I've got my intake manifold off and there are the two vacuum lines going to the transfer case. One is the green line which comes back up and it has what I guess is a check valve ion the end of it. I can blow through it boths ways. One way is eisier than the other though. Should I assume this is bad?

 

It's just a vent line. The cap is to keep excessive moisture from getting in there. Just put it up out of the way somewhere, as high as you can get it. Should be golden.

 

Thanks!

 

The book says put rtv on cylinder side of new intake gasket. I'm reading elsewhere that it says none and even some say both sides. I know I need it at the corners. Also wondering about rtv going on end plastic gaskets at all.

 

I put a thin bead around the coolant passages, (both sides) and that's it. Of course, the dabs in the corners as well.

 

I ended up doing that before you got to me. That was really the area I was concerned with some pitting going on. I scrapped the area good with a razor blade and acetone. Into second day of driving it and it seems it has cured my random miss and pop sound from the exhaust. With the colder weather being here lately, I've always had some white smoke at startup and driving for a while. I didn't ever think it was an unusual amount and it never seemed like coolant exhaust. I fired it up this morning (fairy chill outside) and hardly any exhaust at all. Hopefully my mystery coolant leak is gone now. I figured I just has slow leaks here and here that didn't really show themselves. Denial? I do still have the slight engine vibration going on, but maybe not as bad. Gonna do some more looking into it with a new vacuum tester, later. Anyways, thanks for the help.
Also finally got around to installing new thermostat seal in the intake manifold and replaced the coolant bypass nipple that was cracked (that was fun to get out).

 

Since my intake gasket fix, my onboard mpg display is now reading 9.2 where before it I was getting about 7.8-8.0 mpg. I'm not for sure if it's because of the fix or if it's because nobody is on the road.

 

My compass and temp display works, but, if I switch to the mileage display, it just goes blank..... Not that I really want to know just how bad my gas mileage is.....

 

Yeah, you're probably better off not knowing. I never knew that 9 mpg could be so satisfying though.

 

I am WAY to familiar with that sentiment.