3.4 liter engine

new problem: on the lower intake manifold are numbers cast into the manifold. the back ones are stamped 2-4-6, the front ones are 1-3-5. The plug wires are marked gm originals however they go to the wrong cylinders. the longest wire marked 6 goes to 5, 4 goes to 3 and 2 goes to 1. on the other hand the shorter ones go to the rear set. the chilton's manual doesn't coincide with what I have, backwards just like the haynes book. what gives and what shall I believe. I don't want this thing blowing up!

Wow, this job has really tortured you, check this link. http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1b/e1/b3/0900823d801be1b3/repairInfoPages.htm

I looked at the autozone page. so am I to believe to ignore those cast numbers and go with the firing order and spark plug wire placement as pictured on their website?

Yes. What can you loose at this point.

I called the olds/chevy dealership this morning at 8 am. They said to go with what's stamped on the manifold, therefore 2-4-6 is near the coil pack and 1-3-5 is near the radiator. so everything I read in chilton's and autozone is backwards. Even the arrangement of the coil packs is different in the autozone diagram.