Newbie needs explanation
 

Hi, I have a 2000 ssei, I have a problem keeping coolant in the reservior. It dont see a leak but sometimes I smell somthing burning after I park. What exactly is this UIM and LIM. I have 129,000 on my car. It sounds like something I need to do for preventative maintanence. Please advise.

You do not have a UIM, only the L36 does. Most likely your LIM gaskets are failing, and they need to be replaced.

Odds are you LIM gaskets are seeping coolant into your motor at a slow rate. Not at all uncommon with the miles you have. ;)

Make sure you replace your valve cover gaskets while your in there.

INTENSE RACING sells a kit for cheap that includes all the gaskets you could dream of.

Oh yeah and the cooland elbow..do that too.

I am having the same problem and am getting ready to do the work on the 96 SSE/ L36. I have a UIM but you don't so only about half of what is written here will apply.

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=71548

If you were closer I'd suggest a meet up and fix up.

LIM = Lower intake Manifold gasket:)
 

Thats what it stands for:)

make sure that you get GM metal frame gaskets.......

Ok Ok Ok Ok......Thanks for the replies, but I have checked a few threads and is this something I really want to get into??? It looks like I have to literally remove the engine. Is this true?? I dont want to sound really stupid, and maybe asking this question will prove why I should not attempt this, but where is the LIM located :oops: Does anyone have the Alldata view, or an wide shot view of the motor that I can see where to start. Thanks fellas!!!!

This is for a 2003, but it's the same as the 2000. The difference is that their demo is for the L36, not the L67 like yours - so, the supercharger portion won't be there.

Intake Manifold

Alright!! That is what I thought I was dealing with 8) . So it is just the gaskets on these things that are bad?

Pretty much mostly the gaskets. The GM aluminum framed gaskets should help a lot. There have been some LIM that have had some severe pitting, and needed replacement.

I'm sure this was mentioned in some of the information you were linked to. But I would personally flush out the Dex-Cool coolant while you are in there as well, and refill it with the regular green stuff. Dex-Cool is known to cause gasket problems, and could have a lot to do with the reason your gaskets are failing to begin with.

All this coming from a guy who's still running Dex...but hey my engine doesnt have gasket issues.

I have some pics, but how do I get them on here. :?

They have to be be hosted on another site. Many use Photobucket. http://photobucket.com/ Upload your pictures. When done, look for the one you want to post, and below it will be 2 lines...one of them having IMG code next to it. Click on that line to highlight it, right click, select copy. Return to your post reply on BC, right click, select paste.

Ok, here is what I see from the front. I have noticed for some time now, a slight leak, or at least it is always 'wet' with what looks like just a tiny bit of oil. Does this look familiar to anyone???

https://i166.photobucket.com/albums/...9/P2100125.jpg
https://i166.photobucket.com/albums/...9/P2100124.jpg
https://i166.photobucket.com/albums/...9/P2100123.jpg
https://i166.photobucket.com/albums/...9/P2100122.jpg

It's hard to say for certain, but it does look more like oil that could be leaking from your valve covers. Most times, when the LIM gasket goes, it will start to wick coolant up the bolts for the LIM and would show up around those bolts, and the valleys by the injectors. It is also quite possible for the coolant to be leaking to the inside, and being burned in the cylinders, or going into the oil. With your mileage, you may as well be on the safe side and plan on replacing all of those gaskets. If you're going to tackle the job, it would be wise to either get your hands on a factory service manual, or get a subscription to alldatadiy.com

To answer your earlier question - this can all be done with the engine in the car.

From the photos, front valve cover gasket. Gently pry off that black plug trim strp. It pulls up and can be tough so don't break it. Now you'll see where the oil is coming from.

So I just got back in from the garage and made sure my wife could take the car tomorrow. I checked the oil, quart low (yeah I know, that should never happen) coolant...very low. I filled everything and let it run for a while and poof, literally, a small cloud of smoke came from right by those bolts with the 'oil on them', it seemed to have dripped right on the exhaust. I freaked out, but it didnt do it again. There is some fluid by the rear injectors. Would someone please tell me that I need to get this thing repaired ASAP :!: Is this safe to drive?? I really don't have the time to lose this car for a while but the more I think, I REALLY can't afford to lose this car literally. HELP!!

If you have puddling around the injectors, that is usually caused by coolant wicking its way up the LIM bolts due to the start of a gasket failure. Being low on coolant is another bad sign. My opinion is, yes. You need to get it repaired, and the sooner the better.

Actually...please..don't pry. reaching down on the front of it, you will find two tabs that stick down lower than the rest. Those two tabs hold it on along with two slider on the valve cover. Gently releasing the tabs, and pulling straight upward with it's angle.. it will slide off easily.

are these gaskets worth a hoot??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GM-IN...80690117QQrdZ1

They look like the original type gaskets. Not the way to go if you want a long term solution. Use the aluminum framed gaskets.

where do I find good aluminum framed gaskets, both for the LIM and valve covers. I want this job to be done right! Also, in case I chicken out, I had a local shop quote me 5-600 bucks to do the repairs. Does that sound reasonable?? I know the gaskets cant be more than $100, and I know there is some labor, but is it that intense??

The aluminum framed gaskets are available from the dealer, GM Parts Direct, or one of our recognized vendors - Intense. Felpro is the way to go for the rest. If you're not replacing your UIM, a sleeve to help protect the stovepipe area is available from Bill Buttermore.

The price you were quoted is not out of line. Lots of stuff to remove and get out of the way.

Edit - See Bill Buttermore's post here:

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=70553

I dont have this stovepipe on the supercharged engine do I? I purchase a subscription to alldatadiy and I did not see any mention of it for my engine. Correct me if I am wrong...

Nope, you're right...my mistake. Please put your vehicle and engine information in your profile so that we don't have to keep referring back to it, and will help people with memory problems - like me. ;)

Ok, can someone give me the part numbers to the aluminum framed gaskets for the LIM. All I can find online are the felpro. When I tackle this job, I need to obviously replace the LIM gasket, I am doing the valve cover gaskets, and the gasket below the supercharger. Should I replace the O rings at the injectors as well? Is there any other gasket/part I need to replace while I am under the hood. I do not want to come back in 6 months because I should have replaced something.

Here's a thread about another member looking for the gasket number.

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=71902

Yes, plan on replacing the injector O-rings, as well as the coolant elbows in the tensioner. You can get those on the "Help" cards at virtually any auto parts store. You'll need a throttle body gasket also.

interesting info. I may be having this problem as well. coolant is slowly dissapearing, no visible leaks. my car only has 60k miles, though. but i dont know what else it could be. I dont know if its related, but my valvetrain is making ticking noise when i start it, even if its only 1,000 miles into fresh oil. :? i need to read up on this more, obviously. does anybody know of repair/service manuals(where i can get 'em) that cover l67's? my Haynes manual does not.
didnt mean to hijack a thread, kcoop, you just happen to be describing my situation. :)

Look for a factory service manual on ebay or subscribe to http://www.alldatadiy.com/

Thats alright, dont we all hijack a thread?! I just subscribed to alldata, it is less than the factory manual and better than haynes or chiltons. Most shops I talk to use alldata.

I am finally going to fix this darn thing but today my wife said that the check engine light is on. Would this gasket finally going to heck trip the code? I will get the code checked, but I first wanted to ask the 'experts'! Thanks!

It's hard to say for certain, but it would be possible, in particular if it's a misfire code. You could be getting enough coolant into the cylinders to keep it from firing properly. If that's the case, it becomes even more urgent to get things fixed. Get the code read, and let us know.

I still have not got the code read, but wouldn't the misfire also cause the oil to smell 'gassy'?
I know what you guys are saying...."just fix the damn thing already!!!"

alright fellas, I just got my parts in from Intense and I have the garage all cleaned up and ready to tackle this project. I had the codes read yesterday and it was a misfire from the plugs (I never had that erased), the fuel level sensor (I knew that) and the third was for the catalytic converter. I will tackle that later. So starting tomorrow, I am going to replace the valve cover gaskets, LIM gasket, Super charger gasket, throttle body gasket, coolant elbow, and O2 sensor! Wish me luck! Maybe I can actually contribute to this site and take some pics along the way. I just want my baby back!! :cry:

I still hafta do this, but i just noticed that there's "sludge" on the front edge of the plastic cover on top of the engine. :x could this mean a bad head gasket, too? if it is, i might as well change it while i got everything tore down for the LIM gasket.

TTT, anybody have any ideas? should i just change the head gaskets just in case they are leaking while i have the intake off? or is it a PITA(im thinking it might be, to get to the back cylinder bank)? my valvetrain does make noise when i start it, has enuf oil. i thought it might be the intake gasket that causes that, but since theres oil residue on the front of the engine cover, it might be that, too. also, if i do change the head gaskets, what kind do i go with? would felpros be good?

I'm not exactly sure where you have your sludge build up, but head gaskets being an issue is extremely unlikely. They just aren't known to fail on these engines.

If you're losing coolant and are starting to have issues with noise in the valve train, it's not something you want to wait to get to. Change out the intake gaskets, coolant elbows, and valve cover gaskets. If you're concerned about head gaskets, have a compression test done.

There are a few things to watch out for when doing this project. As it has been said, it is fairly easy, very involved but easy. Keep track of everything!! Take pictures along the way. Especially the vacuum lines and bolts. Watch out for the alternator connection. That gets brittle. ( I broke the wires right out of mine) The T vacuum fitting underneath the supercharger. You might be ok just buying all new lines/connections, they are pretty brittle ($24 at dealer) Also watch out for EGR tube that goes into intake. Take your time reassembling and insert that into intake before you bolt the intake down. Set the 'belt side' of the intake down and hold the right side up a little and insert tube into intake. I wasn't so careful and I had a mysterious leak that turned out to be that tube. Other than that, have at it. It is quite a feeling of accomplishment. Ask many questions if you are not sure and refer to alldatadiy. Between that and this forum, I would have never made it! 8)

thanks for responding guys. i just joined alldata. looks like there are alot of hoses to keep track of! YAY. I found the intake manifold and fuel "rail" removal procedure, but not anything else. but between that and my n/a bonneville haynes manual, i think i can do it(but theres always somethin that suprises me :lol: ) I just bought my 180 deg. thermostat today, all I gotta do is get the LIM gasket, supercharger gasket, and coolant elbow on monday from Elco Chevy(they have all that in stock :headbang:), then ill park it at the parents house till I can use their garage(dont have my own garage :x )

They sort of hide the supercharger information. You'll find it under Power Train Management/Fuel Delivery and Air Induction/Supercharger.

When it comes to the fuel rail, don't disconnect the fittings. Just remove the injectors and fuel rail from the LIM and lay it aside with everything still connected.

If you're getting the supercharger gasket from the dealer, I believe you will need to get the coolant o-rings separately. Be ready for a surprise on how much they cost. ;)

While you're doing things, you may want to consider replacing the o-rings for the injectors, also.