It's a .... well ... it bites. Just FYI there is a sneaky bolt behind the idler pulley you have to remove along with the other 6 so you can get the AC/Alt bracket out of the way of the intake...

I also had 3 fuel injector harnesses break. Ill just rewire them, but they were really brittle.

The shape of the gaskets, were, well - terrible. Sticky, almost melted. I had to scrape and sand everything to get them off. Also I don't think this has ever been done my van because the hoses were stuck on. I had to cut one heater and the stubby one in the front.

This took me 4 hrs and I am pretty good with a wrench. Tomorrow I will begin to put it back together...

 

Good times ....

 

Just got done and took it on its madien voyage. The verdict: there must have been a vacuum leak before.

It idles smoother, revs quicker, and runs much better. It is smooth and responsive. It really is a night and day difference.

Happy van!

Now for the bitching. Getting the intake in and out is really tight. I bet I can do it in 1/2 the time now, but damn trying to manuver it in while keeping the gaskets set was a PITA. I am glad my wife didn't obejct to getting her hands dirty. It was much easier with someone guiding the front and a person pushing from the rear. Other than that, putting it back together was pretty straightforward.

If anyone has an ?'s about this job, just ask.

 

how many miles are on your vehicle?

 

115,000

 

 

I'm just hoping that my van will never need this event to happen. I've read a few postings and DIY procedures. Nothing about it seems easy. Mostly the Ram Trucks with the Magnum engines are often redoing the plenum. There is something called the M! gasket and another brand that makes the job easier and bullet proof against blow-out a few months or weeks from now.

There are pros/cons about what actually causes this. Some say a clogged CAT and the back pressure is a main contributor. Others say that it's the oil used or even the oil additives making the gaskets go sooner.

 

....another report I recall from somewhere says the intake bolt holes are drilled a smidgen too shallow, so the bolts bottom out before a good seal is made. Since the materials used in the repair are thicker, the bolts tighten down with no problem. Just my $.02 worth.

 

It really isn't that hard, it is just time consuming. I only used one ratchet, a 14mm wrench, a couple of sockets, an extension, RoboGrip and a few screwdrivers. Tool wise, it is pretty basic. I used gaskets from NAPA. They were FelPros and seem to be of quality.

Every GM I have owned I had to do the intake gaskets On my Lightning I've had to do other weird things like EGR switch and even a engine lifter. I was also thinking my cat. was clogged to. I still think it is on its way out to. I found a universal for $65 and a few welds from the welding shop - it will be done.

With used cars, trucks and vans it is always something.

 

The replacement intake ones on the heads were maybe 1mm thicker, but the rubber front and rear were definitely 2mm+ thicker.

I also just FYI replaced the PCV hose - it looked a little suspect.