holy intake gaskets batman!

[tractorman]

Bud, you're right about tapwater- I always go for premix or mix with distilled water... no matter what kind of antifreeze. If you're gonna use the green stuff, you have two choices. You can either use "high silicate" antifreeze, which will protect aluminum, or you can use low silicate stuff for diesel engines like I'll be doing, but you have to keep the SCA additive up at the right level. If you don't have access to test kits or SCA, you better go with high silicate antifreeze.

BTW- you should probably look up "isotope" before throwing around a 5-dollar word like that. Do you mean "ion"? 'Cause if you mean "isotope", then you must be talking about radioactive antifreeze.

[tractorman]

Here's ya'll a tip to prevent pitting. I work on diesel engines, and they have lots of problems with pitting due to electralysis... which happens much like this previous feller said, when coolant becomes slightly acidic or caustic, and can conduct electricity- there's no way to prevent this COMPLETELY. The way an engineer explained it to me once was that the radiator builds up a static charge from the air flowing across it, and this charge must be neutralized. If the radiator is rubber-mounted, as many are, the ONLY path is through the coolant, and then into the engine block. Nowadays, lots of heavy equipment has a ground strap running to the radiator to help prevent this. I put one on all my vehicles- just a small wire from the radiator to the frame. I figure it's cheap insurance. And of course I change and/or check additive levels in coolant regularly.

[clean8485]

Thanks for posting this information. Its good to know.

[tractorman]

I installed installed those new lower intake manifold gaskets yesterday. There was really no pitting, and the old intake gaskets actually didn't look all that bad, but the bolts were just barely tight. I cleaned out all the bolt holes with brake cleaner and compressed air, cleaned off all the bolts, and put them in with red locktite. I torqued the bolts according to the specs given in the gasket set (115 in-lbs on the vertical bolts, 18 ft-lbs on the diagonals). I actually used that little tube of silicon that comes with the set this time (I always used some other kind before), and it was plenty for the job. The injectors were a bitch like usual, but I managed to get them out using some penetrating oil, with no apparent damage. Replaced o-rings, of course. Put grease on them to install. I put antisieze on all the bolts that went into aluminum, put antisieze on the new spark plugs. Lots of silicon grease in both ends of the plug wires. Replaced the belt. Flushed the cooling system and refilled with good ole' reliable green John Deere antifeeze. Changed the engine oil (Deere 15W40). I'll be changing that engine oil again in a few days.

I replaced the oil pump drive o-ring just for the hell of it, though this was probably unnecessary as it already had the new-style o-ring. It went in easy enough with some grease. (everything goes in easier with lube!)

The only real problem I had with the entire job was the radiator drain valve. Those sonsobittches at GM put a drain valve in there that requires some sort of special tool just to drain the antifreeze. With pliers, a 1/4" ratchet, and lot of cussin', I managed to remove it. I got the local Napa to bring me a new one with a regualar flat handle so I won't have to deal with this stupid $hit again. I put some silicon grease on it when I installed it so it won't hang up like the old one did.

Fun times. I noticed while under the car that my rear crank seal might be leaking (I thought before that it was the oil pan gasket). I'll keep an eye on it. If it turns out that it actually is the rear seal, I might just pull the engine, replace the seal, and put new rod and main bearings in it. It's got 159000 miles on it, and it had a little coolant in the oil (not much, but a little), so I think it'd be a good investment.

Anybody ever pull the engine out of a Lumina? Any tricks I need to know about?

[clean8485]

They're pretty straightforward to work on. Just take your time. Its probaly easier to take the engine out of the car than it would be to try to replace the oil pan gasket with the engine in the car. You'd have much better access to everything that you need to get to.

[burn]

tractorman > Do you have the Fel-Pro part number for those gaskets? (it will be 2 letters, then 5 numbers)

[tractorman]

The part number I got (the set including the one in my picture up top) is MS98003T. This fits a 2001 3100, and probably any 3100 with roller rockers. I'm told that there's a different part number set out to fit the older style 3100 without roller rockers. I think there's a VIN difference... don't remember what it is.

[burn]

hrmn, and the 00+ 3100 & 3400 heads / LIM / UIM are the same (right?) so this part number should work for an 03 3400? (anyone?)

[tractorman]

I'm assuming you're asking about the 3400 from a 2003 Buick Rendevous on your website. According to the Advanceautoparts.com website, that engine takes the same set.

[burn]

well I got this set of gaskets. Ended up costing my $130cdn O well, same price as the GM set, and I like the look of these better.

[burn]

I'm assuming you're asking about the 3400 from a 2003 Buick Rendevous on your website. According to the Advanceautoparts.com website, that engine takes the same set.

I just noticed on that site, the picture for this part shows exhaust gaskets for a V8 LOL. In the description tho, it mentions it includes the valve cover gaskets? is this true? what else does it come with?

[Guest]

Anybody else imagine tractorman to wear coveralls, with no shirt, and have a piece of wheat between his teeth?

[tractorman]

Well, bud... you're close. Ah don't wear overalls though- they don't unzip quick enough...

SQUEEEL LIKE AH PIG, BOY!!

heh.

Burn- that picture had me concerned, too... which is why I had a local store order it in rather than getting it directly off the website. It was the right set, though. If you'll click on that picture, it says at the bottom: "representative image- actual product may vary". It came with valve cover gaskets, upper intake gaskets, lower intake gaskets, the o-ring for that pipe that goes in by the water pump, a thermostat seal, and a little tube of silicon. I went ahead and got a few other things besides.

[Guest]

Just as long as I was close.