DIY Lower intake manifold gasket replacement with picutes and questions

**dgjks6** · 09-25-2013

You close to Akron? I will pay for your time.

I do appreciate your help. What gasket looks bad?

**Scottydoggs** · 09-25-2013

im in NJ so no where near you. sorry.

the timing cover gasket, the one behind the water pump, im sure its ok, but its not all that flat looking where you have the arrow pointing to. the wetness there im also sure would have come from the upper elbow, that was leaking, and leaked more when you took the alt bracket off.

now got pop that lim off, its time to use a bit more force. (applicable in this case)

**dgjks6** · 09-25-2013

Picking up kid at soccer game. Last question before I use more force. The copper tube. Do I have to remove it? Or just unbolt the one end?

**Scottydoggs** · 09-25-2013

you mean the tube on the driver side thats bolted to the lim? un bolt it, pull it back out of the hole gently, thats your egr tube.

**dgjks6** · 09-25-2013

Victory is ours

What the stuff in the hole?

Is that the stuff that kept breaking off and clogging my heater core?

Also, I did not take the injectors out. Can I leave them in as they are?

Can I just let it sit like this until Sat when I can start reassembly?

**dgjks6** · 09-25-2013

Oh, and what I did was use the shop vac to suck coolant out of the place in the LIM where the elbow goes and when I got it off there was no coolant in it.

Old trick I learned trying to drain coolant out of things.

**Scottydoggs** · 09-25-2013

clean that crap out of the coolant parts, its a crusty old dex cool more then likely, we all get some degree of crap in those ports, i know i did.

lay some rags down in the valley, lay them so they are up the walls and under the port, then scrape that crap out. the rags will catch what you dont get by hand.

**dgjks6** · 09-27-2013

OK. Ready to go back to work. How clean does it have to be before reassembly?

**Fivefingerdeathpunch** · 09-27-2013

A picture of how clean it is right now?

**Scottydoggs** · 09-27-2013

spray the heads and lim mating surfaces with brake cleaner, wipe them off good with a rag. then take a new razor blade, and scrape all the areas down, then re spray and wipe with a rag.

same for the supercharger, and the top of the lim.

**dgjks6** · 09-27-2013

learning a lot. Working with the razor blade now. Few good things tonight. Found the last supercharger bolt. Still down one injector clip, though. I got the new aluminum elbows today. After seeing how this worked, I found that where I thought the coolant was leaking from on the side of the LIM is acually not possible. The side seals are just for oil. I actually foud the leak, though. The lower elbow had lengthwise crack in it. Wish I knew then what I know now. Could have just replaced the elbows. Oh, well.

I will get some pics up in the AM. Should I pull and clean the injectors while I am here?

And this is still better than the heater core.

**dgjks6** · 09-28-2013

OK. First one more question. This came in the packet with the LIM. What are they for?

And then, unless anyone has any objections, I am going to start reassembly. Is this clean enough? Do I use threadlock (blue) on the bolts?

**Scottydoggs** · 09-28-2013

the black ones should fit the coolant elbows, you dont need them, the orange ones should fit the two holes in the top of the lim, TB side.

no idea what that blue plug is for.

**dgjks6** · 09-28-2013

OK, I'll figure out where the orange ones go later. Now in the process of bolt and bolt hole cleaning.

One more question then.

I know where the cark blue one goes. Where does the light blue one go?

**Scottydoggs** · 09-28-2013

looks like you got 2 sets of rubber gaskets, use what ever one matches up to your old ones, im thinking the dark blue ones. ( these replace the orange set you took off)

**dgjks6** · 09-28-2013

LIM on (yeah for me). Torqued in the correct order and everything. EGR thing reconnected.

Now here is where I am going to take it slow (as if it could be any slower). Because usually I get excited here and then start to rapidly put things back together. Then I realize I forgot something and have to take it back apart.

So next step is alternator bracket/elbow hook up/cooling outlet. Any advice before I proceed?

Plans are to clean holes well and lube with a little clean oil.

**Scottydoggs** · 09-28-2013

this ho to covers the elbows. just make sure all 4 holes where the elbows are clean, lube the o rings with oil, and give the bracket a wiggle to square up the elbows then tighten the bolts the rest of the way.

http://www.grandprixforums.net/showt...coolant+elbows

**dgjks6** · 09-28-2013

Done for the night. LIM on and alternator bracket on. The metal elbows installed. They wiggle a little. Is that normal?

What goes next? Still waiting on the blower (it never gets old saying that) gasket.

And I have no idea where these go

**Scottydoggs** · 09-28-2013

alternator bolts is what im thinking one nut for the power wire, the long bolt for the front lower part of the alt that straddles the alt bracket.

**dgjks6** · 09-29-2013

Scottydoggs, thank you far all your help. I owe you.

Your last comment made me think, because I already had a bag of alternator bolts. But then I remembered the brace or whatever it is that runs on top. That's what they are for.

So this AM I started to button things up. Put alternator on and reconnected all coolant lines. Pretty much stuck here until I get the blower gasket.

Questions for the day however.

1. Can I fill with coolant now and test for leaks? I think I should be able to.

2. A few posts ago the bag of O-rings was identified and you said they were for the top of the LIM, TB side. Can you be more specific. Top of the LIM has a big metal gasket for the SC.