[VT-VX] VS - VY Series 2 Inlet Manifold Gasket Replacement 6hr+ (Includes Pics)

[Immortality]

You need to run the heater on hot until all the air is bleed out. Sounds like you probably just need to bleed it again and it will be all good.

 

[Davo_vx]

Ok I'll give that a crack hopefully that's what's goin on. So your saying to bleed properly run the car radiator cap on, heater on, bleeder open yeah?

 

[Immortality]

Fairly much. I run the engine with the radiator cap off, heater on full hot and bleed screw open till coolant comes out. Once it gets up to temp and the thermostat housing opens the level might drop a bit if there is a fair bit of air in the system. Once that occurs I top up the radiator and then leave it to cool, top up and fit the radiator cap.

 

[James Ray]

Looking at buying a 2001 Equipe wagon with 140,000 km. The intake manifold gasket and fuel cover need replacing, and the seller says the car was regularly serviced, including just before the ad went up. The indicative quote over the phone was $480 for labour, but I mistakenly said it was a VH. What variations, if any, to the above procedure should I be aware of? Checking out the specs for the vehicle, it is a GM 3800 Series II Ecotec V6 Engine, naturally aspirated, which doesn't match up with the linked to IMG, so it seems that I'll have to find something else. However I just confirmed with MACE support that it will still work for an aspirated engine.

 

[Clarky57]

I take it the seller means intake manifold gaskets of which there are 2 on the V6 ecotech, these would be the original plastic ones which are notorious for cracking and leaking oil into the coolant and vice versa and the Holden Dealers say should be replaced at 150 k being a 'serviceable item', I fitted the Mace alloy intake manifold gaskets on my VY Commodore and have had no leaks whatsoever since and they would last the life of the engine. 140k's is low for 2001 and $480 sounds about right … what you mean by 'fuel cover' I have no idea

 

[James Ray]

I take it the seller means intake manifold gaskets of which there are 2 on the V6 ecotech, these would be the original plastic ones which are notorious for cracking and leaking oil into the coolant and vice versa and the Holden Dealers say should be replaced at 150 k being a 'serviceable item', I fitted the Mace alloy intake manifold gaskets on my VY Commodore and have had no leaks whatsoever since and they would last the life of the engine. 140k's is low for 2001 and $480 sounds about right … what you mean by 'fuel cover' I have no idea

Yeah, I meant intake, and I've edited that. What does it mean to be a serviceable item? Will they service it at a discount, or just that it's expected to be serviced? By fuel cover I mean the circular door on hinge to top up for fueling, FMI watch this:

.

 

[James Ray]

I undertook this repair with the help of a Gregorys Mechanic Book and generalised knowledge of my Ecotec Motor and components.

Haven't done this, reading some (not all yet) of this post I'm thinking it may be better to get a mechanic to do it, but I'll persevere...

Open bonnet and remove Fuel Relay Fuse from Fuse boxs in engine bay. Check your diagram to confirm which fuse it is.

Assuming that's diagram in a manual and/or in the fuse box?

Attempt to crank at least 10 times to try and reduce fuel in fuel lines and injector fuel rails.

Assuming this is with a ratchet, although I don't know what to crank or how.

Start by removing the air box and piping to the plenum. Don't forget to remove the Air Box Sensor and the MAF sensor.

Had to look up what these are, it might take a while for me to identify and find them.

I'll check to see when the coolant was last replaced, but if not recently (e.g. last 20k kms) I guess it will be easier to replace it then rather than later, although I'm not sure how often the coolant should be replaced for Holden Commodore VXs—a quick look generally for cars is every 30k to 120k.

Will finish reading later.

 

[j_ds_au]

Firstly, where the OP states "I could see I had a small leak near cylidner [cylinder] 1 - 3", I suppose that this leakage was happening underneath the gasket, right? (Because otherwise it's too subtle for me to tell from the pictures, if there is visible sign of leakage on the upper face of the gasket.)

Secondly, could a faulty inlet manifold gasket result in loss of coolant without any signs of it in the oil (and vice versa)? Or would this indicate a problem elsewhere, maybe the head gaskets?

Joe.

 

[philbio]

Just grabbed the "MACE PERFORMANCE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET KIT TO SUIT HOLDEN ECOTEC" set, should I use RTV sealant around all the ports on the gasket surface as well as the 4 corners? TIA

 

[Immortality]

No need, just in the 4 corners where the intake gaskets meet the valley seals. The inlaid rubber seals in the gasket do all the sealing, just make sure the head and manifold faces are clean.