Yea I know
It did feel good to finally have the motor out, first time ever doing something like this haha

More questions... Lol

Ok I know I haven't got there yet, but when I go and replace my gaskets which ones can I use RTV on? I just want to make sure I don't have any leaks after the motor is on because that would suck
Also, I had my trans fluid changed a few months ago and bought a new metal gasket for the pan, would I be able to reuse it and add some RTV to it? Same thing for the oil pan gasket, do they make a metal one for it as well? My old one was was leaking oil all around lol

 

By the tiem you get done with everything you'll have a like new car Frank bet u cant wait to get her back on the road!

 

The only gasket I believe that will require RTV is the LIM gasket. It requires it to "seal" the valley (where the rubber pieces go). Technically, you only need dabs in the corners. What I have done is before seating ANY gasket, first the dry fit (make sure you see how it's going to sit that all the guide holes are clear of debris). Then remove it all.
Put a dab of RTV on the corners of the valley (where the aluminum gasket and the rubber valley gasket contact). then seat the aluminum gasketby going straight down into the dab of RTV and then rest it down into position. Run a small bead of RTV from the top side of the lower corner of the aluminum gasket along the valley to the the same spot of the other aluminum gasket (so where the rubber seals of the aluminum gaskets end are "joined" by RTV). Seat the rubber valley gasket. Re-run a small bead the same way along the top of the valley. You don't have to go crazy with these beads you run, and what I'm doing is probably over kill, but I want to ensure there is infact a good seal there (never gave me issues and normally very little RTV squeezes out, so nothing worth cleaning). Seat your LIM and bolt it down per the torque and bolt pattern listed by GM.

All your other gaskets and seals, I don't think require RTV.

As for a metal oil pan and trans pan gasket, I have no clue if those are re-usable. I've always gone for new gaskets.

I know on the water pump gasket, it's recommended you use a paper NOT a plastic gasket.
A little off topic, but just some extra info from my research.... If you are taking the water pump off, the S1, S2 and S3 water pumps are the same housing. The guys on the Bonnie forums found the BEST water pumps are the AC Delco ones for an S1 or S3 3800 because the impeller is designed better on those (but I recall an S1 pump needed the pulley swapped to work on a S2 engine). You have a S3 engine, so if you are replacing it, make sure the impellers look the same (that the impeller on the new pump is not the cheapo pressed steel design).

Hope that helps move you along some more

 

thats not a missing bolt that is just a guide for getting the trans and engine to line and bolt up.

i would of left the started in the car if it were me, but yes you will need to unbolt the tc from the felx plate and then the bolts from the engine to trans. also dont forget about the bolts and bracket from the dif cover to the engine.

congrats on getting the engine out man!

my trans pan has a rubber reusable gasket. the aluminum oil pan doesnt use a gasket you just use RVT.

you will use black RVT in all 4 corners of the lower intake and also run a thin line of rvt along the rubber pieces of the lower intake gasket. if you take the front cover off use rvt on the bottom of the cover and in both bottom corners of the front cover. use thread sealant on the head bolts and front cover bolts.spray the exhaust manifold gaskets with copper RVT spray.

a little info to make your life alot easier with install.... but the icm wiring harness on the engine before dropping it back into the car. (harness that goes to your crank sensor, cam sensor etc.) if you dont you will fight with it with alot of curse words when its time to plug in the cam sensor lol.

also i install the power steering pump on the engine before dropping it in the car, again it is easier to connect the lines then it is bolt the darn pump back on IMO.

have you thought about doing the L67 coil pack bracket/engine mount upgrade? you can pick them up cheap and this would be a perfect time to do it and then never worry about the aluminum one breaking again.

you can reuse the crank bolt if you need to but i suggest a new one because once its torqued once it wont torque the same again and your suggested torque when installing the bolt will be wrong. if you take the cam bolt out for any reason buy a new one for sure.

clean clean clean the whole engine bay, it takes time but once its done it is worth every minute of cleaning.

one more thing, get pics of your car with no heart, have someone take a pic of you standing in the engine bay, take pics of old engine, new engine, trans off old engine/on new engine, pics being installed, pics of everything! once you get this done if you dont have pics that is all you have is memories in your head but it is so much better to be able to look at pics of everything you did and be very proud of yourself when its complete.

keep us posted man, your doing great!

 

I like to use Black RTV on the valve cover gaskets also.

Congrats on getting the old out

 

Thanks Jason it will def. help me out
i will be removing the water pump to inspect it and get a new gasket for it, could i use rtv on the water pump? or will i be ok with just the gasket?

and i went ahead and bought that felpro gasket set that i posted from autozone, it did not have the alum. LIM gaskets but they are the "2nd design" ones, i was reading online somewhere about 04+ GP guys using them without any problems
are they really a bad idea to use? the alum ones by Felpro are $80 by themselves! lol on ebay the same alum ones are $57, here they are >> FEL-PRO MS 98014 T Intake Manifold Gasket | eBay
should i go ahead and get them or will i be ok using these 2nd design ones? im already around $1100 with this project! lol let me know what you think though


Thanks for all the tips and info Man!
and what RTV would you recommend on the Oil pan? just black RTV as well?
and pictures i will be taking plenty of lol
Im just going to keep my alum coil pack bracket, never had one break on me but it if ever does i'll make sure and get the metal bracket, it is easy to replace with the motor in the car isnt it?
I havent really got to do anything to make progress, just got the engine on the stand and its ready to take apart, i'll probably be doing alot of cleaning today too since it's my day off time to get the pressure washer out haha

i'll keep you guys updated


Thanks mike, thats why i asked cus i wanna use RTV on everything to make sure i have no leaks in the end lol

 

Long term goals with the car?

If you do plan on still getting a 7th Gen in a couple years, I wouldn't worry about the metal LIM gasket truthfully.

 

i do want something diff in a few years, as long as this monte lasts me 2 to 3 at the most lol

 

My Grand Am used the alleged "2nd design" nylon gaskets at one point (pre-dating aluminum gaskets). I know it's a 3100, not a 3800, but the point is, nylon gaskets are just junk.
You can use the nylon ones with no problem (that's what came on the L36 factory, the nylon gaskets can last roughly 80,000-120,000 miles. Unless you plan to sell the car within the year, use the nylon (otherwise, if it were me, I would get the aluminum gaskets for piece of mind and remove the risk of them failing).

Just my opinion.

Also, price out the FelPro all in one kit vs buying the kits seperate (make sure it's not cheaper buying the seperate kits through a place like RockAuto.com).

 

i dont think i'll even put 80k miles on my monte before i sell it lol
ive put on around 22k on it i believe, since i bought it a year ago

but yea for piece of mind i'll just get the ones i posted on ebay >> FEL-PRO MS 98014 T Intake Manifold Gasket | eBay

they're the same ones you told me about on rockauto im going to order them through ebay though, it comes out to be the same $58 after shipping too