Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) Reply #15 – March 01, 2012, 03:31:14 PM Quoteno point in half-assing it.. no offenseNo I get it. Just curious if someone found a simpler solution as to do the head the intake has to come off and "maybe" the front timing cover (need to check this) because of the intake removal.On the 3.8L, I know the oil pan needs to be removed to get at the front timing cover. So we're talking MAJOR effort here if the timing cover has to be removed just to do a head gasket. Quote Selected
Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) Reply #16 – March 01, 2012, 11:15:12 PM Quote from: dw85745;382624No I get it. Just curious if someone found a simpler solution as to do the head the intake has to come off and "maybe" the front timing cover (need to check this) because of the intake removal.On the 3.8L, I know the oil pan needs to be removed to get at the front timing cover. So we're talking MAJOR effort here if the timing cover has to be removed just to do a head gasket. Unless the 84 3.8 is drastically different from the 88 3.8 you don't actually have to remove the oil pan to take off the timing cover, just take the 2 bolts out from the oil pan to the bottom of the timing cover. Mine came off no problem. Although, I'm 95% sure you don't have to remove it to do heads anyway. But if you do, make sure you don't forget about the allen head bolt that goes through on the bottom right corner, behind the oil filter. That one is easy to miss and I broke the corner of my timing cover off because of that bolt not being out.Quote from: dw85745;382576Question for anyone who has done a 3.8L manifold or head gasket:1) Based on the Tech info I am able to gain access to, a number of people reported that 1984 3.8L coolant leaks emanate from the intake manifold to cylinder head joint rather than the head gasket.This doesn't appear (from my looking) to be my situation, as the leak seems to be coming from around the center of the head gasket looking up from underneath the vehicle.Anyone else had leaks around this area?Yes, that wouldn't surprise me if you had a leak there. The heads have water jackets on both the front and back ends and the but the back end has nowhere to go. At least that is the way it is with 88-98 intakes. Yours may be different, I think the reason the passageways are still there on EFI heads is because of the fact that the carb and CFI intakes had a passageway for it to run through. However, if not, and the intake is the same, then it would not surprise me, because I did have a leak there myself, on 2 year old gaskets even. Only difference being that mine was leaking into my intake runners instead of out the top of the engine. Quote Selected
Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) Reply #17 – March 02, 2012, 11:37:59 AM sarjxxx:Thanks for the input. BTW, checked and timing cover does NOT need to come off. Only one small leak (more of a weep than a leak), and nothing in the oil I can see.Putting a pressure tester on the cooling system, shows NO leakdown of pressure.Vehicle runs great and manifold vacuum is rock steady and right at 19 1/2 Hg,I may be hard headed -- or -- hope springs eternal -- but thought I'd give it a shot by just replacing the head bolts with studswithout removing them. I know this goes against the recommendation of most here (this forum).I figure high probability may work, so nothing lost, and if does not work can always go the other route.Only issue I'm having is after draining the cooling and engine oil, whether to:1) replace one bolt at a time (leaving the others tight in place), or2) whether to loosen all the bolts in reverse torque order until stress removed, and then replace each one with studs. With the first figured I'd go with the install torque bolt order and torque each to spec as installing.With the second, it would be like a normal head install, with the bolts only keeping the head positioned while replacing the bolts. Quote Selected
Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) Reply #18 – March 02, 2012, 12:22:21 PM well.. if you're going to do it that way, than untorque all bolts at the same time.. taking 1 out may cause you an even bigger headache Quote Selected
Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) Reply #19 – March 02, 2012, 06:36:55 PM Quote from: Shadow;382727well.. if you're going to do it that way, than untorque all bolts at the same time.. taking 1 out may cause you an even bigger headache Quote Selected
Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) Reply #20 – March 04, 2012, 07:27:39 PM Shadow and sarjxxx:Appreciate the feedback. Increased the comfort zone to this approach. Quote Selected
Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) Reply #21 – March 04, 2012, 07:31:54 PM Although, I'm not sure why you don't just pull the intakes off... they're not that hard to get off, not to mention it would give you chance to change that intake/head gasket just for safe measure, and I'm pretty sure the lower is bolted to the heads anyway so if you don't unbolt it you may not get the proper torque off when you reinstall the new bolts/studs. Quote Selected
Topic: Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) (Read 3815 times)
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Topic: Head Gasket bolts -- tighten or replace (1984, 3.8L) (Read 3815 times)
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