Thread: Lower Intake Gaskets

Felpro Part No. MS98014T........Also do the thermostat,it's $5 and it has to come out anyways

Thermostat gasket? I replaced my thermostat about a month ago. I didnt see an existing gasket so I didnt put one in also.. Unless that Rubber O ring is considered the gasket.

Originally Posted by fri3dchick3n

Thermostat gasket? I replaced my thermostat about a month ago. I didnt see an existing gasket so I didnt put one in also.. Unless that Rubber O ring is considered the gasket.

No I didn't mean the gasket I just meant the thermostat, but if you already did it then nevermind.

You don't need a gasket...just the rubber O-Ring.

Hold up.. Erich..why does the T stat have to come out for LIM gaskets? I never take it out, it's extra work for no reason.

I've seen the Fel Pro gaskets and prefer the GM aluminum gaskets. Both should work fine, just a personal preference.

Coolant elbows
Teflon paste (LIM bolts)
Brake cleaner (gasket surfaces)
Gasket scrapers
Ultra copper RTV (LIM corners)
TB gasket
TB cleaner (You gotta clean it)
SC to LIM gasket (aka listed as plenum gasket)

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

Hold up.. Erich..why does the T stat have to come out for LIM gaskets? I never take it out, it's extra work for no reason.

I've seen the Fel Pro gaskets and prefer the GM aluminum gaskets. Both should work fine, just a personal preference.

Coolant elbows
Teflon paste (LIM bolts)
Brake cleaner (gasket surfaces)
Gasket scrapers
Ultra copper RTV (LIM corners)
TB gasket
TB cleaner (You gotta clean it)
SC to LIM gasket (aka listed as plenum gasket)

You're right it doesn't HAVE to, but there's not really a reason not to do it at that time if it hasn't been done before.

Ain't broke, don't need to be replaced...it's a few extra minutes.

I bet if I skipped mine it would have gotten stuck open the next day

I'm just saying.. there's a reason I can do it in two hours without cutting corners. Try to limit the extras.

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

I'm just saying.. there's a reason I can do it in two hours without cutting corners. Try to limit the extras.

2 hours on a bad day with your eyes closed that is

Originally Posted by djwright1980

Do you and your car a favor and go to local gm dealership and get the updated/muchbetter aluminum lower intake gaskets.

The Felpro's ARE updated aluminum gaskets....

Being a 97, if you haven't replaced the vacuum lines, do it now. It's cheap $1/ft for tubing. Mine snapped (dry rot) and had to tape them until i could replace it.

Originally Posted by FriboRage

Quick question on a semi-related topic.

In my 08 l26, the LIM gasket should've come as the better aluminum gasket from the factory, right? I think I read that on here.
How can I tell? I've been peeking around and it's bugging me that it looks like black material where I think I should be looking at.

If it is, what are the chances of developing a problem with that better aluminum gasket?

Your 08' will be the aluminum gasket...In 04' they started fixing some of them, and didn't fix some of them...You are safe though, you shouldn't have any problem with the aluminum gasket. I would get a coolant flush when you think it's time though, just for the heck of it.

Originally Posted by FriboRage

I just changed my coolant for the first time since I bought it about 2 years ago, and it was pretty low it seemed, which is why I began to get a little nervous about the gasket, and then.. I dunno how normal this is but the other day I removed the oil filler neck right after I shut it off from a half hour drive...

and what looked like steam was coming out, and that freaked me out a little. It didnt smell like coolant, definitely smelled oil, I dunno what the vapors were though... and I seem to go through like maybe a quart and a half of oil in 3k miles. Though my coolant didnt seem to have any oil in it, usually I check the condition and level of oil a week or 2 before change time, like 2.5k miles and the oil is usually a little below the "good" zone on the dip stick, when I usually fill it to the top of the "good zone" at change time.

So I usually add the half quart I have left in the 5qt bottles I buy, and that brings it back up to good. I park in the same garage stall every night of my life, and I never see leaks of any kind on the ground.

Where should I be looking for the gasket, it's visible from the side, right? Like sandwiched under the UIM?

If I take my oil cap off after a drive it steams very lightly, nothing out of the ordinary unless its totally blowing it out like a fog machine....You wont really be able to tell anything by looking at it from the outside but if your standing by the front passanger wheel looking in toward the motor you'll be able to see a little bit of Orange (might have to wipe the grime off but you'll find it) thats about the most you can see of it, and those are just the sides of it....As for your oil loss, maybe you have a little blow-by, or an oil pan leak, who knows. As long as you don't see the yellow dots under the oil cap or lose a bunch of coolant theres not a whole lot to worry about