Removal:

1. Relieve fuel pressure.

2. Disconnect negative battery cable.

3. Remove plenum, fuel rail and injectors. When disconnecting fuel line fittings, be prepared to catch fuel with a rag and cap fittings to prevent contamination.

4. Remove serpentine belt and drain cooling system.

5. Remove alternator and loosen the bracket.

6. Unbolt the power steering pump and set it aside without disconnecting the lines.

7. Disconnect coolant tubes/hoses as necessary.

8. Label and disconnect any remaining fuel and vacuum lines,

9. Remove rocker arm covers/valve covers.

10. Remove the manifold mounting bolts and separate the manifold from the engine. Don't pry between the manifold and heads, as damage to the soft aluminum gasket sealing surfaces may result. If installing a new manifold, transfer all fittings and sensors to the new manifold.

11. Loosen the rocker arm nuts, rotate the rocker arms out of the way and remove the pushrods that go through the manifold gasket.

Installation:

Note: The mating surfaces of the cylinder heads, block and manifold must be perfectly clean when the manifold is installed. Gasket removal solvents in aerosol cans are available at most auto parts stores and may be helpful when removing old gasket material thats stuck to the heads and manifold (since the manifold is made of aluminum, agressive scraping can cause damage). Be sure to follow the directions printed on the container.

12. Lift the old gasket off. Use a gasket scraper to remove all traces of sealant and old gasket material, then clean the mating surfaces with lacquer thinner or acetone. If there'* old sealant or oil on the mating surfaces when the manifold is installed, oil or vacuum leaks may develop. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any gasket material that falls into the intake ports or into the lifter valley.

13. Use a tap of the correct size to chase the threads in the bolt holes, if necessary, then use compressed air (if available) to remove the debris from the holes. WARNING: Wear safety glasses or a face shield to protect your eyes when using compressed air!

14. Apply a 3/16-inch (5 mm) bead of RTV sealant or equivalent to the front and rear ridges of the engine block between the heads.

15. Install the intake manifold gasket.

16. Install the pushrods and rocker arms

17. Carefully lower the manifold into place and install the mounting bolts nuts finger tight.

18. Tighten the mounting bolts/nuts in three steps, working from the center out, in a criss cross pattern, until they're all at 115 in-lbs.

19. Install the remaining components in the reverse order of removal.

20. Change the oil and filter and refill the cooling system. Start the engine and check for leaks.

Now that is pretty much word for word out of the Haynes manual. Good luck.

Well...truth is, I can't find my scanner I will try to find it. But that should be good enough for now.

wow, thanks! That step 11 is the only one that has me worried. Do rocker arms just unbolt like that??

I'm not sure, but I don't think a Hanes manual would lead you wrong. I found my scanner, would you like me to scan the pages on just so you have a little bit more peace of mind?

here yah go, my scanner had something really heavy on top of it and now its acting kinda weird so its not the clearest scan its ever done...so heres the best i could do, I can always dig out my other scanner if i need to.

SAVE0005.jpg

I appreciate all the info.

I do know you have to keep the pushrods in order. Yes they are different lengths.

oil pump drive shaft ring...where does that leak the oil to?? the GA is losing oil fairly fast, I dont remember where but I am curious as to where that o-ring lets it leak.

the more info the better

I appreciate your response. I do have a pretty good idea on where the plug is. I'll have to convey that to my friend and have him look there.

You guess about miles was a little off The 95 grand am only has about 5k less than the 00 Buick. Both being around 70k.

Yes the GA has the green stuff and will stay that way. I didn't get a chance to flush my moms coolant when I was home last but it is on the list of **** to do when I get home for x-mas.

I like how you call your info rambling...probably some of the most informative rambling that I have ever heard

I'll ask more as I get questions

Just a couple of things. Use a good quality tungsten carbide scraper to clean the sealing surfaces for the gaskets. Don't worry about discolorations as long as the surface is flat. Do NOT use a drill or an air tool with 3M or anyone else'* abrasive gasket removers, that includes rubber bristle brushes that are embedded with abrasive, rolocs with gasket removing discs, etc. These make the parts look great, but they can actually damage the sealing surface by creating low spots. Worse, abrasive particles get into the oiling system where they cause premature bearing failure in a matter of months.

The second thing is that to chase the threads you should purchase a thread chaser of the right diameter and pitch instead of a tap. Some thread profiles in the engine can be damaged using a regular tap.

Alright, three things. I like to use a drop of medium (blue) threadlocker on the LIM bolts to make sure they don't vibrate loose.

Last, if you don't have compressed air, you can fill a portable tank and carry it to the job to blow out the bolt holes.