Ok in mid project on replacement of the bad injectors with the upgraded ones. I have the intake off, plenum and old injectors out. I really had not planned on replacing the upper or lower intake gaskets at this time nor the valve cover ones. They are all in good shape and considering this Blazer already on a diet of green antifreeze and not leaking I rather not ask for trouble by doing that. So, I look at this top side of the intake and there’s a lot of carbon grit even in the injector ports. I took a shop vac and cleaned a good portion of it off but those ports are still pretty rough. Please tell me I do not have to pull it to get those cleaned. Enclosed pictures (says a 1000 words) and please let me know. No car till I get this done so delays if I have to get gaskets with wife’s car- she out of town till tonight.


Overview

Obviously 3 and 5

Port 1 (not bad)

2 and 4 look rough

Lastly 6, worried wont seal well when new insterted to port.

Obviously the old injectors came out without a fuss and few even seemed loose to me. My biggest concern is the new ones seating firmly in ports and not getting the gunked up carbon crap inside engine. How are you to clean this out? Like use carb cleaner then brush while holding shopvac to suck up the crude? WIll the shopvac be safe like not catch fire or such with the vapor and liquid? Or, do I have no choice but to pull this whole thing apart which was not the plan. All this stuff has a gritty texture to it but crumbles so I assume carbon build up mixed with oil and gasoline. Await reply’s so I know what to do and not screw this up, thanks!

 

When the shop did my parents spider injector, he used a carbon cleaner and got most of it off... not sure exactly what he used, but came out decent... let us know what you end up doing, I'll be doing my come summer... just got a little car to work on, blazer will be off the road for maintenance soon...

 

Yea that’s the concern Don, if I spray say carb cleaner I fear it will just wash that crude into cylinders and sure if harmful or not, it is just carbon,oil,gas. It appears to my poor eyesight that as is the injectors may not seat fully with some of that carbon sand stuff in there. I had not planned on full removal of upper intake at this time and if I did I would do lower also because of how far the whole engine would be torn apart which all of this is independent of the small front main seal seepage of oil behind balancer. Was hoping a knowledgeable soul could give me the yea/nay on this.

Presonally if safe enough I’d go with spray it and wet/dry shopvac to prevent as much as possible from entering main engine but again unsure if that is safe with the vac. Last thing I need is a kaboom from that. Maybe bunch of rags and soak up as much as possible? Unsure. I mean if I have no choice then so be it, tear it all down and then I know I can clean it but geez, really wanted to avoid that. I have zero shop experience, not even in high school ( I took electronics and computer classes, not shop stuff). Biggest fear is making the darn thing worse. I blew up a old riding lawn mower once and you really don’t want to know the details but can say it was a catastrophic failure. (Bought new John Deere afterwards)

 

If you are this far into the job, I would strongly suggest you consider going all the way and also remove the lower intake manifold (LIM) and clean it properly. Also, you should never reuse gaskets.

Just because the coolant has been switched to the green stuff, doesn't mean the LIM gaskets are not bad. The truck came with Dexcool and you don't know when it was flushed out. Besides, the way the LIM gaskets leaked was often into the top of the engine where you would not be able to tell what was going on until too late. And also, with the LIM off, you can do a proper cleaning job on it without risk of any contaminants getting into the cylinders.

 

Man I was afraid you were going to say that. Sigh, cross fingers I don’t make a small problem a big one. This really is above my skill level I think. Not afraid of it or challenge just the cost if I “f” this up. Wife will have kittens and I will be in the dog house for so long that my grave will look inviting. Ok, full tear down.

 

Yeah, I know. But you will be glad you did the job correctly. Get the good Fel-Pro LIM gaskets with the metal frames. The kit from them you get all of the gaskets for the whole job. Use a good RTV for the front and back ends of the LIM. Also, if you get the replacement LIM bolts, you might try doing something I wish I had done which is to cut off the heads of the old ones to use as screw-in studs for guiding the LIM as you drop it into place.

 

Yea committed now. Tore apart the stuff in way already, ac/power steering/alt/etc. felpro only gasket set even available here at the 3 Autoparts places. Can’t tell in any of the descriptions if steel inside but is what it is. Called my son, he should be able to pick them up for me later so guess that’s something. Please don’t let me screw this up, I know basically childproof right but man I so fear things like leaks internally and destroy engine few days later. Ok, back to wrenching cause my break is over.

 

Its off.


LIM gasket visible.

hipefully I can get it all back together properly. Have not pulled valve covers but will.

 

You want to get the upgraded metal felpro gasket kit Fel-Pro MS 98002 T, not the OEM replacement felpro ms95817

 

Done, it’s the metal one...autozone had it 75$ and got bolts too. Will use advice of cutting a few heads to use as guide pins to align it right on assembly.



this matches and I asked them make sure metal one. Odd- current one, the whole thing metal. Fancy, definitely been replaced. Guess when radiator and pump done but still old injectors.