Dorman615-180 Engine Intake Manifold Compatible with Select Models

If you need to replace your melted intake plenum, use this one. This Dorman item comes with the required gaskets, and also includes a new pcv valve. The price is MUCH lower than any local auto parts store ($130) for the same item. If you plan on swapping this part yourself I would HIGHLY recommend replacing the following items as well:Lower intake manifold gaskets. The factory LIM gasket is made from plastic, it cracks and allows coolant into the combustion chamber. If enough gets in your engine will hydrolock. Every Series 2 3800 engine I have taken apart had cracks in this gasket.Valve cover gaskets. These gaskets leak, when they leak oil comes in contact with the exhaust manifold. Both gaskets run around $12 and are easy to swap when doing the Intake plenum/LIM gasket.Coolant bypass elbows. These are made of plastic and fall apart when removing the Lower Intake Manifold. They are available in the help section of your local auto parts store for around $5Plugs/Wires. If your 3800 has some mileage on it, your wires are more than likely shot.

I installed this on my car and it runs like new again.

I think I like this. The set was very complete with gaskets for the injectors and a new pcv valve etc. This is a good choice but I will list the negatives for you to weighCONS: 1st-and most important is that mine cracked at bolt number 7 when I applied the final torque. Notice that I am at this time blaming the torque wrench that I bought particularly for this job NOT THE PART so I only list this for your consideration when doing this job to be careful. Replacement cost me $104 with a 20% discount in a nearby town!2nd: They tell you to replace the egr tube that rises vertically out of the lower manifold. It is a little tough to get out but then they tell you to GENTLY tap in the thick end of the appropriate new tube (two different sizes supplied). Gently my bootie! I banged and banged metal on metal. When it wen it was alway sideways. I used a piece of pine board between the hammer and the tube as a buffer to really hit it. I gave up and went metal to metal all the time wondering what I would do if the tube shattered in that hole? I also heated the hole with a torch. Heat MAY have helped but I destroyed that board. BTW they want you to use red loctite on this part. It did go in but....3rd: The instructions are pretty weak and not laid out well on paper. I suggest you look at ALL of the various instructional videos on you tube. Everybody has a little something to contribute.4th. They say to replace the vent tube on the back of the part. They supply the new vent but the small tube coming out of the top of this part is capped on my car. The new one did not supply a cap and the old cap was hard plastic and shattered when I tried to remove it. The apparent gasket for this vent is a loose fit. I don't know if that matters or not..So that is a lot but really I think this is a very complete kit and a good deal.

I was loosing fulid out of the radiator classic symptom everyone complains about but the radiator is not leaking. My friend had a 2001 like mine. Same thing. I found milky looking oil in my oil cap. Oil still looks like oil. Lower intake manifold gasket is letting the oil into the The coolant and vise versa, the radiator cap also had a film of darker slimy muddy oil on it. I been driving the car like this for a while. In traffic it will overheat. It blows the water into the engine oil I figured it would damage the engine if I kept driving like that. The water burns off as' steam out the exhaust , not a good thing. So I ordered the Dorman 615-180 Intake Manifold upper kit and the Felpro MS 98014 T Intake Manifold Gasket for the lower. Job was a lot easier then I thought. It took some time I didnt rush. I rented/free a torque wrench from Auto Zone. I have a 2001 Impala 105K mi. Been lossing coolant for 3 years slowly but got worse. The upper wasnt real bad but the LIM gasket was horrible. You can see it shrunk brittle and old oil and coolant was nasty broken in some' places.I replaced the upper intake plenum with the Dorman 615-180 Intake Manifold it wasnt in bad shape but when your taking it all apart just replace it anyway to avoid problems. It's been 4 days now and all is well so far, parts worked well had no problems with them and the local auto stores wanted like $140 plus for the Dorman 615-180 Intake Manifold kit. Shipping wasnt the fastest took them like 3 days before they shipped but it was free.Took over a week to get.It took me about 4 hours late in the day to take apart. Started cleaning to put back on. The next day 4 hours to put back on. It would have fasterif I was set up but looking for tools and stuff took longer. No serious special tools were needed. Oh and I cheated I didnt take the altenator bracket off if you have help you can slide the LIM back in place slide the water inlet back in without any trouble. You should replace that plastic water elbow while apart also.I used the old one I replaced it couple of months ago but if orignal replace both plastic elbows cause they are ready to go. I also replaced the thermosat with a better quality one. As a do it yourselfer I am paying foward to maybe help someone else, I read all the reviews and watch youtube videos and they really help me. Hope this info helps! ~Lou

Good value

Excellent

Im very disappointed with this product n would not recommend buying it from Amazon. First of all the PCV Valve would not fit n broke when I tried using to hands to push n turn it...2ndly the valve that goes on the lower mount did not fit...had to use a stone to file it fown around the outside to make it fit. It hasnt leaked yet, but havent drivent it to far yet