shortcuts for lower intake gasket?

Well, I 've got all the signs of a leaking lower intake gasket on my 97 Jimmy. I'm gonna tackle this after the holidays.

My question is, are there any shortcuts or time savers in doing this? I don't mean shortcuts where the job isn't done right - I mean shortcuts from experienced mechanics who have done this job several times.

some questions:

1) can I just move the A/C compressor off the mounting bracket and push it out of the way without discharging the refrigerant? will this give me enough room to work on the lower intake gasket?

2) do I need to disassemble the throttle body and upper intake piece-by-piece from the top down? -- or --- are there bolts that I can remove in the upper plenum (or lower intake) that will allow me to lift everything out (upper intake, TB, etc) without disconnecting every single thing?

3) where exactly do I add put RTV? around the coolant passages and at the front and back where the intake manifold meets the block right? anywhere else?

any experienced advice would be appreciated.

1) yes, unbolt the compressor and loop it around to the passenger side and away, no discharging.

2)you don't nned to touch the upper intake aside from electrical connections, hose/fuel connections. Just unbolt the lower intake from the heads and pull the whole unit off the engine.

3)Yes, RTV goes front and back of the engine and a small amount can be used around the coolant passages. I personally use aircraft grade sealent around the coolant passages as this is the best RTV sealent I have seen and does not leak (Permatex. Aviation Form-A-Gasket.No.3). It stays plyable and holds up extremely well for intake gaskets. I have been using this for years, and can order it at my local parts store.

Make sure you clean the area around the heads/gasket good before you pull the intake, as you want to keep dirt from getting into the engine. Once the intake is off, lay rags in the lifter valley to keep debris out and minimize the chances of damaging the engine.

Also make sure you properly torque the intake bolts upon installation. This is critical and must be done properly, in three torque increments.

Anothter thing too, Fel Pro makes problem solver gaskets for these engines. If you are intending to keep this truck for a long time and don't want to be doing intake gaskets again, the problem solver gaskets are a very good choice. They are far superior than the plastic gaskets.
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Take a look here (http://d-tips.com/General/Articles/article.aspx?id=/free/How%20to/GM%204.3L%20Intake%20Manifold%20repair/43intakearticle.art), this might give you a better idea on the procedure.

Other than that, take your time and you'll be fine. Good Luck!

I have a 97 Blazer with the CSEFI fuel injection. Is your point #2 true, in my case; that I can get the lower intake off without removing the upper/Plenum eperately.

I'm going to tackle replacing the intake manifold gasket this weekend and I am reviewing post & procedures and I'm a little confused.

Spit

Yes, the upper intake does not have to be taken apart when removing it for the purpose of replacing the lower intake gaskets. You have to remove/unplug all connections, hoses, and fuel lines, and from there you can pull it all off together. Hope this helps you.

You don't have to take off the upper plenum to remove the intake and replace the lower intake gasket. However, you do have to remove all the hose, cables, and electrical connectors to the upper plenum.

I did this recently on my truck. See my HOW-TO here:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=879228

Here's another one I did. This may also help.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=881442

let me know if you need help ...
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I have a 97 Blazer with the CSEFI fuel injection. Is your point #2 true, in my case; that I can get the lower intake off without removing the upper/Plenum eperately.

I'm going to tackle replacing the intake manifold gasket this weekend and I am reviewing post & procedures and I'm a little confused.

Spit

Yes, the upper intake does not have to be taken apart when removing it for the purpose of replacing the lower intake gaskets. You have to remove/unplug all connections, hoses, and fuel lines, and from there you can pull it all off together. Hope this helps you.


You mentioned Felpro's Problem Saver intake gasket, is it still a plastic gasket?

It is plastic over a metal reinforcement backing. Superior I think to the OEM plastic ones without the backing.


You mentioned Felpro's Problem Saver intake gasket, is it still a plastic gasket?

Thanks DRDD.
I guess there's a reason why they don't use gasket paper.

I know its s steel carrier, no plastic to break like the OE gaskets. Like I mentioned before, I still don't know why the OE were not upgraded to this from the factory. GM would not have had al l those issues over the years. Here is a excerpt from the packaging material for these gaskets;

High Strength Steel Carrier – Robust
aluminized, tempered steel eliminates
cracking, vibration, and thermal
expansion/contraction.
• Triple Sealing-Bead Design – Ensures leakfree
performance in all conditions.
Proprietary FKM elastomer is highly resistant
to extended-life coolants.
• Encapsulated Ports – All critical sealing
areas on the PermaDryPlus gasket are
encapsulated in an advanced FKM
elastomer to resist chemical attack and
fretting caused by casting motion.
• Stainless Steel Torque Limiters – Prevent
over-compression of sealing beads and
eliminate damage to the gasket carrier.
• Integral Locator Tabs – Enable faster,
easier installation and eliminate the need
for an extra person in completing the
repair.

And DO NOT use any kind of sealer around the coolant ports!!! DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT!!!!!! Unless you want to do the job again!! These gaskets are designed to seal dry with NO SEALER!!!! Just use it on the ends and that is it, you do need to put about 1/8 inch up onto the heads, but that is all the RTV to use on the gasket portion. I have done well over 100 of these gaskets, and I have NEVER had a comback, but have seen where people use the RTV where they shouldn't and it is now in my bay to get done right. And the Fel-Pro gasket kit is the best way to go, those gaskets are the best to use, hands down. And one last thing, TORQUE!! Use the torque spec and the sequence!! There is a bulletin that states if the sequence and spec are not followed that you can distort the block, and as a result cause main bearing failure. Otherwise this job is pretty simple to do, and good luck!!