3.8L gasket replacement questions

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie here and have a few questions that I hope someone can answer.
I'm about to help a friend replace both the upper & lower intake gaskets as well as both valve gaskets on his 3.8L Impala. It's been awhile from the last time I've done this. Car's are a lot diffrent now, I prefer to work on early '80's an older :). So I have a few questions.

Thanks in advance.

1) I'm a bit confused on the torque wrench needed. The manual say's 132 in-lbs for the intake. Is this foot-pounds or inches or both?? I've only use foot-pounds on car's I've rebuilt & don't remember inches. Anyone know ??

2) The owner is wanting to know if he should change head gasket's as well. I don't think we have to, but I'm going to ask anyway. He'll feel better ;) So should we ??

3) The manual says to change the oil & filter, we just did this last week. Does this have to be done??

We are going to take picture's from start to finish and I will post them here as some have done for the 3.4L projects. I found that thread to be very helpful even though it's the smaller engine and slightly diffrent. He was quoted $600 or so to do the job by local shops, I am hoping that we can do it for under $200. I have most the tools other than the torque wrench, & plastic fuel injector tools. We will buy them though. I have done a lot of work to this car in the past, replaced a lot of stuff. So this is just another job. The car has like 130,000 or so on it, but it runs like the day he bought it. It's leaked oil for as long as I can remember, but it was not even enough to drip on his garage floor, it is now so Its time.

Thank you, mike.

First let me say you should probably go to these two links and read them.

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1061

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=3591

The second gives a very good detailed how to.

What year and engine series is this 3800?

I'm guessing that the UIM gasket isn't the only thing you'll have to replace. You will probably have to replace the UIM as well. Links to some good kits are in the first link above.

Just divide the inch pounds by 12 to get the foot pounds. 132 inch/lbs is 11 ft/lbs. Most wrenches that go that low are listed in inch/lbs anyway.

Head gaskets will probably be okay.

If the reason you're changing the gaskets is because the coolant is getting into the oil then it probably would be a good idea to change the oil and filter. On top of this, if you spill any coolant out of the LIM while removing it you'll probably have to do the oil and filter again anyway.

Hope this helps.

It is a 2001 Impala his father bought it brand new and after it was paid for gave it to him. He's had it for 4 years now. The only things I've replace were normal things like, water pump, Alt, Serp. belt, plugs & plug wire's, PCV valve, MAF sensor and the A/C condesor due to us messing it up and the oil plug and the tension pully.

I don't know the engine series other than it is a 3800.

The only reason I'm replacing anything is the oil leak. It's up top around the lower intake and then below both valve covers. Oil is getting down to the starter and dripping. So far there is no coolent leaking nor is it low in the resivour. You can slightly smell burning oil, but no coolent oder. I believe it is just the vavle cover gaskets that are leaking, but if you replace those, I thought you really should replace the lower & upper intake as the pressure might blow them out later. And if your going to do this much work why not go all the way. That and I'm not sure that the LIM is not leaking, it might be as well.

Thank you very much for the torque conversions!! I was confused.

And thank you for the links, I'm off to read them now.:smile: