INTAKE GASKET MAIN PAGE, PLEASE POST Q'S&A'S HERE!

Thanks for the input! The shop I took the van to said the lower intake manifold leak is very common, but the heads usually aren't a problem with these vans... but then again, neither is the transmission (mine went out at 37,000 miles). I'm looking seriously at purchasing a extended warranty before another big ticket repair comes my way.

I have step by step instructions, I can email you the attachment

I tried to email you, but you are set not to receive emails, can you please email me the instructions: [email protected]

Thanks!

Olson96 hasn't been around for close to 8 months. I doubt you'll ever get a response from him. Your best bet would be to spend $15 and get a Haynes manual. The instructions are fairly detailed and should be all that you need.

To anyone with experiance changing there intake gasket.

1. Did you change both the intake and head gaskets at the same time?

2. Did your vehicle burn coolent through the exhaust?

3. After you changed the gasket was the problem fixed?

4. Did your gasket look like this?

Any help would help me decide if i should change the headgaskets also.
I think i found the problem being the intake gasket, because of there crappy condition. If you've changed the gaskets and your old ones looked like this it would help me determine if i have the same problem.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/365039intake.jpg

1. No. The first time I did my intake, I did just the intake. I used an aftermarket FelPro gasket. The 2nd time, 6 months later, I did it right and used the redesigned OEM gasket as the FelPro was a POS and the problem came back (or more accurately, never fixed). A week later I had to tear everything back apart as my head gasket went. Generally speaking, the heads don't HAVE to be done but you are 3/4 the way there. It's an extra $150-200 for the parts that need replaced and the labor to resurface the heads.

When you take off the intake manifold, you will have a lot easier access to the spark plug holes. It's very easy at this time to preform a leakdown and/or compression check on the cylinders. This can give you a better idea about the heads.

2. Not when my intake when, but when my heads went yes. It 99.9% impossible for coolant to get into the combustion chamber with an intake manifold gasket leak. If coolant is getting into the combustion chamber, you almost defintely have a cracked head or cylinder wall. The only places where coolant goes through the intake manifold are on the ends, close to 2 inches from any air intake port. If the gasket is going to leak, its going to leak into your engine oil or externally.

3. Yes...to both head gasket and intake manifold gasket. The head gasket in my case was allowing exhaust gas to be injected into the coolant system, allowing the engine to overhead (air "embolism") as well as pushing out most of the coolant to the overflow tank.

4. Is that a new or old gasket? My gasket was black with an orange sealing rubber around holes. In places the orange rubber had been squashed down...yours looks pretty good still. That being said, if it is used, you still need to replace it. If it's new, take it back to where ever you got it and get the redesigned gasket. The redesigned gasket has two metal spacers at the ends, one on each side of the bolt hole. Yours doesn't have the spacers.

Well, i did decide to take it down to the heads... got the heads off and my problem wasn't the intake it was the head gaskets...

That was the old gasket, it was craked in those darker spots and i thought it was bad, but it turns out it was still good.

I plan on buying a felpro gasket set from autozone, it's 152.00. Even though it's not the best it will have to do because i'm poor, and that's not too expensive.

I appriciate your info on gaskets, I didn't know the felpro set wasn't redesigned. I'm make sure to seal it up really good so i can atleast hasten any reoccuring failure.

I plan on buying a felpro gasket set from autozone, it's 152.00. Even though it's not the best it will have to do because i'm poor, and that's not too expensive.

I appriciate your info on gaskets, I didn't know the felpro set wasn't redesigned. I'm make sure to seal it up really good so i can atleast hasten any reoccuring failure.You can't "seal it up really good". The gasket design is flawed. If you use the old gasket style, you WILL be doing it again. Maybe next month. Maybe 6 months. Maybe in a year. I hear ya on the money issue as I'm not made of money either, but you really should get at least the OEM intake manifold gasket. Is 12 hours of your time worth more or less then $46 (the cost of the intake gaskets)?

And you are going to check and possibly resurface the heads, right? :iceslolan

I hear ya on the money issue as I'm not made of money either, but you really should get at least the OEM intake manifold gasket. Is 12 hours of your time worth more or less then $46 (the cost of the intake gaskets)?

By "OEM intake manifold gasket" do you mean from a GM dealer (if so, do you have the part number) or do you mean aftermarket like at a parts store (if so, which Manufaturer & part number)?

Thanks for being a resident expert on Montana/Venture! :grinyes:

-Wubs

By "OEM intake manifold gasket" do you mean from a GM dealer (if so, do you have the part number) or do you mean aftermarket like at a parts store (if so, which Manufaturer & part number)?OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer aka dealer only part. Many parts non-OEM (aka aftermarket) works just as well if not better. However with the intake gasket, pay the extra and get the dealer part. Just tell the dealer what you are looking for and have them look up the part. They should have the latest revision of the part number. Even if I knew the part number (which I don't), it could have been superceeded for a revised design since I got it. Unfortunately any decent sized dealership likely would be able to recite the number off the tops of their head as soon as you mutter the words "3400 intake gasket".

And I'm not sure about resident expert...I've just done it 3 times in the past year so it's pretty much burned into my head. :)

I got a gasket from NAPA, and they claim to update theirs to the current OEM standards. 10,000+ miles on my new gaskets, knock on wood. ;)

I have step by step instructions, I can email you the attachment
hi lead here. can you email instructions. thank you!!!!! frist time user?

hi lead here. can you email instructions. thank you!!!!! frist time user?You are replying to a 10 month old post by someone who hasn't posted since and made a grand total of 3 posts. Your chances of getting the e-mail are very slim to none.

If you want the instructions, you would be much better off by spending $15 and grabbing a Haynes manual from a autopart store. The process is actually pretty well spelled out with detailed pictures.

I tried to do this job last weekend but failed. I removed almost every part neccessary for this job, but I was not able to remove the coil pack. There are two retaing nuts on the front and two on the rear. I absolutely couldn´t loose the nut on the rear on the driver side. There is another part located above this bolt so it was impossible for me even with the engine rotated forward. For everyone who tries to do this job: make sure loosing this coilpack will be one of your first tasks, otherwise you should not go farther. I have canceled this job and start mounting everything back in place. The good thing was that the lower manifold bolts were very loose and I could tighten them a little bit with use of thread locker so I hope this will last for a period.

I've a 97 Venture. I did this over my vacation. My leak was in the front bank and was the head gasket as well as the intake. Local dealer wanted $1500.00 to do just the intake gasket!!! What a rip-off.

I do have a question for others who have done this. How did you get the rocker arm cover off on the back bank? I roatated the engine foward as far as it would go - into the fan and radiator. Still not enough clearance. I ended up doing just the front half - which was where it was leaking. I also pulled the front head and had it ground and had a valve job done on it as well. I couldn't get at the rockers on the back side so I coated the gasket liberally on the back bank with high temp silicone.

Several hundred miles so far and it seems to have solved my problem. I did have to pull the upper manifold again to replace an injector that apparently dried out while it was out.( Pulled it appart on a weekend - sent the head out for rework, and put it together the following week)

I wish I had found this forum at the beginning of my over-heating problems. We replaced a water pump, radiator, thermistat ( Dealer hit me $299.00 and change for the thermistat replacement) Obviously I didn't get out of town after the wonderous repair. My home is 150 miles from where I work. I ended up putting the van on a U-haul car hauler and trucked it to my home.

Nuff said - thanks for listening

Deny

my 02 venture just turned over 50,000 miles. there's no sign yet of the intake manifold gasket leaking. i keep a close eye on it, but is it inevitable that it will eventually go?

I do have a question for others who have done this. How did you get the rocker arm cover off on the back bank? I roatated the engine foward as far as it would go - into the fan and radiator. Still not enough clearance.There is a stud that you have to remove to get to one of the valve cover bolts. But then it should just pop right off. There shouldn't be any clearance issues.

I also pulled the front head and had it ground and had a valve job done on it as well. I couldn't get at the rockers on the back side so I coated the gasket liberally on the back bank with high temp silicone.Doing one head without the other is a bad idea. By resurfacing the one side, you change the thickness of the head, and therefor the compression ratio. It is very small, but there is still a difference and isn't good for the engine to run "unbalanced". Also, the thinner head means that the distance between the intake manifold and the head increases. With a vehicle that is plagued with intake gasket leaks, you don't need to help the problem. Always do both heads that the same time, even if one side doesn't have a problem just to keep them balanced.

Several hundred miles so far and it seems to have solved my problem.Keep an eye on it. When I did mine the first time, the problem didn't reappear for several months so I too thought it was fixed.

is it inevitable that it will eventually go?No. There are literally millions of 3100 and 3400 engines on the road. It is definitely a major problem, but it is not inevitable. 02 or 03 was the cutoff year IIRC for where the problems seemed to start to stop so you might get lucky that way.

Keep an eye on your coolant levels as well as your oil cap. I haven't heard of any catastropic failures where the gasket failed all at once. There is usually symptoms that slowly start to appear early on and if caught early, doesn't cause damage.

I have a 2000 venture. during a regular visit to the garage, the guy told me that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced and quote for over a thousand dollars. There's no sign of any trouble of the vehicle. I ignored it. Recently I found that the coolant level was low and the warning light came on. I top it up and need a lot of coolant. It seems that they are leaking into the engine. Should I replace the gasket now or can wait a bit longer. What other troubles will you get later?

I have a 2000 venture. during a regular visit to the garage, the guy told me that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced and quote for over a thousand dollars. There's no sign of any trouble of the vehicle. I ignored it. Recently I found that the coolant level was low and the warning light came on. I top it up and need a lot of coolant. It seems that they are leaking into the engine. Should I replace the gasket now or can wait a bit longer. What other troubles will you get later?

It can cost you a great deal more if you put it off! Anti-freeze in the oil will ruin bearings and chances are better then even you will end up blowing a head gasket, warp or crack the heads ...!

Deny

anyone have instructions for replacing the intake gasket on my 2002 venture? i cant locate a manual for it thanks
If your Venture has less than 100,000 kilometers, take it to the dealer, chances are they will fix it under "secret" warranty.

If your Venture has less than 100,000 kilometers, take it to the dealer, chances are they will fix it under "secret" warranty.As mentioned many times in this and the other u-body forums, there is no actual "secret" warranty. It's a goodwill repair, purely at the option of the dealer. The more loyal your service history is at the dealership, the better your chances. But there is no guarantee that they will do anything for free or even a discount.

I,m a newbie to this site but like most in here i have the dreaded leaking intake gasket on my 1999 venture (83,000m). i have bought a haynes man. and am getting ready to tackle this beast. Is there anything i should know that is not in the man.(u cant always believe what u read) don,t want any hidden surprises!

I have bought a haynes man. and am getting ready to tackle this beast.

I have no advice for you but I'd like to hear how it went. I don't think I know enough swear words to get me through that complex of a repair.

ok i've looked and looked on this forum but haven't found a definate answer to this: what is the month/year that the new gaskets began to be used? my 02 venture, 53k was built 5/02.

this post ( http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=495805 )suggessts the new gaskets began to be installed in 7/02, but it's not certain or definate. so when exactly was it?

sometimes i can smell coolant/antifreeze after turning off the venture in the garage and the reservoir level seems to have moved slightly down but i don't have the brown or milky substance on the oil cap. i asked this question previously...is it inevitable???

No it's not inevitable. Some vehicles have it. Some vehicles don't. A little movement of the level up or down is normal.

If you are really paranoid about it, taking a sample to be looked at is the only sure way to tell you if you have an internal leak.

Can high oil consumption be caused by a bad intake manifold gasket in a 2000 venture? High oil consumption started 6 months ago and now I am loosing a lot of coolant. I worked at a Ford dealership in the 60s and the small v/8 could really suck a lot of oil through a bad intake gasket. I have replaced many of them, but I am to old to tackle this project.

Not likely. The location of the intake gaskets really doesn't get a lot of oil splashed around it. It's a fairly "high and dry" type place; it's not submerged in a constant stream of oil.

Thanks cdru. That is the info. I was looking for. Now I have two problems instead of one. I was hoping to solve both at one time with intake gasket replacement. This auto forum is great. Thanks again.

Old info

I am in the process of doing this repair now (I'm talking about it over at the Pontiac Montana forum) and I just wanted to repeat to everyone a resource that was mentioned earlier in this thread. Someone did a pretty complete job of explaining this repair. This link, along with a Haynes Manual, has made me (my most complex repair in the past was brakes) pretty confident that I can handle this. Here's the link:

http://aklr.free.fr/envrac/Intake_Manifold_Gasket_How_To.doc

Since links come and go but hopefully posts last forever, here is the text of that link:

Intake Manifold Gasket – How to

This was done on a 2000 Chevy Venture. Should be very similar on 97-99 models of Venture and Montanas.

This is a big job. I think a shop would do it in 6 to 8 hours but I would estimate for first time backyarders to allow 14 to 18 hours depending on whether you do other stuff while in there. I cleaned injectors, did spark plugs, wires and this took extra time. You have to take off a lot of stuff to get to the gasket!!

The new redesigned gasket kit (part number 89017279) comes with 2 lower intake gaskets and 2 upper intake (Plenum) gaskets and costs about $100 Canadian including taxes. You should also get 2 new valve cover gaskets. (It can be done by removing just one cover, although I removed both), bypass coolant pipe o-ring, oil drive pump o-ring, fuel rail o-ring.

Here are the steps I went through. Obviously some can be done in different order. This is not meant to be gospel, just thought it might help someone else.

1. Remove passenger side fender support (3 bolts), and fuse box (1 bolt) to get access to the negative terminal of the battery. Using 8mm socket remove the negative terminal and move away so it doesn’t re-connect.
2. Relieve the fuel pressure by opening the gas tank cover and by unscrewing the cap on the end of the fuel rail (located behind power steering reservoir). I used a small length of plastic tubing (4 inches) over the nipple on the rail and a screw driver through the hose to depress the valve (looks like a tire valve). Catch the gas coming out of the hose with a dish (only couple ounces).
3. Remove the throttle cable and cruise control cables from the throttle body. Use pliers to squeeze the plastic clips holding the cables to the brackets.
4. Remove the rubber flexible duct between the throttle body and the air breather. Remove the connectors (label) and pipe running to rear valve cover. Loosen the hose clamps and twist it off carefully. It is difficult to get off and twice as difficult to get back on. Get some silicone grease to put it back on with!!!!!
5. Loosen the wiper arms nuts (8mm) (left one and middle one), disconnect and swing the arms out of the way.
6. Disconnect the wires and connectors running from the plenum. Label each wire and connector so you know where to hook back up. Do the wires connected to the throttle body also. Don’t need to disconnect the spark plug wires … yet.
7. Disconnect 2 wire plugs from the Throttle Position Sensor (located behind throttle body). There is a third small pipe connection that I left in place. Unbolt the TPS and route it out of the way.
8. Rotate the engine forward. Remove the passenger side mount (4 bolts on rad support) and the bolt closest to engine. Get a ratchet strap or cable and hook to engine lift on drivers side and to rad support or down under frame. I used cable pulls and hooked underneath to the frame. Put some rags to avoid scratching bumper. You don’t need a lot of torque, so you could probably get someone to pull the engine forward and tie if off with rope. Of course, once you a little tension on your cable, undo the driver’s side mount nearest the engine and ratchet the engine forward. It makes it easier to get to the stuff at the back of the engine.
9. Remove ignition coil. Remove plug wires from ignition coils and label them if they don’t already have numbers on them. The sequence to the coils is 5,2,3,6,4,1 from left to right. Remove wire connectors on coil, 1 on left side , 2 on right. Unbolt the coil … 2 bolts easily reachable in the front and 2 nuts way down behind the coils (use a long extension on the ratchet).
10. Remove MAP sensor. It is located directly in front of ignition coils. Two 7mm bolts. There is a small hose connected to plenum and a wire plug to remove once it is unbolted. (Remember, label all wires).
11. Remove serpentine drive belt. This can be done by loosening the bolt holding the tensioner, or pulling the tensioner forward enough to slide the belt off the forward idler pulley. It is tricky getting this back on also. I didn’t have a tool to fit the bottom of the tensioner to pull it forward so I had to use left hand to pull on tensioner while using right hand to slide belt on idler pulley … it’s tough.
12. Remove alternator and bracket. This I found difficult and I think it is different on 97 to 99 models. There are 2 bolts at the back of the alternator and one on the side. Loosen the one at the side first (The one at the side bolts to a bracket bolted to one of the bolts for the upper plenum.). The left bolt at the back is hard to get at but the right one isn’t bad. Remove bolts and the wire on top of the alternator as well as the wire plug on the rear. The alternator can either be removed (tight fit) or positioned out of the way. Next, the bracket the alternator was bolted to needs to be removed. 3 bolts in this … 2 on the side (15mm) where the serpentine belt runs and one at the back. It also holds the engine lift bracket.
13. Remove EGR valve. This is located to the right of the map sensor and behind the throttle body. The trans dip stick bolts to it. Remove dip stick nut first and then 2 nuts holding EGR valve. Careful with the gasket between the EGR and the Plenum, It can be re-used if not damaged.
14. Remove any other connections to the upper Plenum. There should be a vacuum line on the rear passenger side and a hose next to that.
15. Remove the upper plenum. First remove the 2 water hose clamps under the throttle body connected to the bypass pipe (black). Then the nut holding the bypass pipe to the throttle body (under throttle body). Plenum has 6 bolts with torque sequence: 5,2,3 left to right at the back and 6,1,4 left to right on the front. So the first bolt to loosen is the middle bolt nearest you (number 1), then the one at the back, etc. Bolt 5 has the alternator bracket attached, bolt 2 has the map sensor bracket, bolt 4 has the spark plug wire harness connector, bolts 1 and 6 have a bracket for the main wire harness.
16. Have a drink of water and a rest.
17. Remove the injector wire plugs. Label if not already labelled. Wires are 1,3,5 on back, left to right and 2,4,6 on front. Move the wire harness out of way. Take special note of the wire harness here. Note that a wire runs to the thermostat housing and one runs around near the Oil Filler cap for the Camshaft Position sensor. When putting back the harness make sure you don’t forget this wire and how it’s routed.
18. Remove fuel lines into fuel rack. Do not remove the fuel rack and injectors (unless you plan to clean the injectors … get new o-rings if you do). You can get to the lower intake bolts with this in place. There is a small bracket holding the fuel lines in place. Remove this first. The fuel line connected to the rail farthest from you has an o-ring that should be replaced or at least don’t lose it when pulling the line out. When loosening the connections, use two wrenches so you don’t put unnecessary strain on the fuel rack. The connection closest to you is removed from the bottom of the fuel pressure regulator.
19. Drain Cooling System. The plug is plastic on driver’s side and turns quarter turn then pulls out. Open the bleeders also. One on top near thermostat housing and one on passenger side on bypass pipe.
20. Remove pipe from back of thermostat housing to flex hose. This pipe has a bracket holding it. Once bracket is removed, the pipe pulls straight out. It has an o-ring on it.
21. Disconnect bypass pipe at passenger side. Has one 8mm bolt holding it. Pulls straight up and has o-ring on it (to be replaced).
22. Loosen power steering pump and move aside. Three bolts accessed through the holes in the pulley. Don’t disconnect the lines. The lines are clipped to the frame by plastic catches. Pull them out of the clips and this give room to move pump aside.
23. Valve covers. Remove the front valve cover. Four bolts that stay with the pan. There is some RTV sealant holding 2 upper corners of the gasket. The rear cover is the same. I’ve been told that you can get away without removing the rear cover, just the top two bolts; however, it will be easier if it is removed.
24. Check for any wires or connections that may have been missed and disconnect and label. There is a heater hose near the bypass pipe you may not have removed yet.
25. Loosen Intake bolts. There are 4 upper vertical bolts and 4 lower bolts. The lower ones are harder to get at but you will probably find they are loose anyway.
26. Remove the lower intake. There may be a bit of coolant spill as it being removed. Now you can see the damage.
27. Loosen the valve lifters enough to remove the push rods. The rods are different lengths so make sure you keep track of where they come from (make a box to stick them in).
28. Remove the old gasket. Clean the mounting surface as clean as possible using a scrapper and solvent. It’s usually not that bad but a little harder where the RTV sealant was used.
29. Now is the time to do the oil pump drive shaft o-ring (round shape). It is one bolt that would have been under the thermostat housing. The shaft pulls straight out. Replace the o-ring and put back. (Not required but nice and easy to do)
30. Good idea to clean the bolts and tap the threads before re-installing. Place the new gaskets in place. Replace the push rods in the order you removed them and tighten the lifter bolts. Place a bead of RTV sealant (about ¼ inch) on the ridges between the heads.
31. Place the lower intake carefully and hand start all bolts after using some blue thread locker on the bottom 3 or 4 threads. The torque for the bolts has changed and is included with the new gasket kit. The sequence is to tighten the 4 upper bolts first. Sequence 4, 2 left to right on back and 3, 1 closest to you. So first bolt is on driver’s side closest to you. Then do lower bolts in same sequence.
32. Install the rest of the components in reverse order.
33. Change the engine oil and filter.
34. Add coolant or water to start with. Remember the bleeder screws when filling. Watch temp gauge when first starting to ensure not air locked.


Things to watch for:

a. The wiring harness for the injectors. Take special note.
b. The torque for upper manifold (Plenum) is 18ft lbs. I think that is too much (or my torque wrench is bad). Back off a bit and use thread locker … remember its aluminium.
c. You may have to pry one corner of the fuel rail up when putting the power steering pump back to get enough room around the fuel pressure relief valve. Watch the o-rings on the injector.
d. The rear sparkplug wires run very close to the very hot EGR pipe. I found out the hard way to take special care when replacing the wires and the bracket holding them that bolts to the Ignition coils.

OK my wifes 99 venture, with 103000 mi. recently began forming a puddle dead center of the front of the engine. I went to her work just now and looked after van sat for 3 hrs and the puddle is as big as a foot or more across! is this to rapid of a leak to be the lower intake???

she came home for lunch, I went out to top off the coolant, and tried to see if I could find the source of the leak, ( sucks because it is dripping with snow melt and slop) the only thing I found was a fitting where the upper hose connects to the engine. it has a wire plug to it, is this the coolant sensor?
It is all wet around the fitting. I hope this is my problem
I am going out now to check the oil for the infamous white milky stuff

Old info

Two diferent things entirely because milky stuff on the oil cap is indicative of a blown head gakset where coolant gets into the lubrication system, or oil.



Wait! I thought that the leaking lower intake manifold gasket causes coolant to get into the oil. That's why you get that caramel stuff on the oil cap and PCV valve.

Wait! I thought that the leaking lower intake manifold gasket causes coolant to get into the oil. That's why you get that caramel stuff on the oil cap and PCV valve.Both can cause it.

The sensor at the upper radiator hose is the coolant temp sensor. There is also the thermostat there that has a rubber gasket that could have broke as well.

A leak that much in that short of period of time doesn't seem like an intake leak. It's almost too much. I'd be suspect of other issues like a leaking hose or hose clamp, but I'm not saying it can't be the intake gasket.

And the radiator cap is either 15 or 16psi, not 17 (at least it's that way on my 98). It is stamped on the top of the factory radiator cap.

Just finished this job, and I wanted to add some hints from my experience.

1. Take a few digital pictures before you start. Mostly to figure out how to route the wiring and vacuum tubes when you finish.

2. You can't label things too much.

3. You'll never have a better time to change the plugs and wires.

4. On my 2000 Montana, the tensioner pulley is also a bolt for the alternator bracket. That cost me about an hour.

5. This job is do-able for you if you have basic mechanical ability. The peak of my prior mechanic experience was changing brakes.

6. This job will take a long time. I don't know how GM mechanics can do this in 6.6 hours, or whatever GM says. This is MORE than a weekend job, especially if you do plugs and wires and stuff, too. Be patient.

7. Getting the EGR valve back on was probably the hardest part for me. I had a lot of trouble lining up the bolts and gasket in the very limited area. Very frustrating. Be prepared. Just take your time and you'll eventually get it.

8. You will need a 10mm crow's foot. I didn't know what a crow's foot was when I started. Now I do.

9. When the van started up, it was one of the most gratifying and rewarding jobs I've done. I'm glad I tried to do it myself. I had my doubts a few times, but now that it's over, I'm glad I did it. I learned A TON.

10. I would strongly suggest getting a small set of taps. The white stuff that GM uses on bolts is like drywall mud or something. Especially on the intake manifold bolt holes, it would have been nice to "ream them out" before reassembling everything.

That's all I can think of right now. Don't be afraid of this job. VERY time-consuming, but with the info from this board and a Haynes Manual, I think just about anybody could pull it off.

well the rag was not wet at all, and there was no new drips on the floor,
sooo, since there is no sign of stuff in the oil Ill wait and watch closely and Ill be back if I got questions
thanx guys

well the rag was not wet at all, and there was no new drips on the floor, sooo, since there is no sign of stuff in the oil Ill wait and watch closely and Ill be back if I got questions thanx guys

Hmmm . . . . Intermitten leak huh? Make sure the coolant reservior white plastic tank is filled to the proper level and keep an eye on it and unless you have a leak the level should stay fairly constant with no big drops or losses. If you get another puddle abrorb it with a rag and smell it and DexCool has a very distinct urine odor. Seriously, when I flushed mine it stunk like an outhouse and if you can catch it in a bowl it's pink.

About radiator caps. Important to replace it when it gets a ridge mashed into it or about every two years. I use a 13 lb summer cap and 7 1b winter cap.I live way down South and that should be all I need.

If I was still a young whipper-snapper I'd tackle it in a skinny minute, but now that I've reached the "golden years", no way.

6. This job will take a long time. I don't know how GM mechanics can do this in 6.6 hours, or whatever GM says. This is MORE than a weekend job, especially if you do plugs and wires and stuff, too. Be patient.It gets easier the more you do. I've done mine 3 times. First time I used the old gasket style (I hadn't found here yet), which required the 2nd time 6 months later. The 3rd time was a week after the 2nd when my head gasket went. I don't think I could have the whole thing done in 6 hours, but I bet if I really had to I could.

Having the right tools, knowing where the "short cuts" are, and labeling everything is key to doing a good job in the least amount of time. If you have to stop and figure out whether the long push rods are for the intake or exhaust valves eats up a lot of times.

Whenever I work on a vehicle now, I always have a box of snack-sized and sandwich-sized ziploc baggies and a permanent marker. It's quick and easy to label the bag, toss the nuts/bolts/brackets in them, zip em up and toss them aside.

well I changed the oil tonight it didnt seem over full but the oil looked more like chocolate than oil, and the whole driver side of the enging and transaxle is dripping with antifreeze.
can there be such a thing as an external and internal leak??
I didnt spend much time looking for the source cause it is right at 0 degrese out and it was enough to just change the oil

Yes you can have both an internal and external leak.

well I changed the oil tonight it didnt seem over full but the oil looked more like chocolate than oil, and the whole driver side of the enging and transaxle is dripping with antifreeze.
can there be such a thing as an external and internal leak??
I didnt spend much time looking for the source cause it is right at 0 degrese out and it was enough to just change the oil

You should get that fixed ASAP before it damages your motor... Sorry to hear of your problems. The fix can run anywhere from $500.00 to $1000.00 depending on who does it.... then again, you can try to fix it yourself, but then you have no guarantees when it's finished.

Take care.

I think I might puss out on this repair, I think I could do it but I dont have a heated garage and this is feb. in Iowa , and Im just not confedent enough for the electrical computer crap
Ive got an 85 monte carlo that I dont hesitate to tear it down to nothing and back. the new stuff is a little scary to me

I think I might puss out on this repair, I think I could do it but I dont have a heated garage and this is feb. in Iowa , and Im just not confedent enough for the electrical computer crap
Ive got an 85 monte carlo that I dont hesitate to tear it down to nothing and back. the new stuff is a little scary to me

I did this in an unheated garage in Northeast Ohio in February, and if I can do it, just about anybody can do it. Prior to this repair, changing brakes would have been a big deal for me.

If you can use basic tools, you can do this.

There really isn't any electrical computer stuff to worry about. Just plug everything back in the way you found it. The hardest part is making sure that the fuel injectors get plugged back in right, and if you label those you can't mess it up. (That last sentence would have scared me to death two weeks ago, but, trust me, it's not a big deal.)

Just label everything as you take it apart. I started at "A" and ended up at "N" with the electrical connections. My fuel injector connections still had the factory labels. The only thing I would do differently is take a few good pictures before you start, just to know for sure that you've routed all of the electrical correctly when you are done. But, I didn't do that and everything still looks neat and runs well.

I tallied it up the other day, and it took me about 20 hours. Keep in mind that I also changed plugs and wires, flushed and filled the coolant, changed the transmission fluid and filter, changed belt and hoses, PCV valve, etc. etc. I also wasted about an hour trying to figure out how to remove the alternator (mine was different than the Haynes Manual) and about an hour trying to find two bolts that dropped and didn't hit the floor. (One of the most sickening sounds you can imagine.)

Can you borrow a friend's garage for a weekend?

This is just such a do-it-yourself type of repair. No great expertise needed and the parts are relatively cheap. Just take your time and be patient.

I'm telling you...when you're done and it starts up, you'll feel like a million bucks.

There really isn't any electrical computer stuff to worry about. Just plug everything back in the way you found it. The hardest part is making sure that the fuel injectors get plugged back in right, and if you label those you can't mess it up. (That last sentence would have scared me to death two weeks ago, but, trust me, it's not a big deal.)All sensor wires and the majority of other connectors are "keyed" in such a way that they will only fit in one sensor location. Labeling them can help speed it up, but it's not a requirement. As to the injectors, my wiring harness had the injector numbers printed on each connector. It was also pretty obvious which connector when to which injector just based on how the wire was bent.

well the shop Ive used for years said they have time tomorrow, also said they do 2 to 3 of those jobs on GM minivans per week!
the cost is $400, and they use the new improved gasket, so I thought what the hell let them do it

OK, So how do I know its the intake gasket? I am noticing small amounts of coolant on the garage floor after the van has warmed up and I just had to add coolant because of the low coolant light. I just changed the oil and did not notice anything out of the ordinary in the oil.

2000 Venture with about 95K...

What do I look for next? I am totally comfortable replacing the IG myself, but I need to confirm that its bad.

Thanks,

Steve

OK, So how do I know its the intake gasket?

Check the water pump. That seems to be another common problem. It happened with my van. I thought it was the gasket as well until I got under the hood with a mirror and found the source was the water pump. Very inexpensive and easy to replace.

What do I look for next? I am totally comfortable replacing the IG myself, but I need to confirm that its bad.The only way to tell if it is leaking internally with 100% accruacy is to have it analyzed. [url=http://www.blackstone-labs.com/] will look at your oil for about $20 and give you your results within about 24 hours of receiving it. I've used them before because they are local to me and others have as well. You might check around to see if there is one local to you if you need results sooner.

Thanks you guys, I put the van up on jacks last night and took a good look around with a flashlight and mirror. I am 90% sure its my intake gasket. I can see fluid weeping slowly from both sides of the intake gasket area. It leaks slow enough that I think most of it burns off...

Steve

Can high oil consumption be caused by a bad intake manifold gasket in a 2000 venture? High oil consumption started 6 months ago and now I am loosing a lot of coolant. I worked at a Ford dealership in the 60s and the small v/8 could really suck a lot of oil through a bad intake gasket. I have replaced many of them, but I am to old to tackle this project. Replacing the intake manifold gaskets solved the high oil consumption problem and the coolant loss problem.

I've never repaired anything on my car other than the air filter. Now my intake gasket is leaking red coolant.

The dealer wants $735 for labor and $200 for parts (ballpark)!

Folks, my 98 Venture is worth only about $2,500 Blue Book.

And I didn't mention the break work I found out I need - totaling about $800 p&l.

How much do you have to know about cars to do this intake gasket repair yourself?

Maybe I should cut my losses and sell it fast.:frown:

IMO, you should fill out the form and participate in the class action law suit this attorney is putting together. http://www.girardgibbs.com/dexcool.html Heck, anyone who has ever had a head gasket or intake gasket problem or cooling system problem of any kind while using dex cool should participate.

Bleepster says he has a TSB for the manifold gasket replacement, see the thread here: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=537465

As you can see in my reply, I asked him to give us the TSB number so we'll hold our hat and hope he does.

I requested TSB 03-06-01-010 on one of the other forums I visit and a GM-Tec posted it. Follow this link for the TSB...

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=81&t=50614


I plan to tackle this job when it gets a little warmer. But I will do it myself. I am also going to change the plugs, wires and relevant other gaskets...

Steve

How much do you have to know about cars to do this intake gasket repair yourself?It requires more then doing a break job, but it's not an engine rebuild either. On a scale of 1-10, I'd put it a 6 or 7.

And the "official" TSB can be found here (http://aklr.free.fr/envrac/SB-10001282-8175(Intake_manifold_gasket).pdf). I'm sure it's already posted in this thread somewhere but I'm too lazy to go back and find which page it was.

LOL! The independent garage that did mine said they have done as many as FOUR IN ONE WEEK and he keeps two sets of parts on the shelf. Said usually takes five to six hours but two of them did one in four hours. I reckon it's all a matter of practice making perfect and you do it often enough it becomes a piece of cake. BTW, mine hasn't leaked a drop and the temp gauge stays in one place rather than constantly moving up & down like it did before they fixed the leakey gasket.