Misc. questions on intake removal/reinstall

[ikessky]

First off, what a PITA! I'm doing the gasket change with the engine in the car yet and it sucks. Would have been a whole lot easier to simply pull the engine and do it on a stand.

Anyway, I have a couple questions. I already have the upper intake off and some other misc. stuff.

1) Looking at the bolts from the UIM, I'm assuming that I will need to put some type of thread sealant on these when I put it back together. What is everyones favorite kind to use?

2) My manual says I must relieve the fuel pressure. How can I do this? Keep in mind that the UIM is already off so unhooking the fuel pump and running the engine will not work.

3) There is a metal tube coming out of the top of the water pump. It has a rubber hose on on side going under the UIM. Coming off of the other side, the metal tube continues and follows the head and then follows the exhaust manifold to the back of the engine. Anyone know what this is and how I can remove it? It already made the process painful because it had a bracket that was bolted to the TB and had almost no give to even remove the TB. I suppose I could take a picture if need be.

Again, thanks in advance. I hope this project is done before next Friday!

[v6h.o.]

I never unhook the fuel system. i just pull the rail off the lower intake and sit it off to the side without undoing any of the lines.

the waterpump bypass pipe is easy to remove, un bolt it from the front cover(8mm socket bolt) and also from the head (in some cases tehy dont bolt to the head 13 or 15mm socket) there is a 13mm nut that attaches this pipe to the throttle body and then the infamous t/b coolant hoses. next unclip the heatercore hose from the end of this pipe and also the LIM hose at the w/p bypass end of it.
comes out quite easily.

[ikessky]

I have it unbolted from the head and from the TB, but the sucker still will not seperate from the water pump! Am I doing something wrong? BTW, I don't have any TB coolant hoses!

[bszopi]

Just pry it up... or tap it from the bottom and it will come out. I never fully remove it cause its a PITA to unhook/rehook it to the heat lines. I just unbolt it and move it so that it stays out of the way of what I am currently doing. As far as the fuel, I agree with Colin. Just take the rail out of the lower manifold and don't unhook any lines.

[ikessky]

I'll have to take another look, but I'm just worried that it will get in the way when I take the heads off.

How about the sealant on the bolts?

[BHorn]

I used regualr old anti-sieze compound on the bolts. Actually I used it on just about everything I took off. It makes assembly a lot easier, and if you ever have to tear it apart again, it makes it sooo much easier.

[v6h.o.]

i always use a light film of oil on the head bolts to get proper torque.

ive never used sealant on the threads. there is no coolant passages on the head bolts.

On the Lower Intake manifold, it is VERY important to use some "Blue" thread lock on the LIM bolts.

your coolant crossover should just come out, its probably stuck in there good. there is a Oring on the pipe. it can be stubborn.

[ikessky]

Here's a new question for you guys. I believe the gasket kit comes with valve stem seals. Do I really want to take the time to disassemble the heads and install these? The only oil consumption problem I've ever had was with a slight leak in the head gaskets (you could see a little seapage). I just don't want to put a lot of time and effort into this project when the car is only going to be around for another year or 2.

[BHorn]

I did the UI, and LI at 116k and didn't touch the stem seals. Didn't burn any oil until the cam broke.

[Cliff8928]

i always use a light film of oil on the head bolts to get proper torque.

ive never used sealant on the threads. there is no coolant passages on the head bolts.

On the Lower Intake manifold, it is VERY important to use some "Blue" thread lock on the LIM bolts.

your coolant crossover should just come out, its probably stuck in there good. there is a Oring on the pipe. it can be stubborn.

Well, the service manual (at least for the Gen2) says to use sealant under the heads of the head bolts..

Oh, and the Loctite has a fairly new product, where you can get the threadlockers and anti-sieze in sticks now, instead of in a bottle...


Cliff Scott
89 BerettaGT
89 Volvo740

[ikessky]

I just picked up a small thing of the blue Loctite. Also, ended up getting a valve spring compressor (it is a free loaner tool from Checkers). Figure I might as well just do the valve stem seals since they come in the kit and I have a little more time than I thought. Besides, don't the rocker arms have to come off anyway? My gaskets are going to get here tonight rather next Wed. as I had thought so hopefully I'll be mostly done by Sunday night.

[bszopi]

Hmmm.. I used red loctite when I did my lower manifold. Oh well, I'm sure it'll work just as good.

[Cliff8928]

Yeah, Red Loctite is just overkill...


Cliff Scott
89 BerettaGT
89 Volvo740

[ikessky]

I'm wishing I had never decided to do the head gaskets........ Actually, I'm kind of wishing that I had just chucked a rod and could get rid of this engine (or the whole car!)

I am taking the heads off with the exhaust manifolds still attached. The front manifold has a broken stud, so I'm not even going to change the manifold gaskets. The problem with this whole project is that there is no room in the N-Body's engine bay. Everything is a chore to get out and will probably be the same way getting it back in. I'm thinking I should have pulled the engine, but I'm a little too far into it to do that. All I have left to pull off is the rear head. I should have it off tonight and be able to clean everything up and get it all ready to put back together. I realized what the ticking sound was after I pulled the valve covers. There were 3-4 rocker arms that were loose and rattling around. Everything else looks pretty good though. The lower intake gasket was what actually failed. Around 2 of the ports it was completely torn and pulled apart and at the other 2 they were ready to go also. Doesn't look like there was any real damage done, but I guess time will tell. The cylinder walls looked really nice and had no visible scratches.

I wanted to have this thing close to done by today, but I really didn't get much time to work this weekend. 7-1 on Saturday and from 4-whenever on Sunday. I would have had everything off the engine, but I broke my 15mm deep well socket and that is the one I needed to get the exhaust seperated from the rear exhaust manifold.

[3100 MPFI]

remove the fuel rail? On the 3 that I did, I just left the fuel rail and lines attached, and took the lower intake off with them still on, and just set it all to the side. I did not have to disconnect the fuel lines at all. Just undo the wiring harness main connectors (behind the lower intake next to the alt, and lift the whole thing up, and out of the way.