Need Help Replacing the Upper Intake Manifold on a 98 5.0L

[Smuffy]

Hello,

I have a 98 XLT with a freshly cracked upper intake manifold. Upon dropping it off at the mechanic's, I got a return call stating that this year had 3 options and they were not interchangeable? Is there any way to determine which is which w/o pulling it? I can see them making multiple types for differing years, egr, w/o egr etc., but not being interchangeable is a bit frightening. I'm not able to dig into this repair myself as I don't currently have a garage, so I want to make sure I give them the right parts and information, as my only other car at the moment is not a great winter driver and I could really use the truck back so I don't miss any work due to inclement weather. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I can provide more info if necessary.

 

[Turdle]

Need to see a picture of the manifold and egr elbow please. Also to determine the type we need to see the configuration of the PCV vacuum source and coolant lines. So, to sum it up to be sure it would be a good idea to see under there. It has to be pulled off anyway,and, driving it with a crack is a no no. Your p0171 and 174 codes will surely ping a piston into submission.

I have seen the pcv with both single and dual source vacuum on the external egr configuration.

 

[Smuffy]

The mechanic won't do the work if he has to pull it before finding a part. He said he was basically short on time. Is that the only way to determine which manifold we're dealing with?

 

[Turdle]

I know of no other way to be honest. Also, to be honest it sounds like you need to seek another mechanic, he's already expressed his lack of interest in this job.

A good mechanic would accept this challenge as a little more income for himself. Other than a couple of tricky bolts ( egr tube does need to be removed), and some brittle fittings, this is not that difficult of a job for a true mechanic. I'd thank him for his help and go elsewhere.

Some items will also need to be replaced while you are there.

gasket for egr elbow to upper.
upper to lower gasket
Fuel injector o rings, since they do tend to leak after some years and the upper needs to be removed to change them.

some coolant will be lost, so a cooling flush is a good idea.

 

[Smuffy]

Oh, I totally agree. When I talked to him this morning he didn't sound up to it after I told him it would take a few days to get him the parts I'd like to use, so I took the keys and moved it to another garage. Though, there aren't a whole lot of them around here. I'd rather do it myself, but I'm currently without a garage, so it's not really an option. Thank you so much for the help! I really appreciate it!