I am having the shop do my gaskets. Should I or should I not replace the intake bolts?

 

Bolts can be re-used if you wire brush the threads and re-apply Teflon sealer - or you can replace them with the new clean bolts that have the sealer printed on them. But more importantly - clean out/chase the threads in the bolt holes (lots of junk gets down in them and a few are blind holes), use a real 1/4" drive inch-pound torque wrench per factory tightening specification/sequence, and only use the Felpro rubber/metal gaskets. RTV is not used in any places not specified in the gasket set instructions, and too much is worse than too little. RTV requires completely clean and dry surfaces with no oil, in order to adhere. IIRC Felpro gives you enough RTV along with the gasket set. I like to let things sit overnight and then do a final torque one more time. O-ring for upper intake needs lubricated before installation or you can get a vacuum leak. Never ever use a rotating wire brush or sandpaper/grit disks to remove old gasket material - pieces of wire can break off and end up in your oil pump, and grit is also very bad for engines - only a scraper (putty knife dressed with a file works great) or razor blade. Be sure to remove any scrapings (that you don't catch with towels) that has fallen into the lifter valley (shop vac to finish removal of any small stuff you can't pick up). If a shop does the job, make sure they know all of this and will comply. Otherwise you are far better off to do the job yourself.

 

If this RTV is in the oil passages going into the oil cooler, then it made it through the oil pump and can be anywhere/everywhere. You have one bypass valve in the engine and then another in the remote oil filter adapter. These bypass valves open when they see a moderate pressure differential in the oil system (like there is at the filter when oil is cold). So know that with a normal oil filter, only part of the oil gets filtered (whatever can get through the filter at the bypass pressure differential) and the rest (especially with cold oil) goes around the filter to ensure adequate oiling. You can block that oil cooler or oil filter completely and your engine will still provide unfiltered oil to the bearings at a normal pressure. I bet if you take the check valves out of the remote oil filter adapter and the engine block you would find RTV there as well.

So what to do?? Well, if it has been OK for 6 years then it still may live just fine. Just know that you are perturbing the system by removing a potential restriction from the oiling system that might dislodge or otherwise let something get through. Just keep that in mind if you have post repair problems. Be sure to thank the last person who did the intake manifold or whoever used all that RTV.

 

I wonder if it is the orange rubber from the previous intake manifold gaskets. I did buy the plastic ones, which was my fault for not knowing the difference then that I know now. I did replace the radiator with a warranty one and I am going to flush out the cooler lines before reinstalling it. Does anyone know where I can find a good write up with pictures? I have found a few but they all have dead links.

As far as thread sealant, is this what I am looking for?
Permatex Thread Sealant

Thanks guys.

 

 

That's the stuff!

Lots of videos on YouTube - some really detailed. Just don't use the rotating wire brushes or sanding pads or sandpaper that everyone seems to like to use. Do clean out the bolt holes/threads and use a real inch.pound torque wrench. Some have you disassemble far more than is really required to do the gaskets. You don't have to take off the compressor or the bracket - just loosen the bolts that hold the bracket onto the engine and move it forward just a bit.

I'll post the factory bolt tightening sequence and specs later tonight after I get home. Decided to do it yourself, huh? I'm proud of you. Remember, no one cares so much about your vehicle as you do.

 

I just bought an inch pound torque wrench. I have plenty of new razor blades, shop rags, goo gone, rubbing alcohol and a shop vac. I don't have a crow's foot because I didn't know if I needed metric or SAE. I am off tomorrow for my cousin's wedding in the afternoon so I should be able to get started. Unfortunately I won't have the gasket set until Saturday and I will be out of town. Hopefully I can't make some progress on Sunday. I did order the Fel-Pro MS98002t with the metal gaskets.

 

Iv'e been doing vehicle repairs for 50 years and this job was not too bad, moderate difficulty at worst. Les has laid out the approach well. I will emphasis the Fel Pro gasket set, minimal RTV only where indicated and the proper 2 stage torquing process. The only place where you might have some challenges is if you have excessive pitting on any of the gasket surfaces. If so there are solutions so report back. If not its pretty standard wrench turning work.

Good luck.

George

 

perfect

 

For the LIM gaskets, here is part one of two of the better write-ups I ever found. As of last report, the links are dead.