For your thermostat gasket question....
Get a tube of blue rtv silicone and follow directions on the label. Small bead, maybe 1/8" wide, all around opening, all around both bolt holes, on both mating pieces. Can use on the paper gasket (both sides) or toss the gasket and use the rtv only. Be sure both surfaces are clean and dry, free of old gasket residue etc. before applying the rtv.

Okay folks got her running again with no codes. I'll run her to operating temp a few times before I'm satisfied. Hopefully I wont spring a leak anywhere. Good call on the break booster vacumn line. I pushed it in real good for now but may need a new o-ring cause its kind of loose.

Awesome!

I'm going out in two hours to tear into my upper intake manifold and lower gaskets, too!

It wasn't to bad with the right tools . It'll be awhile before I'm sure its fixed. Hope your lowers don't look like mine.

They won't be too bad, I assume. I changed them the first time last year at 77,000 miles. I'm now at 121,350. I used Felpro for the lowers last time.

I'll be taking lots of pics so we can all see how well they held up after one year...err 44,000 miles.