So it looks like I blew my Intake Manifold gasket and both Head Gaskets on my 4.3 Vortec V6. To top it all off the spark plug tip broke off in Cylinder #5... I was wondering if anyone remembers an old post (yes I searched but found nothing useful) that walks you through the dissasembly and re assembly all the way up to the head removal becaus I'm stuck right now and I can't remove the heads and I made sure I took off all bolts and nuts... Sorry for the long post Im just a little frustrated

 

Got the exhaust disconnected? Exhaust manifolds?
Just get a Haynes. Better to get that greasy than the keyboard.

 

exhaust manifold were unbolted, and I've tried hitting it with a mallet but that sucker won't budge... ohh and don't get me started on the Hayes Manual, all but this section is decent and well thought out.

 

What makes you think you blew a head gasket? Just because there is water in the oil? Korey.

 

Because there was coolant in my Intake Manifold, in my oil in my valves... The pictures I posted are of the inside of the ITM

 

The way these shorty Exhaust Manifolds are, if you can remove the Y pipe, you can manage to remove the heads with them still on. Then once the heads are out, you can remove them from the heads. No sense in fighting a loosing battle when you can get around it to correct the issue w/out a BFH.

 

Don't assume you blew head gaskets unless you've done a compression test on the motor. You may not need to pull the heads at all.

If the heads don't come off, you have NOT disconnected everything. When you have all the bolts out, you should be able to pry on them and break them loose without much trouble. Do NOT force it.

Don't turn another bolt without a better service manual. I'm not sure what the problem with the Haynes is, because they're usually pretty good. Pulling the heads themselves is simple - it's usually removing all the stuff bolted to them that's a pain. If you can't find a factory manual, try a Chilton's. Often they cover stuff that Haynes misses, and vice versa.

 

I just did an intake on a '92 Jimmy this week that would pump coolant into the oil faster than you can pour coolant into the radiator. I pulled the intake and the gasket was almost gone, and the intake was corroded away around the coolant ports. After replacing the gasket and putting a new, used lower intake on, and flushing the crankcase, the motor was sealed up again. I have seen more intake gaskets on the 4.3, 3.1, 3.4, 3.8, 5.0, 5.7, 7.4's leak coolant into the oil than head gaskets on these engines. I personaly would pull the intake and check it out first. Korey.

 

I agree. Coolant in the intake manifold area isn't evidence of ANYthing except an intake manifold leak, which is probably the most common failure on these. Bad head gaskets are VERY unlikely, because you don't "blow" them - they fail, and only in a small area.

If you took the head bolts loose, you created a LOT more work for yourself than you needed to. Once loose, you must pull the heads and replace the gaskets. I sincerely hope you haven't done that.

The most important step is diagnosis. I think you rushed it and made unwarranted assumptions. Hopefully you haven't taken the head bolts loose.

 

Like I posted earlier, I need to get the heads off because one of my spark plugs broke off inside cylinder 5. I just want to see what kind of damage is done.