I'm replacing my uim and I would like to know how long it SHOULD take to install?? Thanks ,Bob.

What UIM are you using? If you are doing the upper, you may as well do the lower. Please read this techinfo article before you get too far.

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...e=article&k=38

You may want to add your year and model in your profile.

Archon, Thanks for your reply! I just called Advance Auto and they have a Dorman in stock for $153. I called around my local repair shops and was quoted prices between $500.and $700. just to do the uim. That'* why I was thinking about doing it myself. I have a 96 SE with 142K on it!!! I took a look at my uim and it'* the original. I know that I should do my lower but I think I'm getting over my head just with doing the top!!!

I set aside a day to do a UIM/LIM. No rush. Stop for lunch. Take your time cleaning the heads and LIM. Make a trip to the store for that ___ that you forgot. Wire brush all the bolts so they're nice and clean. Working at a slow and easy pace, I probably spend about 6 hours. This includes draining the coolant, changing the oil and filter twice, and removing the exhaust crossover. I spray those bolts and nuts really well with PB penetrant the night before and again before I try to undo them. I could do it twice as fast maybe, if I had to, but...I don't have to.

You really need to do the LIM gaskets while you are in there.

Bill, Thanks for the help!! How long do you think that it would take to do just the top?
I'm 53 years old and with my wife holding the trouble lite, 2 grand kids complaining, and a 9 month old 100lbs.black lab barking I don't think I could do the lower without FLIPPING OUT and having AAA towing it to the junk yard half-way thru the job!

Damn if you were 2 weeks earlier I would have helped you change the gaskets and the UIM....im over in Indiana PA, but at school now

1993 SLE, Sorry that I missed you, But thanks for your offer!!!

By the time you have the UIM off and the top of the LIM exposed, you have done most of the work (maybe 80 percent or more?) in removing the LIM. All that remains is to undo the LIM bolts, and maybe loosen the tensioner assembly, and off it comes. Give yourself 30 minutes of careful scraping and cleaning with some brake cleaner, and 15 minutes to clean the fasteners and you are ready to start building it back up with the new parts. Chilton'* 28200, widely available for about $20, will take you through the procedure step by step.

The LIM gaskets are just as problematic and can ruin your engine just as quickly as the UIM. Like Archon said, please read the Techinfo article he linked for you. It is a miracle that your LIM gaskets have not yet failed. If you figure you can't do it in a day, schedule a time (soon) where you have two days so you can do the job right.

VillianVille, please put your year and model in your signature by editing your profile.

A veteran can do the LIM gaskets and UIM swap in about 2 hours. Expect 5-6 hours for a first-timer.