Hey guys i gotta change my valve cover gaskets. I bought new ones but it doesnt look possible to change em w/ the plenum on. If i take the plenum off am i going to need new gaskets for it? How much approx are these gaskets?

Thanks

 

please help i just took off my to intake to chang the thermistat and thie car now has a vacume leake becouse some of the gasket broke off and i used some "make a gasket" the same stuff i have on top of the new thermistat gasget for the thermistat..

help thanks chris

 

I have the same question. i have the valve cover gaskets and was going to do myself but once i got started realized i was going to need to take off my MPFI. what other gaskets will i need to buy. sure dont want to get started then realized i need something else that id get 30 minutes away (i live in the country)

 

Parts list:

1. One roll flat black gasket material
2. One X-acto (or similar blade knife)
3. One punch (to make bolt holes w/ a hammer)

Lay the old plenum gaskets out and cut your own from the flat black gasket material, usually found for $1 or $2 at auto stores.

Oh- wait- if you want the lower plenum to intake manifold, yeah you could cut a new one, but that's a lotta work. Felpro makes a complete intake gasket set for our cars. I'll see tonight if I still have the box (and part #) in the basement. Comes with throttle body, upper plenum, egr, lower plenum, intake manifold-to-heads, and cork (bleh) valve cover gaskets. Might want to use blue rtv for the gaskets instead of the cork.

And if you're tracing an oil leak, make sure it's not the "common" distributor o-ring leak. That's much easier to change then valve cover gaskets. (Haven't had to change my valve cover gaskets, got 251,000 on the original 2.8.)

 

Yeah i can see some oil running down from the valve cover and onto the manifold every now and then. It doesnt leave oil spots ussually or smoke at all .. but i can see oil dripping oto the manifolds. Umm i already bought the cork valve cover gaskets. Whats wrong with them? I was gonna use them and blue rtv on one side

 

tom your wrong becouse now that i used the gasket sealer the plemem to body grond is not working (and i live 1/2 hr away from the gm place) so i had to order a gasket apparently the gasket between the upper intake and the lower intake is or has some medal in it so the ground will grond out the car to the motor...in other words my car is not starting or are the interior gages or radio working! but when i attempt to ground it to the block or egr it will start the 1st time then if i were to shut the car off and try to restart it i get nothing im running out of patients and time. so when tomarrow comes and i get the oem gasket and the problem are solved then dose any one else have any ideas? please help(and yes its all hooked backed together right!) (i was installing a 180* thermistat)

im getting sick and tired of this car in the last week i have pulled the transmissition installed a new flex plate, spraied unercoting under the car,intalled new trans pan gasget and filter flued, now for some F*ck up reason the spedo work also replaced all sorts of trans bolts that werent working why o why do i love this peace of $hit so much?

 

You don't need to take your plenum off to get the valve covers off. I did it and it was a little tight but I managed. Just make sure that you unbolt any braces that might get in the way. It will take a little coaxing to get off but it can be done. Save yourself some work and time.

 

wow!!!!
A: your a good mechanic and take verry good care of your car.
B i now fee 10 times better about buying one. especially knowing i can pu another 100k on it if i treat it well.

 

Are you sure I'm wrong, and it's not your car that's been wired improperly? I've never seen any metal gasket on an upper-plenum-to-lower-plenum area. They've all been flat black gasket material. Case in point, I have gaskets on there that I cut myself, and my motor still runs.

I believe that your ground (and I posted this answer already in your new message) should be going to the right rear passenger side head, not the intake. That's where it's been on every 2.8 motor that I've seen. Keep in mind I haven't had much experience with 3.1 wiring, just 2.8 wiring.

There should be two ground points at the rear passenger side head. One is for ECM ground wires, all black, going to a ring terminal. Junction point is mid-way up the wire loom that sits on the passenger main frame rail. The other ground bolt is used for the ground strap- again, this is 2.8 wiring, not sure about 3.1 wiring.

X, thanks, I try. I still drop the hammer every now and then, too; it's not like the motor's been babied. I think when these cars just sit, not being driven, or, being babied, is when the motors act up- and that includes the v8's, too. I used to know a guy who had a '91 v8; he never floored it, always drove easy- and he had non-stop problems with the car.

Oh also, keep in mind I didn't say gasket sealer; I said to make a gasket by cutting actual gasket material. Sealer could drip into the plenum from the inside. Or, the sealant could dry up and extend into the air holes, hurting air flow.

 

tom sorry i think your right on the gasket..i wrot that last night.. my bad