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tips/tricks. list for upper/lower intake manifold gasket job..

crod said:
hey guys, new here. ive been searching checking out some threads. i think im pretty much set, but i just want to double check to make sure im not missing anything before i tear it apart.

im planning on this stuff:

lower gasket kit. Fel-Pro MS98014T - Intake Manifold Gasket Set | O'Reilly Auto Parts

UIM: Dorman OE Solutions 615-180 - Intake Manifold | O'Reilly Auto Parts


im trying to find the "elbow" coolant 90 or whatever everyone keeps talking about changing. any idea on what exactly that part is?

thanks for any help
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Just a question: Do you really need a UIM when doing the LIM Gasket??

George
 


yes you do. you cant get the lower intake off with the upper still on. and the upper gasket seems to fail on the N/A engines.
 
BillBoost37 said:
Or..you plug the coolant ports and run your UIM w/o replacing it.
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Bill

You seem to know alot about these 3.8 engine.
I understand, per your posts, on plugging the coolant.

My real question is not the UIM gasket but the actualy UIM why needs replacement unless its been damaged?

George
 


I definitely have to reccomend those aluminum elbos from ZZP I went through 3 of those stupid plastic coolant elbos in the past year. Today I installed my aluminum ones and I am very impressed.
 
Don't be impressed until you give them a good test.. BTW, likely you over paid for them. Dorman 47065HP

On the aluminum elbows everyone is hailing them as the end of all elbow problems. I feel differently, mostly because I don't have problems with the plastic ones. I have had a problem or two, once I realized what caused the problem of the elbow becoming a 45 degree angle instead of a 90, the problem never occured again. The most common issue I find is people putting them in and bolting down the tensioner w/o wiggling the elbows and ensuring they are moving or cleaning out the holes before installing. Then Dorman had a bad batch or a few.

Now for a history lesson on elbows and why GM had them specificed to be plastic. In 1995-1999 (Bonneville, PA, Riv, LeSabre 1995-1999, GP, Impala, Monte, Regal 1997-1998) the lower elbow was a cast part of the tensioner assembly. GM later changed that, we ask ourselves why. They did it because mechanics were breaking the tiiming cover where the elbow heads into the cover. This is because the elbow had no give and would get crusted in there. By having no give, the timing cover (thin in that area) gave.

As far as an o-ring leaking. It can sure as heck leak on an aluminum elbow as well as it can leak on a plastic elbow. The o-ring is the same o-ring on either of the two types of elbows.
 


Bill, I've never had any issues with dorman elbows until I installed a set i acquired recently.

They lasted about 2 months before bending out shape.

Aluminum elbows are going to corrode and may cause more issues down the road.
 
Anybody ever thought to go directly to GM. I have replaced four or,five sets of these, two on the side of the road. First time I bought the dormans. Then ended up doing another set, this time on my car, and used the GM ones. Been good ever since. The GM ones are made of a stronger plastic so they don't crack as easily. I was thinking about fabricating up some steel ones and welding two pieces together. But my GM ones haven't gone at all. Bill boost you said you solved the problem by a 45 instead of am90. What did you mean by that? A 45 degree plastic one?
 
2004GrandPrixGT1 said:
Anybody ever thought to go directly to GM. I have replaced four or,five sets of these, two on the side of the road. First time I bought the dormans. Then ended up doing another set, this time on my car, and used the GM ones. Been good ever since. The GM ones are made of a stronger plastic so they don't crack as easily. I was thinking about fabricating up some steel ones and welding two pieces together. But my GM ones haven't gone at all. Bill boost you said you solved the problem by a 45 instead of am90. What did you mean by that? A 45 degree plastic one?
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^^^^^^F all of this ^^^^^ buy metal gaskets, dont even buy the plastic gaskets, thats just dumb.
 


Just seeing the elbow questions pointed to me.
2004 what I'm saying is ..when you install the elbow, specifically the upper elbow. If there is pressure on it, when the engine warms up it'll deform to whatever the pressure on it suggests. Therefore my writeup on installing them suggests you wiggle it to ensure it's not being pushed into a 45 degree angle instead of it's 90 degree original shape.

Chuck.. why would you put anything on a gasket that should be installed dry?
 
I agree the general opinion is to install the gaskets dry. I'm not sure that using some high tack or spray tack would cause any problems. The most common problem areas seem to be with the elbows leaking and the bolts leaking from what I've read. Some say the teflon paste can melt. Some say use aviation cement on the bolts. Some say you can use pipe dope. I'd like to a good job the first time so I don't have to re do it.
 
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