Mine is leaking and just wondered how hard it is to do. i hear i have to take valve cover off, all the rods and all that out. just curious if anyone has ever done one or how hard it is to do. im sure it would be expensive to take to a shop and since its my winter beater im not wanting to dump a lot of cash into it. let me know if anyone has any info or if anyone in northern IL would be interested in helping. thanks a lot.
Vince
it's a six hour job. i really can't help you on how to do it but it cost roughly 600 dollars to do it at a professional shop. is it fully blown or just leaking?
just leaking right now, it has the yellowish stuff on the oil fill cap, kinda looks like a goo.
Its not bad at all, just a little time consuming
those engines are notorious for that leak
alright i found this write up on grandamgt.com. sadly there was pictures but the link was dead GOOD LUCK
The lower intake manifold is fairly common on Grand Am's. GM even released a TSB. Sometimes it leaks very slowely for a long time and sometimes it happens real quick and gushes alot of coolant out at once. It can either leak externally or internally. Externally just makes a mess. IF IT LEAKS INTERNALLY DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR AND GET IT FIXED. You can tell by pulling out your engine oil dipstick. If it looks milky, you have coolant in your oil. Coolant in your oil will destroy your bearings which costs ALOT to fix.
Parts you need to fix this include upper intake maniold gaskets, lower intake manifold gaskets, valve cover gaskets, 1 distributer plug gasket, and two EGR gaskets. If you go to the dealer and ask for the intake manifold gasket kit they usually know exactly what you're talking about and will get you everything you need. Note GM made some new intake gaskets that are entirerly black and have matal rings in them. Make sure you get these.
As far as I'm concerned this is an easy job, just time consuming. That's why it's so expensive. It is very labour intensive. You have to take off the entire top half of the engine and gut all the externals around it just to get at the lower intake manifold. Here's the run down on how to replace them, but please only attempt this if your are mechanically inclined:
- remove intake tube attached to throttle body.
- remove EGR
- remove coil pack and spark plug wires.
- remove upper intake manifold
- remove front valve cover
- remove alternator
- remove serpertine belt
- remove power steering pump (you will have to unmount the engine to get at some of the bolts holding this on. Make sure if you support the engine using a floor jack that you use a block of wood or you WILL CRACK YOUR OIL PAN)
- remove accessory brackets
- remove rear valve cover
- remove lower intake manifold
- loosen rockers and remove push rods (keep them in order)
- remove distributor dummy shaft to replace O-ring
- reassemble and follow the coolant filling procedure
* label everything and keeps similar items together so you know where it all goes
* get the torque specs for the engine. It is very important that everything be tourqed back to factory specs or you will be doing this job again
* everything except the block is aluminum so absolutely no over tightening or you will easily strip something in your engine. Then it's time for tap and dye
* if a bolt starts going in crooked, take it out. DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING IN. Go slowely if that happens. Once again, alluminum. If you don't do it right and watch yourself, you'll have to break out your tap and die set
damn, this is gonna suck.
I helped my friend do it. It takes a long time, and the space is tight. Just take your time, its a pan in the ass.
It took us about 8 hours total....
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
now the news is getting worse lol. any idea on how much the gasket kit was? now i gotta find a haynes manual too dang...
Got it all tore apart and replaced only to find now i have a hellacious lifter tick, time to tear it all down again... piece of $hit. im really not happy right now.
