Noticed my oil presure running low the other day .From all the exprience I have had with this I new something was up.Popped the hood and sure enough no water left in my resavor.Checked the oil it steal reads good but its a brownish color and you can see though it.not like fresh oil but like thin oil.The first owner had the intake replaced at around 40,000 miles.My first replacement was 01/28 /02 at 45,080 miles.the dealership ripped me a good one for $ 499.54.The second was10/10 /03 at72,085 that one was$505.35 from the same dealership.Now at 101,479 on 02 /16/06 its time again looks like.I'm going to try this myself and save some labor bucks.I've read up on the forms here witch is alot of help.I do have a question about the tools needed.Are there any special tools needed to do this? What about the fuel injectors,how do they come out is there a tool for that or what?I'll be starting the tear down tomorrow.I'm going to go though Advance Auto for the intake and gaskets,they carry the Dorman intake for around$150 bucks.Is this a good brand?Let me know something,this *%^T really sucks.Something not wright with these 97/98 model engines especially mine.Thank You for any input . Later SOCLEANONE

Wow, You've been through the mill with these UIM'*. Look in TECHINFO for details regarding L36 UIM'*. There will be other GH'* chiming in with info & advice for you. Also, one of our BC members (Bob Dillon) refurbs UIM'*.

This is realtively easy.
The Dorman intake is a good replacement and comes with all the upper intake and throttle body gaskets you will need. Also get the lower intake gaskets. (2nd design or GM w/metal sleeves) and injector o rings for all 6 injectors

As mentioned Bob Dillion has a great priced sleeved replacement. Many here are running them and have no problems. You would need an upper intake gasket kit and lower intake gasket kit and injector o rings for all 6 injectors

Tools you'll need
Ratchet and extensions
10mm socket
13mm socket
8mm wrench
Rubber mallet

Other items to have on hand
3 cans of brake cleaner (use to clean all gasket surfaces
1 can throttle body cleaner (your throttle body is probably dirty)
couple of cheap toothbrushes (great for cleaning hard to reach areas)
Gasket scraper (with extra razor blades)
Green scrubby pads
Rags

To get the injectors out easier..spray a little silicone lubricant at the base of each. Once you remove the nuts, etc holding the fuel rail down..wiggly then and pulling up....they will come out nicely.

Off to get links to intake threads

I'd be interest to know where your intakes are failing. Gaskets? EGR port?
If it is the EGR port something could be out of whack on your EGR system.
Sounds like you need better than stock parts like the sleeved UIM and reduced dia. pipe that creates an air gap at the EGR port.

4th? Ouch! As I'm a newbie, I hope to hear how you make out. I was pretty lucky with the upper, and have 25K mi on my second. But I can feel my lower gasket... tick. tick. tick.. like a bomb. So I figure to do a preventative on the upper when I go after the lower. Any costly mods are on hold until I am secure over the intakes. So let us know!

I have a coupla sleeved UIMs siting on my workbench all ready to go. PM me for details if you want one.

Got it all tower down today.Looks like the upper gasket right under the throttle body is where this one blew.Right where the stove pipe is,the little section between the stove pipe and the thottle body .Just a place about a quarter inch long and mayby a eighth of an inch high worped obviously from the heat.My lower intake gasket was worped or bent out of place in two places on both sides.It was obviously leaking some here also.It'* never been replaced.You should have seen the gunk in the left rear corner wear the hidden bolts are.At least a half inch thick in that corner , the front right corner was'nt as bad. The throttle body is dirty as you no what,the sides and butterfly are covered up with residue.I've spent about two hours on cleaning the lower intake up.Got a question about the elbow that goes from the water pump to the lower left side of intake.Both ends are all rough and messed up looking and the o rings do not want to stay on very good now.Advance and Napa dont have them.Is this part bad or what does a new one look like? And where can I get one ,the dealership ?I took pictures as I went of the bad stuff,I'll try to get them in my yahoo album soon.Got a go its thundering and lightining like crazy out side LATER SOCLEANONE

the coolant elbow you refer to is a dealship part.

It'* only about $8, too, and they'll have them in stock.

Thank You there Bob.O Yea my last two intakes were Delfins and this one I got today was a Dorman.