I'm just kidding, there isn't anything epic about having to change intake manifold gaskets but I took a couple pictures along the way to maybe help you guys out. This is on my '96 S10 2wd. The engine is actually from a '99 Blazer but the procedure is identical. I'm going to be lazy and post the pictures and just put my comments in under the pictures. Torque everything to manufacturers specs and enjoy!
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| This is prior to starting any major work. The intake tubing has been removed and that's about it. The fan belt needs to be removed as well as the idler pulley near the EGR which is the pulley pictured above. I have an electric fan (trick of course) but you might have the stock mechanical clutch fan on your S10 which may be in the way so you might think about removing that too. Also think about replacing the little crossover hose that runs into the front of the intake manifold because it's going to be a lot easier to do now instead of alongside the road in the future. That little sucker hose is about $15 though! |
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| This pays dividends! Instead of removing the power steering/ ac compressor mount I simply notched the ac mount to gain access to this bolt which holds the intake manifold in place. My professional opinion is that this notch doesn't compromise the structural integrity of the mount at all. Word of advice is to measure twice and cut once but if tape measures confuse you than use a sharpie to outline where you want to cut. |
More after the jump
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| Basically to get to this point I had to move anything on top of the intake manifold. Beware of the clamp that holds the fuel lines on the backside of the drivers side head, it is a pain! I don't know how I haven't lost it yet. The easiest way to remove everything is to unbolt whatever bracket holds it onto the manifold. I removed the throttle cables, coil, various emission stuff, wiring, etc like that. The distributor has to be removed as well. Make sure you mark it unless you want to set the timing the long way. I'll write about that more in my upcoming picture. |
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| Well prepped surface on the left, untouched side on the right. Make sure you put a towel in the lifter valley and in all the ports. You don't want the old gasket falling into places it's not meant to be. Don't be afraid to use a vacuum to get stuff out once everything is done. To clean this properly use a sharp razor, some 3M scotch pads, and some brake cleaner. I used a right angle die grinder with the 3M disc attachment which is a lot faster but the end result is the same. I also blew out the bolt holes with compressed air that the intake uses to secure itself to the heads. Gotta make sure everything is clean, don't want to do the job twice! |
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| I outlined the marks that I made on the distributor and firewall to help ensure that it goes together oriented the same way it was removed. 2 of the circles near the center of the pic are red but for some reason the 3rd circle at the top of the picture was yellow? Anyways you get the point. I marked the rotor in regards to the dizzy housing, I also marked the location of the plug onto the firewall and the top circle is where I marked the cap (not pictured) in relation to the firewall. There is a "Chilton" version which gives better theory to placement of the marks but whatever works for you is all that matters! lol right? |
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| Here is everything back together! I did have to tweak the distributor after it was together just to get the timing better. I'm not at all saying that the Top Dead Center method using the timing tab on the block isn't a good idea because it is but marking the dizzy is good to get you on the road when time is of the essence. Otherwise it was pretty simple. My final words of advice are to use plenty of RTV sealant along the lifter valley, pre-fill the engine with antifreeze before you put the thermostat and upper radiator hose on, and finally drill a 1/16" hole in the thermostat to help with bleeding the air out of the system if the t-stat doesn't already have one. |
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