Lower intake gasket & gasket maker opinion

[71surfus]

2002/3.1 when I installed thr first lower intake to cylinder head gasket, I put it on dry. Any opinions on weather I should have applied a thin layer of gasket maker to those areas or just to the spots at were the intake is over the cast block. I`m apart to fuel rail and lower intake and if I should have applied this would be easiest time to re-do it. Thanks

[richtazz]

do not put sealer on the side gaskets, just the ends. Sealer will react with the materials in the gasket, causing them to "melt" effectively ruining the gasket. Make sure you put loc-tite on the lower intake bolts to prevent them from vibrating back out, as the torque values are very low on these fasteners. WHile you have the intake off, you might want to replace the oil pump drive shaft o-ring also. IT is a stub shaft where the distrubutor used to be in the center of the v on the drivers side just below the throttle body. It is a common oil leak spot on these cars and is fairly simple to do while the intake is off. Use Fel-pro part number 70800 to replace the o-ring, and Fel-pro part number 70194 paper gasket between the top of the block and the housing as extra insurance against future leaks. As far as the gasket maker, Fel-Pro or the improved design GM gasket are the only ones worth using.

[71surfus]

2003/3.1 When I changed the lower intake gasket, no RTV on gasket and for the ends what the dealer had supplied with gasket set. Refilled coolant, did pure coolant, temp gauge still in red after 20/30 min. Drained coolant using small shop-vac at heater hose, then flushed with yard hose till clear, drained as before, now turns over, no start, pulled plugs, there`s water on them. Can I check for cylinder compression without upper intake on and 3/4 of wire loom disconnected? Or any other suggestions. Thanks A Million

[GTP Dad]

Yes you can check for compression as long as the heads are still on the car. Just be careful not to suck anything in to the engine. If you have to replace the head gaskets make sure you use new bolts. The ones on your car are torque to yield and they must be replaced or you will need to do it all over again.
Did you get water in all cylinders or only a certain one? If there is water in all the cylinders you will probably be doing a headgasket replacement. If only one cylinder makes absolutely certain that you didn't have the gasket slip when you replaced the manifold gasket. If it did then that is probably where the water may be coming from.

[jimmytroanoke]

Yes you can do the compression test, but use a remote starter switch or disable the fuel pump if you have to use the key so you don't cover yourself with gasoline from the presumably disconnected fuel lines! Make sure you got the pushrods back in the right place as Intake and Exhaust pushrods are different lengths. If you used the new design GM gaskets they are very rigid and have locating pins so they shouldn't have slipped if properly installed. Never put straight antifreeze in an engine. It has very little heat carrying capacity compared to water. 50/50 min. 70/30 max. Ford had a recall on a few Fseries pickups a few years back that were filled with straight AF at the factory because they were all cracking heads. They replaced the heads on all of them even if they showed no symptoms because they were that sure they would fail.

[71surfus]

Thanks for all the great help, yes the gasket had locator pins, the water was only in 6 & 5 cylinders (yes opposing). Also the upper intake doen`t lay flat on top of lower intake, will gasket and torquing make up maye 1/32 (if that) difference? Yes replaced all bolts in lower intake. Motor runs real smooth, but can see water vapor when oil filler cap removed and engine is running. Going to try GM stop leak tablets now that coolant is 50/50 with distilled water.
Again thanks for all the facts, sorry could get back earlier, kids on-line and Sunday went to drags, to see the real thang!!