[dariem]

I have coolant in the oil which has formed deposits of goop in parts of the engine. I’ve read a number of the threads on this forum and others (great info!) and I’m hoping the problem is leaks in the lower intake manifold gaskets. I’ve pulled the upper intake manifold (plenum), the intake manifold spacer, and the lower intake manifold. The gaskets appear okay – no obvious tears, deterioration, etc. – but it certainly appears that coolant is getting past the gaskets. Some of the long bolts have rusted threads at points where they sit down in the heads. I plan to do a thorough cleaning, replace the gaskets and seals, put everything back together and hope that fixes my problem. I have some questions and would appreciate advice:

1. There was oil/coolant goop in the housing below the lower intake manifold (where the balance shaft is) and on the bottom of the oil cap and the PCV valve. I’m going to pull the valve covers and see what it looks like under them. The goop is very thick in some places, milky in others. The thick stuff I can wipe off, but what’s a good way to really get all of it out of the engine?
2. Do I need to replace the isolator bolts that bolt the spacer to the lower intake manifold? I believe they are the newer ones identified in TSB 03-16-1 because they have the green not black sleeves. Note: I’ll be checking the front valve cover when I pull it to see if it’s the newer one identified in TSB 03-16-1.
3. Do I need to replace the 6 port seals on the bottom of the spacer that mate to the lower intake manifold?
4. Should I replace the water bypass tube while I’ve got the manifold off?
5. Should I go with OEM or is aftermarket okay? If I need isolator bolts I doubt my local parts store will have them. Any recommendations for a good online parts store?
6. The fuel injector ports were surrounded by dirt/oil mix; I cleaned as best I could before pulling the injectors, but I'm certain that dirt got down into the cylinders. How do I clean this out?

Note: I realize the coolant in the oil may have created problems that will result in other failures eventually (like rod bearings), but I’m willing to take the risk. I think I found the problem fairly early and worst case I’m willing to replace the engine if it comes to that.

Thanks!