Thread: Video tutorial: Lower Intake Manifold Gasket + Lifters in 33 minutes [*]

very good info

Great Job!!! You gave me motivation to try to fix mine.

that's an awesome write up... still wouldnt want to tackle this by myself!


though the car may need it soon....

I watched the video twice and took notes before I did mine. I also installed Comp Cams OER lifters and Yella Terra 1.8:1 roller rockers and included these in my notes. I was skeptical about doing the job until I watched the video you made, it was very helpful. Great job!
I finally took the time to type the rough notes I had used. Here's my notes if anyone wants them. (The numbering didn't copy, so you may want to edit a bit)

LIM, ROCKERS, AND LIFTERS REPLACEMENT
Purchase the following: NAPA: FEL-PRO Head gasket set (P/N HS9089PT-2: $309); 3/8” Fuel line disconnect tool; Header wrap $50; 2ea-2.25” hose clamps; Permatex High Perfomance thread sealer $15; 180 degree thermostat and seal;
GM Dealer: Yellow O-Rings for drivers side intake next to EGR holes: Note: does not come in the gasket set! (P/N 24501563 SEAL-THRO: 2ea $12.40); Heater Pipes (90 degree) for alternator / water pump bracket: (Front P/N 24503423 $12.84; Rear P/N 12565082: $4.12); Heater Hose O-Rings: (P/N 24502375 SEAL-HT: 2ea $8.26)
I suggest marking each electrical connection and vacuum line using wire markers. Mark the connector and the location disconnected from; likewise for vacuum lines. This will take the guess work out of reconnections.
Remove the thermostat and flush the cooling system before starting the repair. You’ll need a flat gasket if you expect to seal the housing without the t-stat installed.

Remove the engine cover.
Disconnect the negative battery cable. Remove the gas cap.
Remove the strut tower brace (if you have one).
Remove the dog bones and tie off the drivers side with a ¼” diameter rope through the holes from the dog bone bolts, pulling the engine forward to the same location as with dog bones installed.
Disconnect the coolant temp sensor, wiring harnesses, and power brake hose (mark harnesses). Inspect hose for deterioration and hardness/cracks.
Disconnect the throttle linkage.
Disconnect the plug wires (mark wires) and remove the plug wire guide at the front valve cover.
Remove the coolant reservoir. Drain and flush for later install.
Remove the evap solenoid (mark harness), connector bracket, and components.
Remove the accessory and supercharger (S/C) belts.
Remove the coil pack wiring harness (mark harness) and note the routing of the wiring harness.
Remove the alternator (mark wires). Leave the top bolt installed, the alternator is slotted for this bolt and the bolts won’t get installed to wrong location which could punch a hole in the rear valve cover. The top bolt is longer.
Remove the rear bank fuel injector harnesses (mark harnesses). The clips are removed by squeezing the sides of the wire clip while pulling the connector.
Remove the evap hose/tubing as one unit. Inspect the rubber ends.
Remove the coil packs and bracket.
Remove the MAP sensor bracket (10mm 6-point socket).
Disconnect any remaining sensors.
Disconnect the front fuel injector harnesses (mark harnesses). The clips are removed by squeezing the sides of the wire clip while pulling the connector.
Remove the fuel rail bolts (10mm 4 ea), then disconnect the fuel lines. Remove the stainless clips from the connections. Release the fuel pressure. There is a black cap at the bottom of the fuel rail, remove it and press in on the tire valve to relieve the pressure. The lines are disconnected by setting the tool around the line and inserting into the fitting, then press in on the tool to release while pulling the lines apart. Place a rag under the fittings to capture fuel which will dribble out. Have two soft ear plugs ready to place inside of the fuel line connectors, then tie them back to the windshield wiper. This will prevent fuel vapors from releasing.
Remove the fuel rails with the injectors. You will probably have to gently pop each injector up. Using a small pry bar and a small block of wood strategically placed near each injector pry up on the fuel rail tubing popping the injector out. Be gentle so as not to damage the fuel rail or injectors.
Remove the S/C bolts. Don’t forger the bolt under the snout!
Move the main harness to the passenger side of the engine.
Remove the S/C. Remove the heater hoses/fittings from the alternator/water pump bracket. Note: Check the water pump for any looseness at the pump shaft. Now is the ideal time to replace the water pump! This will also drain most remaining coolant in the engine. I put in Zerex GO5 instead of Dex-Cool, therefore draining as much coolant as possible is required. Now is also a great time to replace worn heater hoses. (dealer items, so buy in advance!)
Remove 3ea 15mm alternator bracket bolts, one at top and two at bottom.
Remove the alternator bracket. Try not to break the heater pipes.
Remove the EGR tube bolt and nut at each end of the tube. Remove the intake manifold bolts and remove the intake while making sure the EGR tube separates from the intake.
Inspect gasket for failure areas.
Remove valve covers and set aside to clean before reinstalling.
Remove rocker bolts, rockers, and pushrods if you are replacing them with new ones.
Remove lifter retainers and the lifters. Cover the lifter bores for cleaning the galley.
Clean galley area. Absorb the oil in the rocker bolt holes with cotton swabs. Oil in these holes will give a false torque if not removed. Clean the intake gasket mating surfaces at the heads and the engine block. A utility knife blade works well for this. Run a tap in the intake bolt holes to clean out any old sealant. Clean the injector bores in the heads. Install header wrap to the crossover pipe. Cut a piece long enough to complete the wraps with at least a ¼ overlap of each lay. I measured one wrap of the tube and multiplied by 15. I had just enough. Fold it over in 4” lengths and then it will pass under the tube.
Lube each lifter bore and lifters and install lifters. Install lifter retainers.
Install new pushrods. Lube tips of pushrods with cam lube or engine assembly lube prior to installing. Install rocker arms and finger tighten the rocker bolts. To find zero for each valve before tightening rocker bolts for lifter pre-load, manually rotate the crank shaft until the adjacent valve in the same cylinder is at max lift. While moving the pushrod up & down snug the rocker bolt until there is no more vertical movement in the pushrod. Now perform the appropriate preload torque to the rocker bolt. Work your way through all valves in the same manner.
Clean valve cover and install new valve cover gasket and bolt retainers. Use a little RTV at four spots to hold the gasket to the cover. Install valve covers.
Follow the Fel-Pro instructions for this procedure. Place RTV to the four corners where the intake manifold will sit. Install front, rear, left and right intake gaskets. Place RTV to the four corners on top of the installed intake gaskets. The RTV below and on top will seal the seams of the four gaskets. Install the EGR tube to the EGR valve and snug the nut.
Place intake manifold in place. Guide the EGR tube while lowering the intake in place. This can be a little tricky since the tube is rather stiff.
Coat the intake bolt threads with Permatex High Perfomance thread sealer and install the bolts. Tighten initially to 85 in/lbs using a crisscross pattern from center to outboard. Tighten to a final torque of 132 in/lbs (11 ft/lbs). Recheck the final torque. Next install the thermostat, seal and housing.
Install the alternator bracket w/new heater pipes, or old ones with new seals. Install the heater hoses/fittings with new seals.
Install coil pack assembly. Route front plug wires and install plug wire guide to front valve cover. Install the yellow O-rings to the intake manifold.
Clean the bottom of the S/C. Install the S/C gasket and the S/C. Torque the S/C bolts to a final torque of 204 in/lbs (17 ft/lbs). Perform the first torque at 120 in/lbs in a crisscross pattern starting at the center moving outboard.
Remove the injectors from the fuel rail. There is gas still in the fuel rail so be aware. Remove old O-rings and clean the injectors. Do not use carb cleaner or similar product as it may damage the electrical circuits. Install the new O-rings supplied with the gasket set to the injectors. I used “SYL-GLIDE” brake lube for the O-rings instead of motor oil. Install the injectors to the fuel rail.
Install the fuel rail assembly to the intake. Connect the fuel lines and injector harnesses. Fuel lines simply snap into place. Reinstall the stainless clips to the fuel line connectors.
Connect various sensors and secure the wiring harnesses where previously removed.
Install MAP sensor bracket and sensor. Connect wiring harness to MAP sensor.
Install and connect the alternator.
Install the coolant reservoir.
Install the S/C belt tensioner and idler pulley. Note: The ground wire goes to the rear stud.
Do not connect the coil pack harness yet. The engine will be oil primed before starting.
Install and connect the evap solenoid and bracket.
Install the evap hose/tubing.
Install the accessory and S/C belts.
Install plug wires to the brackets at the S/C snout.
Install plug wires to the coil pack.
Reconnect the throttle linkage.
Connect the coolant temp sensor harness.
Install the dog bones. Attach the intake boot to the throttle body.
Install the strut tower brace. (If you have one)
Connect the battery negative cable.
Tighten radiator drain plug and fill radiator with 50/50 mix coolant and install the gas cap.
Turn the ignition to “ON” for 10 seconds then back to “OFF”. Check the fuel injectors and the fuel line connections for leaks.
Crank the engine for 10 to 15 seconds, then let sit for 5 seconds, then crank engine for 10 to 15 seconds again. This oil primes the engine and valve train.
Connect the coil pack harness and start your engine!
Perform final fuel and coolant leak checks.
Top off the overflow tank as needed.
Install the engine cover.
Congratulations!

wow i dont think that i would ever try and do something like that by myself but if more people did how tos to that quality i would be willing to do much more. thanks for the great work

Since I couldn't take my computer out to the garage, I printed off TMC's instructions, which were vastly better than the Haynes manual. I went right through those, checking things off as I went. I probably represent the more casual mechanic, as if it can be dropped, broken, or misassembled, I'll probably do it. I add a few suggestions below and a NAPA parts list.

This is a long tedious repair, but it is within the capability of the home mechanic. You just have to be patient, stick with it, and know when to take a break.

TIME FOR THIS REPAIR:
If you're doing this for the first time: Considering the "stuff happens" factor, that old fittings and wires may break, and that you may decide to do things like get injectors ultrasonically cleaned by a shop, figure on having the car down for several days or a couple of weeks/weekends.

COST: I ended up spending around $250 . The guy at NAPA said I saved about $1000 by doing it myself.

PARTS/SUPPLIES NEEDED You may be able to get everything from NAPA, but I did get the heater pipe o-rings from the dealer.

NAPA: upper and lower manifold gasket kits (includes o-rings for gtp, and permatex/RTV sealant) MS95809-1 AND MS95812
heater pipe elbows with o-rings: 660-1736
valve cover gaskets VS50080R
thermostat and seal 215 and 1077
injector o-ring kit 2-12093 (need six of these)
Drive belt? If it's old this is a good time to replace

MISC:
permatex thread sealant
parts cleaner fluid
purple nitrile gloves (best gloves I've found. I can only find these at WalMart for some reason).
scotch brite pads for cleaning up surfaces and bores for heater hoses and elbows
antifreeze (I only needed one gallon,)

TOOLS NEEDED:
(aside from a good socket set with extensions and universals, and a wrench set)
Thread tap 5/16-18 to clean up holes in the heads for LIM screws (only non-metric fastener I came across, the LIM screws have 3/8" heads-go figure)
10mm deep socket (for torquing two corner upper manifold screws
Inch-lb torque wrench (borrow this, or new for about $85)
O-ring remover tool (kinda like a dental pick)
Grabber tool for retrieving stuff you drop. Comes in handy for retrieving bits of broken off heater elbows and o-rings.
Digital camera to take a lot of pics of the top of the engine, so you can remember exactly how everything goes back together.

THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT BREAK (i.e., things that I broke)
Old brittle plastic heater elbows WILL break at the o-ring grooves.
Pintle caps on injectors (available from diesel injector service shops and Ebay. might be able to find an injector service kit somewhere). Not available at Autozone or any similar place.
Evaporator vacuum tubing (whole assy is 24506671, $20 from the dealer) [Autozone and similar places stock limited fittings and hose sizes these days, and you have to buy packs of multiple parts. Getting the dealer part isn't that much more expensive.]
Spark plug cables (if the ends break off when you try to remove them, you needed to replace them anyways, right?)

SOME NOTES AND ADDS TO EXISTING INSTRUCTIONS: (for GT and '99 model)
I was doing a GT, not a GTP, so there were a few differences. You don't use much torque on the upper manfold bolts, certainly not 89 in-lb as with a SC. I ended up with barely more than hand tight (does someone have a torque number for this?)

On my '99, the passenger side dogbone mounting brackets are different from the video. It's actually a bracket attached to the head next to the LIM, a top bracket where the dogbone mounts, and a bracket from there to one bolt on the exhaust. To remove the plug wires the last piece has to be removed (that was bright on some engineers part). To remove the LIM, the upper piece has to be removed, and there's a bracket on the back side which supports an alternator brace which also has to be removed prior to removing the LIM.

There is a bracket from the LIM to the throttle body that is designed to be completely impossible to remove, and prevents lifting the upper manifold and throttle body off as an assembly. [I never separated the manifold from the throttle body or intake hose] You can tease the upper manifold away from it, but there is no way to access the bolt at the LIM without removing the exhaust crossover. Brilliant. For reinstall, the lower screw hole is slotted, so leave the screw a bit loose and the bracket slides in.

I was able to remove the EGR tubing from the LIM, so I could install it separately. You might get lucky and be able to do this, depending on the exhaust placement.

IMPORTANT: The cooling elbows will very likely break at the o-ring grooves. You'll need to retrieve those pieces from the alternator bracket, AND from the inside of the LIM! To retrieve the LIM pieces, you'll probably have to remove the square cover on the drivers end of the LIM, and shake them out.

Thanks for the kudo, glad the list helped. You also have an important addition that you may want to post in the "How-To" section for those with LIM problems especially the GT owners. I'm copying your list to add to my personal LIM instructions. Good job!
TMC

One little thing to add, on some 98-97's the tensioner bracket has the lower heater hose elbow "built-in", and will cracks very easily even though it's metal. I broke mine after liberally applying some lubricant to try and help it slide and giving it a few whacks with my palm. It's a dealer part and goes for 158.98, or 119 if you can get a discount through work (at least up here, no idea about elsewhere). I was stuck in below freezing temperatures, which didn't help, so it could be a lot easier with higher temperatures.

Also, another tip for low temperatures, grab a heatgun/hairdryer when removing hoses/vacuum lines or parts with o-rings and take parts that need cleanup inside to warm up. Incredible how much different gaskets behave when they aren't cold. I suppose most people know this, but from a technician with about 2 years experience, it saved a boatload of headaches/colds.

The video was extremely helpful, doubt I would've had the confidence to do this without it. Not to mention excellent reference material when I got stuck.