the heater hose intake that fails.

Now coolant is disappearing - about 1 quart per 20 miles!!!

So I either have a massive leak again in the intake gaskets and it is going straight into the engine. Or, she's only leaking while driving. THere are no puddles, no drips overnight.

If it turns out to be the FelPro gaskets have failed, I'm wondering about some people who mentioned that GM has an improved gasket. Is this the case?

Ryan685
11-02-2005, 11:57 AM
Rumor has it that Fel-Pro made the GM gaskets and all the revisions as well. There is another revision that's been out for a few months now. I purchaced one but haven't installed it yet. It's a Fel-Pro Part number MS 98000 T Should set you back about $65.00. Sounds like some 5.7's have a lot more trouble then others when it comes to anti-freeze leaks. Anyway this new revision gasket has stainless spacers that prevent overtorquing. The directions say to just tighten it down to one torque instead of steps. Maybe the next revision will have velcro on it to ease replacement...

maxwedge
11-02-2005, 12:16 PM
I ve seen the corners of the manifold eroded away and they will not seal, epoxy can be used to build the area back up and block it down level with the manifold surface.

wafrederick
11-03-2005, 08:44 AM
Fel-Pro has an updated intake gasket for 5.7 L engines.It is made out of metal with rubber sealing areas.You might want to check into that.I have seen one,a Jasper rep that comes into my father's shop brought one in for a sample.Jasper puts those in and the plastic ones are thrown away.Jasper threw away every plastic intake gasket set for them,what they had left.They also make threm for the 3.1,3.4 and 4.3 engines also.If the intake gasket sets come with the end gaskets,THROW THEM AWAY!The end gaskets split and cause an oil leak.Put a bead of RTV silicone instead.

Ryan685
11-03-2005, 12:19 PM
It's a Fel-Pro Part number MS 98000 T

mikeinut
11-10-2005, 09:28 AM
I just barely did my Intake Manifold Gasket on my '99 Suburban last weekend. I purchased the MS 98000 T set. The cheapest place to find the gasket kit was at my local Autozone. It is a "special order" item but I paid for the kit on Thursday before noon and had it the next day just around 1pm. Including tax it set me back almost exactly $65. It comes with a left side valve cover gasket, the intake manifold gaskets, a plenum gasket, a throttle body gasket, fuel intake gasket, fuel line o-rings, distributor gear gasket and a tiny tube of black RTV. My only "beef" is that the tube of RTV is TOO SMALL! You have to seal the front and rear sides of the intake manifold with the RTV and it says to use a 1/4" bead. (Only the left and right sides have gaskets, the front and back sides get sealant) This is very hard to do with the small tube because it takes every last drop to do it. Buy a larger tube with a good applicator nozzle so you won't have to worry. The intake manifold gaskets are a no brainer. They have little rubber tabs that go into the gasket alignment holes in the block so they stay in place. Plus the gaskets themselves require no sealant! I'm going to reply to that really good post I found on here that showed pictures and everything. (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=441290) This will help you SO much.

Ketch
11-10-2005, 06:46 PM
Thanks people. I filled the overflow tank up almost to the top and have been watching it. The "service engine soon" light has been on since before I noticed the coolant lose. So I ordered an Innova OBDII/CAN scanner and it just arrived. I plugged it in and a sensor in the heater block is showing a fault. I cleared the error and will wait to see if it comes back.

The coolant has not gone down all this week of driving. The heater has not been used as its been hot here in Texas. But we had a cold spell a ways back and wife used the heater in the Burb. So this may indicate a coolant leak in the heater somewhere. Maybe the core is going bad. So I'll need to drive around with the heater on and see what happens next.

My guess is a leak in the heater is preferred to pulling that intake manifold again...which was not..ah..too bad.. except for the zillion parts I had to pull off, not to mention climbing into the engine bay!

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