Replacing intake gasket, do I have to pull pushrods

[BoringLumina]

OK, I have the parts now I have to find the time to do the intake gasket swap. Two questions, do I have to remove pushrods to install the gasket or can I slide it in behind and around the pushrods? Question 2 should I use RTV on either side of the new gasket? The new gasket looks more like a plastic frame in the shape of a gasket with blue silicone rubber o-rings at the ports.

Thanks

[geoffinbc]

Yes you must remove the pushrods.

Was yours the first or second design gasket? The second design (the one with roller rockers) is all black on the revised version of the gasket.

Some people use RTV on the face of the gasket. I do not and GM does not tell you to and I have never had one of my gasket changes leak.

[BoringLumina]

Craptacular,

How the heck am I supposed to re-install the pushrods? I do not have a procedure and I don't have any experience adjusting valve lash. Any help would be appreciated.

Betterthanyou, I was told that this is the first design, my rockers are the ball nut trpe, not roller pivot rockers.

[XLR8ING]

There's no valve lash procedure for those. It's simply a torque down and leave it. Not sure the actual torque setting for your year, but the older model 3.1s are 20ft/lbs.

[geoffinbc]

Yea just snug them up there is no lashing required. If you have the ball/nut then it is first design and you have the right gasket.

For all the torque specs go to the 3100 engine specification article under the pushrod section of this site.