Got some things at the dealer.

Mopar -
P/N: 4897383AC Intake Manifold gasket pack - $45.81
6034583 Plenum Plate bolt - $4.65
53032603AA Plenum Gasket - $16.29
6035967AA Intake Manifold bolts - $17.28

Came out to $90 with tax. I think I spent it well, this stuff is high quality and Made IN the U.S.A.!!! (Cleveland, OH to be exact). The plenum gasket is similar to what you guys say what comes in the Hughes kit; it is a metal compression-style gasket. From what I have read, this was Chrysler's "fix" for the leaking plenums (in conjunction with the Death Flash to mask it forever!!!). Now that I think about it, the gasket that was on the '95 Ram at the junkyard had a gasket on it similar to the FEL-Pro I have hanging in the garage. So, for $16 I think it is worth it to get the Mopar plenum gasket. The actual intake manifold gaskets themself are nice too. They are a steel/ceramic (I think) reinforced material. I put an exhaust manifold gasket on the S-10 that was a very similar design. The plenum pan bolts are nice, too. They come with a lock-tite coating on the threads.

 

For $30 less, ya get all of that with the Hughes. Now you are gettin really close to the price for a precision cut and drilled plenum plate.

 

its a lot less now... I turn it scrap aluminum all the time from the machines I repair...you can pick up a piece the right size for a plenum very cheap im just not sure how thick it should be....
The key is to remember to get shorter plenum bolts as My bet that that is the real issue causing them to fail and not the steel against aluminum...the factory screws were too long for the holes many of the years...
there just too many other engine applications where steel is used against aluminum or even magnesium and holds up fine...I realize they expand and contract at different rates but if the gasket was sandwiched properly and tight enough it should hold up...A mechanic here also mentioned that none of the factory gaskets he replaced along with the shorter bolts ever came back with that issue as well...

 

I dont get the intake manifold bolts and gaskets.

 

Huh? You have them quoted out... I got intake bolts, gaskets for 60 thru hughes. You just got quoted $90...that makes a $30 difference, correct? So, I bought everything for $140, you now have around $110 invested? $30 more and ya could have bought the hughes is what im saying.... Most people figure the time spent is worth money, along with some of us cant get free aluminum. Im not saying you're stupid for DIY, but for those of us that are over 15 with a job and families, its more cost effective to just buy everything.

 

I think the major flaw in your theory is your still buying half your stuff overpriced from hughes?...$5 a bolt come on? If you search you'll see someone else got them much cheaper elsewhere although I cant remember... I dont really know if I buy into they can only be used once theory you should be able to spend 3 seconds on the grinder with each and have your shorter bolts...if your worried use locktite..
Think about it this way from Hughes your spending what $140 for a flat piece of metal with screw holes drilled,some pricey bolts and a gasket? Its just too high. how could that be more cost effective? Even the dealership is cheaper for bolts and gasket.

 

Obviously, you didnt read into my post...he was quoted $90 from the dealer for his gaskets and bolts. From hughes, you only pay $60... The plenum bolts arent the ones that are supposed to be used once...its the TTY bolts on the intake manifold.

 

Actually I didnt read the whole thing, just incorrectly I was in a rush this morning... it happens...I cant believe the dealership would be that high for bolts and a gasket! That seems nuts.

TTY is torque to yield or something like that right?

 

The Hughes Engines plenum gasket kit part number 7714 comes with the plate, plenum gasket, and plenum bolts for $86. I spent $21 total on the plenum gasket and bolts from Ma Mopar. That leads me to $43 (Counting the FEL-Pro gasket I didnt use) invested in this plate, plenum gasket, and bolts.

The kit you must be talking about is part number 3205B, which is $44 and includes new manifold gaskets, intake end gaskets, and TTY bolts. I spent $17 more to get the same thing from Mopar.

For everything I bought so far (All the above), I'm in this plate $108. Yeah, that is only $30 less than what I could get the APS or Hughes kit for, but I dont care, I gained experience and had a good time doing it. That is what matters to me, I'm a do'er, a builder, a thinker, and I would rather spend my time making something than buying something. You say family? You got kids? Dont you think you could teach them some things about mechanics and vehicles in general. Thats the way I learned, and it gains interest in this. Not to mention the father-child bonding...

Thats great that you bought the Hughes plate. I really dont care, hundreds of people on this forum have bought that plate. I decided to be the Purpl sheep (with a Orange grille! ) and make my own. Apparentley it seems that it is a great idea to some (But making a thread about it was a horrible idea), and has inspired them to make their own.

What some people need to realize is that there are many different types of people on this forum. There are some real technical guys who really know their ****, people who dont know anything, old school mechanics, and those who would rather get raped by a dealer. There are many opinions on this forum But this forum seems to follow a cult pattern, do one thing different and you get bashed out the *** by the majority (if you want proof, how many posts in this thread are bull ****, and how many are technical?).

I'm done.

Exactly, I got everything I need to take off the intake manifold, change the plate, and reinstall (minus locktite and a throttle body gasket, but those are cheap). The dealer is even cheaper than AutoZone (On the bolts and the plenum gasket).

Obviously, neither of you read MY post.

So, in case It was so hard for you to read in post #181, from Mopar:
Plenum gasket = $16.29
Intake Manifold gaskets = $45.81
12 TTY Intake manifold bolts = $17.28
15 Plenum pan bolts = $4.65

 

Well spoken purpl!!!