Lower intake gasket

[canul8r]

97 blazer losing coolant, chevy ran pressure test and said that the lower intake gasket was leaking. How hard is it to replace the gasket or is it worth my while to let chevy do it for 5 bills?

[mikeshel]

If they are confident it is the lower intake it is not that difficult to do. You just need to make sure you do not let any debris from the old gasket or sealent get down into the oil passages. I went in to replace the upper gasket on my 97 olds bravada and figured I went that far do them both. There has been some sealing problems with both the upper and lower from what I understand. Minimal tools just drain radiator remove AC comp. and the rest just unbolts. It took me about 1 1/2 hours to disassemble and reassemble. Fairly easy just pay attention.

[rasmith527]

My 98 Blazer is leaking coolant also. I too was quoted $500.00+ to fix the leak. Any idea where I can see a picture of the lower intake? I've tried looking from every angle under the hood to see what the intake looks like, but couldn't find anything. From what I've read, $500 is extremely high for a job like this. I'm very handy and prefer to do any repairs myself (if I can help it).

[wolfox]

Lower intake's under the upper plenum. Not easily seen from the outside either, but if it's leaking, the effects are obvious. Best to observe for leaks after pressurizing the system with the engine cold. Rather than waste my lower back, I had an independant garage fix it for me for $300. It ran up that high because I had them flush and refill the cooling system and crankcase afterwards. Mine was leaking internally and externally and needed quick, preventative action.