Where's the Lower Intake Manifold?

[craig_d]

Can anyone help me to locate the lower intake manifold on a 2000 Windstar? Pictures would be great! Is it "easy" to replace the gaskets there? Sorry for the ignorant questions.

[NikM]

Originally Posted by craig_d

Can anyone help me to locate the lower intake manifold on a 2000 Windstar? Pictures would be great! Is it "easy" to replace the gaskets there? Sorry for the ignorant questions.

The Lower Intake Manifold (LIM) is under the Upper Intake Manifold (UIM).

Here is the guide for the 1998 from Autozone - the lower intake is slightly different from your car, and the upper intake is quite different, but I hope this gives you an idea. The lower intake manifold is the part that goes down between the heads in the vee of the engine, while the upper part is plastic and sticks up above the heads.

I did both the upper and lower intake manifold gaskets on my van due to a vacuum leak in the upper, stumbling (suspected EGR issues) and a slow coolant leak (less than a quart a month) that I believed to be due to the lower intake manifold gasket. All were fixed by this procedure, and the P0171/P0174 codes went away as well. On a 99+ like what you have, be sure to get new isolator bolts, as these are a common source of problems.

This (also from Autozone's Repair Guide for a 1998) shows the lower manifold.

If it hadn't been raining / I hadn't decided to work out in the nice weather that turned horrid, I could've had it done in a day, easily. For me, the most time-consuming part was carefully cleaning the manifolds and the EGR system, as I was very meticulous.

I hope this helps.

[craig_d]

Thanks NikM for the good info from AutoZone!

I've read through the many posts here about TSB 03-16-01, but are there similar threads (here or elsewhere) that detail the replacement of the lower intake manifold gaskets?

Any idea how my Ford tech could have diagnosed replacing the lower intake manifold gasket while lending no value to TSB 03-16-1? Is there a simple test? Maybe this a question for the service manager. Just wondering.

[NikM]

Originally Posted by craig_d

Thanks NikM for the good info from AutoZone!

I've read through the many posts here about TSB 03-16-01, but are there similar threads (here or elsewhere) that detail the replacement of the lower intake manifold gaskets?

Any idea how my Ford tech could have diagnosed replacing the lower intake manifold gasket while lending no value to TSB 03-16-1? Is there a simple test? Maybe this a question for the service manager. Just wondering.

It's a pretty common problem, but I'd have to know your symptoms to really guess. As far as actually replacing the gaskets, it's a simple task once you get everything out of the way so you can get to the lower intake manifold and get it off. The gaskets that I replaced were in four pieces, with RTV at the four joints, where the block, heads and intake manifold meet at a point (e.g. by the head gasket). I don't know of a precisely detailed procedure online. Since I believe you are talking about P0171/P0174 codes (I think that this is what the TSB you're referencing is to address), then the diagnostic procedure would be to check for vacuum leaks that could cause the code. The other common source for leaks is in the intake manifold, I believe for the 99+ specifically the isolator bolts and the gasket between the upper and lower intakes, although the gasket between the lower intake and heads can leak as well. The cause is oil from the PCV system getting in the intake and degrading the gaskets over time. Sorry I don't know more, but you have a newer van than I do, with a revised intake system (although similar problems!).