xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 I've been working on my girlfriend's sister's car for a while, the 1996 Regal. I ordered all the parts necessary to replace the upper intake, and I figured if I went that far, I'd go right ahead and replace the LIM gaskets as well. So I ordered those too, and started working on this engine. I took apart everything, got the intake plenum off, and removed every single bolt I could find that mounts directly to the lower intake manifold. However, I can't get the damn thing off. I tried wedging it loose (making sure not to wedge anything near the gasket contact area), but even with a reasonable amount of force, the thing doesn't so much as budge. I'm really lost here. Are there any other bolts holding down the LIM aside from the ones going down directly into the intake manifold? i also found this image: According to this there are 12 bolts. I counted 10 that I took off. What are bolts 5 and 6? Quote
95 vert Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 Look down inside the end of the intake. There may be oil/coolant inside covering those bolts. They're somewhat hidden. Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 Look down inside the end of the intake. There may be oil/coolant inside covering those bolts. They're somewhat hidden. Yeah I found them last night. There were too puddles of oil that were covering two of the bolts completely, so I dug my socket in there and finally found the bolt. I made sure to suck out all the oil first with paper towels so it wouldn't drip everywhere the moment I took the bolt out. Engine is now in pieces and I have the LIM off (which came off effortlessly once I got those bolts off). Parts were scheduled to be delivered yesterday, but they didn't arrive for some reason, so my work is on hold till then. I'll probably clean up the LIM before putting it back on and try to clean off some of the sludge left by Dex-cool since it seems like it was never flushed out. Quote
White93z34 Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 how bad were the lower gaskets? Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 how bad were the lower gaskets? I don't know, you tell me. Here's the damage I saw: And more pics of my progress so far: How I organize my screws: Tools and stuff: 2 Gallons undiluted Dex-cool, 5 quarts of oil, oil filter, coolant flush stuff, seafoam, etc... Quote
White93z34 Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 yeah, those gaskets didn't have much left in them. better that you got to them before they completely failed. Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 yeah, those gaskets didn't have much left in them. better that you got to them before they completely failed. Yeah, good thing too. She owes me after this one. How long are the new LIM gaskets supposed to last? They're the fel-pro gaskets. Quote
White93z34 Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 I'd guestimate at least another 100k out of them. the new ones have supposedly been fixed to not fail like the OE ones did. Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 I'm replacing just about every damn gasket on the car above the LIM. This car better not have any engine issues after this. Here's what I'm doing to it: ACDelco spark plug wires Champion platinum spark plugs Dorman Intake manifold (with all gaskets) Fel-Pro fuel injector o-rings Fel-Pro LIM gaskets Gates serpentine belt Raybestos service grade semi-metallic rear brake pads Raybestos rear caliper rebuild kit (bushings, etc.) SMP Vapor Canister Purge Valve R1 Concepts rear OEM replacement zinc coated rotors 1 canister of seafoam Coolant flush "solution" 3 gallons of Dex-Cool 5 quarts oil + purolator (spelling?) filter Thermostat seal Thermostat gasket Heater line elbow (right next to the idler pulley) Replacement passenger vent assembly Anything I need to worry about once everything's put back together in terms of starting the car? Quote
MonteCarloDude Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 Champion plugs.. really? x2 Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 Champion plugs.. really? Those were the first ones I changed in my regal back when it had 80,000 miles and they ran perfectly well for quite a while. Got these off of RockAuto. Is there something I should know about? They're $2.29 each CHAMPION Part # 3013 "Platinum Power" http://info.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imagekey=317921&imageurl=http%3A//info.rockauto.com/Champion/3013.jpg Quote
MonteCarloDude Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 AC DELCO! That's all i run in the monte. Quote
White93z34 Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 just change the oil before you even start it, i usually dump a little bit of kerosene down the oil fill while I am draining that contaminated oil out of the car. EDIT: NGKs are alright plugs, thats what I run in the bonneville, cheap too. Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 AC DELCO! Cheapest ACDelco there was on RockAuto was the Iridium plug, at $6.40 a pop. Are these known to be bad plugs? I know enough to stay away from Bosch, but I've used Champion, ACDelco, and NGK in the past in my regal and haven't had a single issue. just change the oil before you even start it, i usually dump a little bit of kerosene down the oil fill while I am draining that contaminated oil out of the car. EDIT: NGKs are alright plugs, thats what I run in the bonneville, cheap too. Yeah, I'm definitely planning to change the oil before I start it up. Already bought the oil and filter. Quote
MonteCarloDude Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 just change the oil before you even start it, i usually dump a little bit of kerosene down the oil fill while I am draining that contaminated oil out of the car. x1613626!! I had to change the oil two times before all the coolant was out of the crankcase when i did my intake swap. Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 just change the oil before you even start it, i usually dump a little bit of kerosene down the oil fill while I am draining that contaminated oil out of the car. x1613626!! I had to change the oil two times before all the coolant was out of the crankcase when i did my intake swap. Did you drain the coolant before you started on the car? Or was there an existing coolant leak? I wasn't leaking any coolant here. I'm doing this job because she got the car for $1600 and I figured it would be worth it to get some preventative maintenance done right away. So far, only $375 in parts. I called Midas and they quoted me in the ballpark of $2000 for the same job I'm doing, minus the seafoam. Quote
MonteCarloDude Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 just change the oil before you even start it, i usually dump a little bit of kerosene down the oil fill while I am draining that contaminated oil out of the car. x1613626!! I had to change the oil two times before all the coolant was out of the crankcase when i did my intake swap. Did you drain the coolant before you started on the car? Or was there an existing coolant leak? I wasn't leaking any coolant here. I'm doing this job because she got the car for $1600 and I figured it would be worth it to get some preventative maintenance done right away. I drained all the coolant out before i started working on it, It has no leaks at all, But when i pulled the LIM off, All the coolant in it went right in the engine. I knew it was going to spill some out, But i did not know THAT much was going to pour out.. As long as you make sure there is no coolant in your oil when you are done, You should be good to go. Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Posted October 5, 2008 just change the oil before you even start it, i usually dump a little bit of kerosene down the oil fill while I am draining that contaminated oil out of the car. x1613626!! I had to change the oil two times before all the coolant was out of the crankcase when i did my intake swap. Did you drain the coolant before you started on the car? Or was there an existing coolant leak? I wasn't leaking any coolant here. I'm doing this job because she got the car for $1600 and I figured it would be worth it to get some preventative maintenance done right away. I drained all the coolant out before i started working on it, It has no leaks at all, But when i pulled the LIM off, All the coolant in it went right in the engine. I knew it was going to spill some out, But i did not know THAT much was going to pour out.. As long as you make sure there is no coolant in your oil when you are done, You should be good to go. I did drop a few drops of coolant in the engine when I took the LIM off, but not a whole lot. Not enough to make a huge difference I don't think. I'll definitely check the oil after the first change though. Thanks for the tip. Quote
MonteCarloDude Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 just change the oil before you even start it, i usually dump a little bit of kerosene down the oil fill while I am draining that contaminated oil out of the car. x1613626!! I had to change the oil two times before all the coolant was out of the crankcase when i did my intake swap. Did you drain the coolant before you started on the car? Or was there an existing coolant leak? I wasn't leaking any coolant here. I'm doing this job because she got the car for $1600 and I figured it would be worth it to get some preventative maintenance done right away. I drained all the coolant out before i started working on it, It has no leaks at all, But when i pulled the LIM off, All the coolant in it went right in the engine. I knew it was going to spill some out, But i did not know THAT much was going to pour out.. As long as you make sure there is no coolant in your oil when you are done, You should be good to go. I did drop a few drops of coolant in the engine when I took the LIM off, but not a whole lot. Not enough to make a huge difference I don't think. I'll definitely check the oil after the first change though. Thanks for the tip. No problem. Quote
Olds W31 Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 Everyone is harping on the plugs....I am concerned that the DexCool is "undiluted"...please tell us that you are running a 50/50 or similar ratio, and not straight antifreeze....That is a big no no. Water cools, antifreeze reduces scale, lubricates the waterpump, and reduces bubbling. I run enough to get the freeze protection needed for my climate (Dallas Texas), but WATER is what cools....just a thought. Quote
White93z34 Posted October 5, 2008 Report Posted October 5, 2008 I am about 90% sure he was saying he bought the undiluted (non premix) coolant. and that he has every intention of cutting it. Quote
xtremerevolution Posted October 6, 2008 Author Report Posted October 6, 2008 I am about 90% sure he was saying he bought the undiluted (non premix) coolant. and that he has every intention of cutting it. Before buying it, I checked and saw that the car uses 11 or so quarts of coolant, so I bought two gallons of undiluted and will buy another two gallons of distilled water to make a 50/50 mix, since two gallons of undiluted wouldn't be enough. The prediluted mix seems to be more expensive than the undiluted mix, so I went with that instead. As I said before about the plugs though, I'm not too concerned. I'll do a 0-60 run with my g-timer to confirm that the car is performing what an L36-powered car should be. Quote
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