Intake Manifold gaskets

[Superrcharge]

What is the labor charge for installing Gaskets on an intake manifold for a 1994 Ford Explorer, 4.0 engine? Thanks.

 

[swshawaii]

http://repairpal.com/estimator/results

How to: R+R lower intake
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=384221

 

[Number4]

Pick up an intake gasket for a 1997. Much better than the crap ours came with.

Pics start at post #12 .
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=427909

 

[natenkiki2004]

I'm quite partial to the Magnum 2-piece gasket (found at RockAuto, made in USA). Silicone on steel construction.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/vehicles/1991 Explorer/Pictures/Valvetrain/P1020924.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/vehicles/1991 Explorer/Pictures/Valvetrain/P1020925.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/vehicles/1991 Explorer/Pictures/Valvetrain/P1020926.JPG

Then some good Permatex Black on the valley and you're good to go.

It's really not a bad job to do yourself. Pretty basic tools. The only real special thing is a torque wrench but that's $20 at Harbor Freight (good enough for this job, wouldn't trust it to rebuild an engine) and an E7 torx socket for the fuel rail.

Two other maintenance items would be replacing the injector o-rings and a thermostat. Cheap replacements that are made even easier since you need to take those parts off anyway.


However, this is all assuming you mean the LOWER intake manifold gaskets. If you mean the upper, that's definitely a DIY job, you can easily do that with basic tools in a half hour maybe.

 

[2stroke]

Don't knock Harbor freight tools. They aren't that tough, but we have rebuilt plenty of dirtbike engines with Harbor freight tools. I wouldn't hesitate on a car.

I would guess about $100 for a mechanic to do the intake gaskets. If it's just the uppers, do it yourself.

 

[natenkiki2004]

Don't knock Harbor freight tools. They aren't that tough, but we have rebuilt plenty of dirtbike engines with Harbor freight tools. I wouldn't hesitate on a car.

Personally, I wouldn't want to do it twice so I'd either have the HF torque wrench calibrated or would just buy a quality one, especially the finer inch-pounds measurements.

Don't get me wrong, I've only got HF torque wrenches and have done most everything aside from main & rod bearings (crank pulley, gasket mating surfaces, rocker assemblies, torque converter bolts, valve body bolts) but I have no idea if mine's accurate or not. For a project you will rely on or a racing application, I'd spend a bit more for peace of mind.

 

[2stroke]

We race our engines, Harbor freight torque wrenches are fine. We have never blown up an engine we rebuilt.

 

[natenkiki2004]

To each their own

 

[2stroke]

True that. I prefer lots of cheap tools, you prefer a few expensive tools. I prefer the Felpro felt intake manifold gaskets, you prefer the metal. I run thicker oil in the summer, you run 5w30 all year. It all works, as long as it works for you.

 

[natenkiki2004]

It's about putting money where it matters. I'd say 95%+ of my tools are cheap but it is nice to have quality sometimes. Champagne lifestyle on a beer budget definitely applies though

Quick sidebar... if I had a known good engine, I'd probably run 10W-30 Rotella in the summer. It's a bit thicker with better additives. But as it is, my lifters scream for mercy each time I fire the old girl up, even in the summer, and I try to get oil in there ASAP. I'm tempted to go 0W-30 but I know it will just burn off.

Oh well. There's many ways to skin a cat