which gasket to get??

[new_to_gm]

heya guys, im new here and to the field of GM's (note the screen name Lol) i've always been a nissan/ford guy but recently alot of people have been coming to me with problems with their 60* v6 GM cars. my latest one is a 97/98 cutty supreme SL with the 3100, needs new LIM gaskets (typical from what i've been reading) my question is, how do i tell which version of the 3100 this is without having to pull the top end apart just to check if it has the roller rockers or the solid/fixed rockers.

the reason i ask is because i was calling around getting price checks and everyone asked me if it had roller rockers or solid mounts, at which point i confusedly looked at the phone and said "lemme check" and hung up LOL.

as i understand it the roller rocker version has the pushrods coming through the lower intake or something like that (please correct me if im wrong, which i probably am) and the solid rocker version doesnt have that. all i know is that it makes a difference in the shape and price of the LIM gaskets..

feel free to laugh at my lack of GM knowledge, i know my way around a 4.6L ford v8 and a nissan VG30ET better than i do with any chevy/GM motor.

any help is greatly appreciated guys! thanks! =D

[robertisaar]

97 was the last year for the cutlass supreme, and it has the roller rockers, they all did starting in 96 IIRC...

[1988GTU]

Roller non stamped. Going to be small port.

[new_to_gm]

awesome, thanks for the help, anything else i should know before diving into this tomorrow morning? Lol

[1988GTU]

Change the distributor cap o-ring and properly torque it all to spec. Use the revised metal gaskets and not the plastic pieces of junk. Flush the coolant out and be sure to do a couple oil changes with good filters soon after assembly.

[SappySE107]

Correct. Make sure you use the metal gaskets and put loctite on the lower intake manifold bolts. There is a revised torque procedure for the lower intake.

Lower Intake Manifold
Bolt - Center

First Pass
7 N·m
62 lb in

Final Pass
13 N·m
115 lb in

Lower Intake Manifold
Bolt - Corner

First Pass
13 N·m
115 lb in

Final Pass
25 N·m
18 lb ft

[new_to_gm]

Change the distributor cap o-ring and properly torque it all to spec. Use the revised metal gaskets and not the plastic pieces of junk. Flush the coolant out and be sure to do a couple oil changes with good filters soon after assembly.

its got coil packs IIRC, could be wrong though.

Correct. Make sure you use the metal gaskets and put loctite on the lower intake manifold bolts. There is a revised torque procedure for the lower intake.

Lower Intake Manifold
Bolt - Center

First Pass
7 N·m
62 lb in

Final Pass
13 N·m
115 lb in

Lower Intake Manifold
Bolt - Corner

First Pass
13 N·m
115 lb in

Final Pass
25 N·m
18 lb ft

sweet, hanks for the numbers there. have to dig out my in/lb torque wrench

[bszopi]

It does have coil packs, but there is still an oil pump drive assembly where you would typically find the distributor. This gasket has a tendancy to leak, so its a good idea to replace it while you are in there.

[new_to_gm]

ok cool im not loosing my mind then Lol. i will keep that in mind when i have it torn apart tomorrow. thanks a million guys! i realiy appreciate it