Ok guys so I had a crack at this with a mate and for the record it took me about 6hrs. Take away the ****-talking time and you'd probably do it in 4, less if you knew wtf you were doing haha.
Here's some pics:
A bit of a sludge problem, cleaned up the larger greasy stuff, but generally left most of it. Truth be told, I don't have the time to do it "properly", and therefore I don't want to upset and debris that can get caught in galleries or valves etc. I don't have the time or inclination to do a full report or how-to, but here's some pointers for people looking for similar information:
- I bought an ebay gasket kit that included screw grommets and the spark plug well seals (a MUST have, especially as that's where my leaks were) for $65. My way also required the upper intake manifold gaskets, which I got both for $32 on ebay. Besides this you'll need a small amount of RTV gasket goo (literally for 2 little spots, could be missed maybe?)
- I originally intended to take the manifold off as a single assembly, and I did, but then I realized 2 things: First, I really didn't want to disconnect the fuel line to the lower part of the manifold (you CAN move it around without disconnecting, it's just annoying) and secondly, probably most importantly, I found it a real pain to put back in a couple of the manifold bolts. Maybe just me, but because they're under the manifold right at the back, it was a real pain. So, for me, it was easier to just pull the manifold into 2 pieces for re-assembly, especially since I already had the gaskets. You CAN get away with taking the manifold off in a single piece and you CAN do it without removing the fuel line.
- Have a mate with you. I probably could have done this alone but it would have been a whole lot harder, especially when moving and positioning the manifold with some hoses/fuel lines attached.
- I mentioned you don't have to remove the fuel lines, but additionally, you do NOT have to remove the heater lines. Some manuals suggest you do.
- Pay attention to where your hoses run. On re-assembly, I missed a vacuum line that goes from near the throttle body to somewhere near the back-passenger side of the manifold. This resulted in me having to almost take the manifold off again :/ Best bet is to take a picture of your engine before you start, which I forgot to do!
- Take this opportunity (as gazza suggested above) to do your plugs at the same time, as it would be pretty annoying to get to them on their own. $55 for a set on ebay.
I don't know what else to add. In summary, the job wasn't
as bad as I thought it would be, just a little daunting with all the lines running everywhere (I'm used to older engines). I'm no mechanic, so don't think you have to be to give this a whirl. Have a good set of sockets, a razor blade or scraper for old gasket/goo, some degreaser and you'll be fine. Just follow logic when pulling stuff off the manifold and removing it, after that, it's easy.
Cheers, Josh.
