Lower Intake Gasket and front valve cover

[pitzel]

How do I remove the front valve cover to get the intake off? The engine mount on the left is in the way, do I have to remove the upper left engine mount?

 

 

[GutlessSupreme]

You have to remove the waterpump bypass pipe in front of it. The mounts don't have to come off, the cover can get around them.

[Crazy K]

You have to remove the waterpump bypass pipe in front of it. The mounts don't have to come off, the cover can get around them.

x2

[pitzel]

Thanks. Now I have to get the rear valve cover off.

[BXX]

Thanks. Now I have to get the rear valve cover off.

 

Not if you have the correct rocker arm tool

[pitzel]

Thanks.. Okay, so the front and rear valve covers have been removed.

 

What's the next step? I haven't touched any of the rocker arms or the intake bolts. Kind of afraid to at this point because I really don't know what I'm doing.

 

 

 

 

[pitzel]

Ok I think I understand things better.. Are the intake bolts usually so loose? I was able to put a socket onto them and loosen with my fingers. I know they have a torque spec, but they were barely even tight.

[BXX]

If you have the rocker arm tool you wont have to remove the rear valve cover and you wont have to remove/loosen the rockers. The tool lifts the rocker and allows you to get the pushrod out. Any good tool guys (Snap On, Matco) and prolly even Sears or places like that should have it. It runs like $20 and will save you an hour or 2 on the LIM job.

[pitzel]

Ok. The torque spec on the rockets is what, 18 foot pounds?

 

Now I'm using the Fel-Pro LIM set. And the (sealed) box didn't come with specific torque values for the intake bolts.

 

And should a thread sealer (ie: loc-tite) be applied to the intake bolts?

 

That's all for now... nice to be 'over the hill' so to speak. hehe.

[BXX]

There are certain torque specs that GM put on on a TSB.. FOLLOW THEM CLOSELY!!

 

Do not use any loctite on any of the bolts

 

You are on your own for the torque specs unless someone else chimes in. I always get my specs from Michell On Demand, but it runs too slow for me to look something up quickly at home

[pitzel]

ok. this is what I found in another message (Brian P):

 

1. Tighten the vertical lower intake manifold bolts (1) to 7N·m (62 lb in).

2. Tighten the diagonal lower intake manifold bolts (2) to 7N·m(62 lb in).

THEN:

3. Tighten the vertical lower intake manifold bolts (1) to 13N·m(115 lb in).

4. Tighten the diagonal lower intake manifold bolts (2) to 25N·m(18 lb ft)

 

your rockers are non adjustable, just torque the Rocker Arm Nut to 20 lb ft

 

I don't have manuals. Does that look reasonable? I'm surprised there were not any specific values that came with the gaskets.

[pitzel]

No TSB's for this problem that I'm aware of, I have access to the GM tech site and I've never ever read about a bulletin for this problem. I don't think that the gaskets are the problem either, GM stresses that the lower intake man. should be torqued to 10ft/lbs, I think that they are installed with too much torque at the factory and that's one of the factors that causes them to leak, they collapse prematurely, Lack of frequent oil changes or low quality oil can also cause the gaskets to break down prematurely.

 

If you are doing this repair at home, get an inch/lb torque wrench, it's the most accurate way to torque light loads, torque to 120 inch/lbs (=10 ft/lbs)

also, tighten in the proper sequence, first the 4 long bolts in an X pattern, then the outside 4 short bolts also in an X pattern. clean the bolts so that they have no debris on them at all, also, use the correct sealants. Use a medium strength loctite on all the lower man. bolts(the blue stuff), and as for rtv, I'd use the black stuff from GM or equivalent. If you over torque the bolts, they WILL leak again, count on it. Make sure everything is clean, and DO NOT contaminate the blue thermogasket with rtv, you do not want any of that stuff getting into the cooling system.

 

He's talking about a newer generation 3.1, but aren't they all the same insofar as intake torque specs? Also, GPRACER says to use loctite.

 

There's a *huge* discrepancy between what Brian P wrote for the 3.1, and what GPRACER wrote for the 3.1. Someone, please help....if you can..