intake manifold gasket!!

[redsun_ty]

Just wondering you guys have the simlar story here in the U.S. of the intake manifold problem with the 3.4 L and 3.8 L.

[G6Performance]

I had it on my Grand Am (3400)

[TLS2000]

I had it on my 3400, my sister had it on her 3400. My gf's parents just got an SV6 with the 3500 in it. I'm worried for them.

[redsun_ty]

I had it on my 3400, my sister had it on her 3400. My gf's parents just got an SV6 with the 3500 in it. I'm worried for them.

they were saying if you didn't exceed 100,000 km or 5 years you can get it replaced my GM. Did you see the story on CTV tls2000?

[TLS2000]

My sister had hers done for free @ 30,000kms. The car is still under powertrain warranty (the extended Oldsmobile one).

My Grand Am at the time was @ 78,000kms, and GM refused to fix it. This was 2002. I did the work myself for 1/4 of the cost that GM was charging.

[dre256]

Know its a totally diffrent animal and dosent to much apply to this subject but had a Ford 3.8L and that car blows through head gaskets esp when you beat them up like every tune up!

[GTPGuy82]

isn't replacing the intake manifold gasket just a matter of removing the throttle body, unhooking some lines/hoses, and unbolting the manifold? Sorry if I'm thinking of something else, but that's what I had to do with my Cougar when I swapped in an SVT intake manifold.

[G6Performance]

The engine in question has an upper manifold & a lower manifold. The upper manifold would come off easy, as you described. Pulling the lower manifold is quite an involved process, I think it was Jordie (Blackrider) that did it and said it took him like 8 hours start to finish.

[GTPGuy82]

Yes I understand that. I pulled them both on my Cougar as well. The lower one involved removing the injectors, fuel rails, etc..

[TLS2000]

Jordie did it and helped me along.

It took me 5 days because I didn't have the proper tools.

It is the Lower Intake Manifold gasket that is the problem on these cars.

Gotta take off the upper manifold, fuel rail/injectors/throttle body/rocker covers/pushrods/spark plugs and I'm sure that I missed some things.

[G6Performance]

don't forget the valve covers

but yeah, ton's more involved on these engines than others.

[GTPGuy82]

you have to take off the valve covers and push rods? damn. And I thought Ford was bad.

[TLS2000]

My guess is that the engine wasn't designed to be serviced as often as the 3400's need to be.

I bet that someone at GM thought "Hey, I bet I could save 50 cents per car if we used this slightly cheaper gasket!".

[dre256]

^ hahaha I agree with that, its ALWAYS that way, like using plastic clips in our head lights in to spots to hold it to the grill in stead of two extra real screws

[TLS2000]

Exactly!

They look at the estimated costs of future lawsuits to determine if a cheaper, less reliable part should be used in safety situations as well.