im changing the manifold gasket for the first time on my father's 89 S10 pickup 4.3. it's a bit intimidating cuz there seems to be a lot more parts to remove than on the Firebird. any tips on what i can remove and what doesnt have to be removed? can the TB stay bolted to the manifold? any help appreciated.

here's a pic:

 

try again

 

the tbi, sensors, water neck, et cetera can stay bolted to the intake. The map sensor, fuel lines, distributer, throttle bracket, any bracing for the belt line accesories and anything else in the way has to come off. Take the wires you disconnect and label them so you can remember what each connector goes to. And, of coarse, remember to clean all the gasket surfaces prior to install and torque everything down to the right torque so it wont leak again.

 

ok i got the manifold off. now that its out i was thinking of spraying some engine degreaser on the TB and manifold to get rid of all the sludge and grease. manifold should be ok but can i do this to the TB without harming the injectors?

 

id probably avoid it. Never know if the cleaner will be harmful to the insulation on the windings of the solenoids. Good idea to at least clean up the intake. Make it easier to install when its not sliding around in your hands from all that grease on it, not to mention that the gasket surfaes look pretty grungy.

 

i cleaned the manifold real good and scraped off the small amount of gasket. now the problem is both gaskets are stuck to the heads. they are like literaly welded. anything i can do to try and loosen 'em up so they come out intact? right now i'm just hammering the gasket scraper under them but it dont seem to be working. i have a feeling i'ma be here a while. also do those look like original gaskets?

 

I use a grinder and a wire cup for the real stubborn ones. It can make a big mess though and be sure to wear safety glasses.

 

i dont have a grinder and i used a big drill with a big adapter for the base. may have to try and get the drill in there and take out whatever i can. i've been lookin to buy a dremel to port so maybe tomorrow i'll go get one with a strong adapter to get whatever the drill leaves behind.