PNYXPRESS

Before you go and just start buying random parts, you need to figure out where the coolant is going.

Villiska

Just had our fleet mechanic look at it and he said it's the intake gasket for sure. He said there's a puddle of coolant sitting under it which is why I've been smelling maple syrup by the motor because it's burning it.

My friend thinks he can change it himself. Is this a very difficult job? What should I know before hand? Is this good news compared to a blown head gasket?

Derf00

Those engines (3.8L) get air pockets in them if there are leaks or if you drain and refill your coolant. There is a burping procedure for when you drain/refill the cooling system on a 3.8L. Since you're not doing that (burping the system) the air pockets have created a situation where you're not getting good coolant flow and thus your motor is over heating.

Villiska

I burp the coolant system every time I fill it. The issue with mine is a coolant leak which is apparently due to a worn intake gasket. I guess this thread just turned into a "How do I change the intake gasket, is it a very difficult job and is this better news than a blown headgasket?" thread.

I do appreciate your reply though, that's usually the fix for the symptoms I'm having but unfortunately mine is a bit worse

PNYXPRESS

Its not hard at all. You will need two sets of gaskets to do the job though.

Things you will need:
Upper intake gasket (you might be able to reuse yours IF you can seperate the intake halves and not rip it)
Lower intake gaskets (1 for each side)
RTV sealant (black)

Once you get both halves of the intake off, I would clean then out real good. The last two runners like to get really gummed up with oil.

This is what it should look like once the intake is removed.

Villiska

Thank you very much! The fact you said this is not hard at all is a massive weight off my shoulders. You said I'll need two sets of gaskets but I only saw 3 that you mentioned. You said I'll need the Upper Intake Gasket and then two Lower Intake Gaskets. What am I missing? Do you think stores would have this in stock like Pepboys or Nappa perhaps? We plan to do this on Saturday morning in my friend's garage so I'm hoping we can snag these parts before then.

I really wish I had a detailed step by step guide or video tutorial because while my friend knows his way around Ford trucks, I've seen him make a few mistakes with my car in the past that even I know so I'm a little worried with this job. It's a bit intimidating.

Also, is there anything else I should look for while the intake is off? Anything else I could change while I have it open that isn't expensive and perhaps worth it or something to check to ensure I have no future problems?

I'm not sure what I'm looking at in the picture apart from the fact the intakes or whatever are taken off.

Again, thank you very much. I really love all of you.

PNYXPRESS

Yeah two sets of gaskets. The upper intake gasket and the lower gaskets(should come with one for each side). All together you will need three individual gaskets.

It's a fairly simple process
Remove the intake tube and throttle body
Remove the coil pack
Remove egr tube
Unbolt top half of intake
Unplug and remove fuel rail-be careful not to damage the injectors
Unbolt the lower intake

Villiska

Thank you so much.

While I'm in there, should I look for anything else to avoid having to do this again anytime soon? Or perhaps just to have peace of mind that whoever I sell this vehicle to, gets a decent one?

PNYXPRESS

You can pull the valve covers and check the valve springs to make sure none are broken and also check for bent pushrods. just do visual and feel though, dont try and test them, unless you really want to.

Also make sure you clean all the surfaces REALLY good using a razor blade and denatured alcohol before putting it back together.

Biggest thing is take your time and dont rush things. everything should come apart and go back together fairly easily, if it doesnt find out why and dont force it.

The only exception is removal of the intake halves. they require a little force to break the gaskets loose.

Also torque specs are critical here as well as order of tightening.

Villiska

Thank you very much.

Okay, I went to Pepboys and picked up the following so I should be good to go?

- Plenum Gasket (Found out this is what the upper intake gasket is called)
- Lower Intake Gaskets (Came with one for each side and two blue stick things)
- RTV Sealant (Black)
- Oil + Filter for the oil change after, I'm thinking there's coolant in my oil by now after all of this leaking so it's just a safe measure. Coming up one needing one soon anyway.

How much RTV do I apply and to what locations? Also, this is a big worry of mine because it says on the bottle to let sit for 24 hours but I'm going to have to drive about 15 miles home after this job is done to go home so I won't be able to let this sit. I might be able to let it sit for an hour plus the time it takes to re-install everything.

Is it really that necessary? Should I get a ride from a friend to go home and leave my car at work for the weekend to let it dry?