Wow. This is incredibly helpful, thank you so much. A little light reading to do before I go much further in my disassembly.

So it sounds like I don't need to remove the PS pulley, which is very okay with me. I expected that the pulley may hold the aluminum bracket in place if it's not removed. I'll remove all of the nuts/bolts and try it first before assuming to remove that guy. Pulley removal is a brute-force PITA and not something anyone wakes up and looks forward to doing.

 

How do you use 2 wrenches on the EGR tube? I'll soak mine in penetrating oil and I have a flare nut wrench, but am unsure where the second wrench would go.

 

Regarding that, I was going by my memory so I could be wrong. I guess the best I can say is be careful.

 

Thanks for the input. I went lightly on it after using some penetrating oil and it came out easily.

 

What type of RTV should I have on-hand? I know the gasket kit comes with some, but if that runs out I want to have some extra available. I can get black, high-temp red, grey, etc. Red seems like the right application, but there are too many options.

 

I like this stuff myself.

 

Which kit did you wind up going with?

 

Was RTV ever part of the original assembly? I have a hard time visualizing a 1999 assembly line that depended on workers squeezing 3/16" lines of sealant on gaskets.

 

I went with the Fel Pro MS 98002 T gasket kit. Taking off the intake manifold I can only assume mine is still stock/original, and it had RTV across the zone between the intake gaskets (what was left of it).

 

You should have been there in the late 70's when GM eliminated a lot of gaskets and went with just orange RTV by itself for oil pan and valve cover gaskets. Bad idea!! It was called G.M.S. (General Motors Sealer). We had a tech we called the GMS kid. He kept a caulking gun with a huge tube of GMS - he would spray leaks down with carb cleaner, smear GMS on the outside, and charge GM for a warranty repair like the part was removed. Same guy knocked over a tray of un-marked rod caps and mixed them up. Spend days switching them around until engine would turn freely again. Didn't last through the test drive.