OT - Anyone replaced intake seal on Chevy 350 (m)

[Mitch90535im]

Ed, feel free to move this to the OT board if you wish.

I have a '89 chevy 1500 4x4 with 350 5-speed with 250k on the clock that is loosing lots of oil after driving. It's running down all over the starter and transmission, making quite a mess.

Thought it was likely a bad valve cover gasket, so I replaced them yesterday. Leak is still there. Can't tell exactly where it's coming from, but it appears to be near rear of engine. Rear main was replaced when we did the clutch a couple of years ago. Just curious if any of the mechanics that frequent have seen this and if doing the rear intake seal (without pulling the engine) is a DIY or not.

Thanks,
Mitch

[632 Regal]

the only way I could see fixing the intake seal is to pry/cut/pull the old seal out, spray the piss out of it with brake cleaner to get ALL oil off the surfaces and then squeeze in some high quality silicon and let it dry 24 hours. Dont know how much room you have to get on in there.

[Bill R.]

yours is a throttlebody injection make sure you get the new intake manifold gaskests positioned, correctly...if the little hole isn't positioned to the rear it will overheat right away.

Ed, feel free to move this to the OT board if you wish.

I have a '89 chevy 1500 4x4 with 350 5-speed with 250k on the clock that is loosing lots of oil after driving. It's running down all over the starter and transmission, making quite a mess.

Thought it was likely a bad valve cover gasket, so I replaced them yesterday. Leak is still there. Can't tell exactly where it's coming from, but it appears to be near rear of engine. Rear main was replaced when we did the clutch a couple of years ago. Just curious if any of the mechanics that frequent have seen this and if doing the rear intake seal (without pulling the engine) is a DIY or not.

Thanks,
Mitch

[632 Regal]

clue is he dont want to lift the intake...thats an additional challange

[Bill R.]

only way you're going to get it to seal correctly and with tbi and a distributor its not that difficult.

clue is he dont want to lift the intake...thats an additional challange

[Mitch90535im]

only way you're going to get it to seal correctly and with tbi and a distributor its not that difficult.

Been out of town all day, thanks for the input guys. I read a post in a Q&A board somewhere else on the net that some guy had tried a couple of times with no luck, then finally got it to seal with silicone. I might try that. I'm pretty sure the leak is coming from the rear of the intake. It is hard to get into there to work since the truck sits high, but I'll give it the old college try" before breaking down and hiring a pro to do it.

Got to replace the radiator on the 535i next weekend too. (when it rains it pours)

Any idea what a pro would charge to do it? (not the radiator, the intake seal)

[Bill R.]

front and rear of the manifold and gaskets on the side. And usually the only way to get it resealed is to pull the manifold, scrape all the old silicone off and redo it. Manifold side gaskets are probably about due anyway.

Been out of town all day, thanks for the input guys. I read a post in a Q&A board somewhere else on the net that some guy had tried a couple of times with no luck, then finally got it to seal with silicone. I might try that. I'm pretty sure the leak is coming from the rear of the intake. It is hard to get into there to work since the truck sits high, but I'll give it the old college try" before breaking down and hiring a pro to do it.

Got to replace the radiator on the 535i next weekend too. (when it rains it pours)

Any idea what a pro would charge to do it? (not the radiator, the intake seal)