General Motors Intake Manifold Gasket - Vince Ciulla
This weekly Q&A session answers your questions about cars and trucks. This week explores a Lady who has two blown intake manifold gaskets.
Question: General Motors V-6 Intake Manifolds
- As like everyone else I too feel the strain of the economy. I have a 1998 Chevy Blazer that I have had to park because the intake manifold needs to be replaced and I cannot afford to take it to a repair shop. The oil has mixed with the antifreeze and I now have a milky substance.
- My husband does basic repairs such as replacement of brakes, oil changes, etc and has in the past assisted with an intake manifold replacement. Now to add to my misery our other car, which is a 1996 Grand Am, has the same problem. Now I have two cars that I cannot afford to fix..
- We are sharing rides and I am at the point of frustration. What I am looking for is a reference or instructions step by step that will show my husband how to replace the intake manifolds on each of these cars. Please help me with providing me the instructions or a link to the instructions. This would be a life saver.
Answer:
- The intake manifold gaskets on all the General Motors V-6 engines, and some V-8 engines, have been a known problem for the last fifteen years or so. General Motors has come out with a new type intake manifold and several incarnations of intake manifold gasket to correct the problem to no avail. There have been several class-action lawsuits filed against General Motors by consumers trying to get some of the money, often in the thousands, they spent in repairs back. These cases are still in litigation so there is no resolution as yet.
- The problem seems to have started when General Motors went to the plastic type intake manifolds. It seems the design of the plastic intake manifold is not robust enough to maintain an equal pressure across the manifold to cylinder head mating surfaces. Why General Motors simply went back to the aluminum intake manifolds while they resolve the intake manifold design problem is a puzzle to many automotive experts.
- There is a web site that does have step-by-step instructions, with diagrams, for replacing the General Motors intake manifold gaskets. It is All Info About Auto Repairs and is a good site for all Do-It-Yourselfers.
That's all for this week. Feel free to browse the archives for past topics and other resources. And, as always, if you are stuck and need an immediate answer you can always call Vince on the phone. For a limited time new callers get the first three minutes free!
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Vincent Ciulla - Vincent Ciulla has been a professional automotive technician for over 35 years and is a certified master technician with experience in ...
