Yesterday did some work on the intake for the black Monte. Big thing to highlight, I opened up the coolant bypass (which I also did years ago on the blue Monte). Personally, I feel it is a bit restrictive. (it can only move as much coolant as the inside depth of the cap allows). So some work with the dremel and it's done. I also tapped and used stainless set screws held in with JB Weld to block the flow of coolant to the throttle body, something I also did years ago with the blue Monte. I also used JB Weld to fill in the vertical section of the ports on the UIM. I did not go all the way with it, I did not fill the horizontal section. In theory if I wanted to ever restore this coolant flow, I could carefully remove the JB Weld. And so everyone is aware, odds are all the factory upper intakes have the same casting fault I found on both the blue and black Montes I have, so more than half that flow is restricted from the factory! I also did this because a common failure for these plastic intakes is for the plastic to get brittle between the coolant passage and the EGR stove pipe, eventually letting coolant to spray into the intake, so I am just preventing issues that *might* happen later.
FYI - The pics of the JB Weld on the upper intake have copper color around them. This is NOT pennies, it is discoloration and/or thin coating of stuff from Dex cool and/or the upper intake gasket breaking down. I did not want to mess with it, it was not big enough to be a problem with my JB Weld and when I do I light sand to level the JB Weld, it will most likely go away.

I also spent some time with some wire wheels to clean up some of the gunk/carbon in the intake runners. only thing I did not do is port match the runners (which I did do on the blue Monte).

 

So, this weekend, I had to lift the engine on the black Monte. I spent some quality time Saturday and Sunday changing the oil pan gasket (which turned into changing the oil pan) and the lower motor mount (it leaked all its fluid) and the trans mount. Over all, things went pretty easy. The BIGGEST trick to this, getting five 15mm bolts out that hold a bracket to the engine that is used to rest the engine on the lower motor mount. It's tight spacing to reach those bolts and then the break them loose. I used a variety of tools, like a 15mm wrench with a 6pt closed end, a gear wrench, gear wrench with a swivel head. BUT, the win, second time I used this, is a Harbor Freight "bolt thru" set (they have re-named it, but link below). Designed to put a socket on a nut and let the stud stick through the socket. In this case, I used the 15mm socket from this kit so I could get a reach with the 3/4 wrench! Basically, extend the head of the bolt. It worked!
https://www.harborfreight.com/21-pc-...set-67974.html

Initially I was not going to change the oil pan. I had hoped the rust was surface. After degreasing it, I found the factory pan is two layers of steel stamped together, layer one had two holes. That was enough for me to replace it. This is the big reason the job went into Sunday, had to get a pan ordered. I am NOT impressed with a aftermarket replacement pan. It appears to be single layer steel AND it's not thicker to compensate. The drain plug is NOT a factory style plug. When I later looked at all the other aftermarket replacement oil pans I could find, looks like the story was all the same. Unfortunately, I had limited options. If I had it to do over again I would either find a new genuine GM oil pan OR switch to a Series III aluminum oil pan.

I got a late start Sunday, but made my milestone goal by 10:30pm (have the engine off the support brace). Today it has been rainy out. I still have to put the nuts back on the engine and trans mount, put some shields back in the wheel wells and re-install the oil level switch (all easy stuff).






My 3100/3400 oil pan support plywood has now added 3800 to the list.





The old lower mount, completely shot.



After a quick pressure wash at the car wash.

Here are two spots in the first layer of steel that is compromised, this pan is now junk.

 

For anyone wondering, I put the engine brace on the top first, attached the chains to the lift bails as tight as I could. Tightened up the wing nuts to start raising the engine. It was going to slow, so I took my trusty 3400/3100 oil pan support piece of plywood and the floor jack and used it for it's first time on a 3800, slowly and GENTLY raised the engine via the oil pan (despite the rust on the old pan, this did zero damage, not so much as a ding/dent/dimple).

Side note, I do almost all my own mechanic work (except tires and alignments, sometimes exhaust). Been a LONG time since I was working a project to the point I was pulling out some flood lights to work by in the dark! Kinda reminiscent of my late teens and early 20's when dad was helping me with car repairs in the evenings lol. And over the years, I did a lot of my work with a car on a lift or it was work that I did not have to be directly under the car..... Both nights I was ridiculously filthy lol. Good times! And best times when it's NOT the daily driver!

All I have left then to have this car ready for summer, I want to replace valve stem seals (as I am going to change out the valve covers, figure might as well), put the upper intake back together, add fresh oil and she should be all set!

 

We're going to need to change the tune on that car too haha

 

LOL, true. It's on the list.

 

Not a lot to say. First off, as of Monday, all the valve seals on the black Monte have been replaced. I still need to put the rockers back on the back head, but outside of that, done. I need to get the valve covers off the blue Monte, I am moving them to the black one. And I need some of the washer/spacer things back from powder coating and I can then wrap up all the black Monte stuff to have it ready for spring driving!


I shared with Mike/Chibi how the aftermarket Spectra pan had a non-GM size oil drain plug. Plus, I felt the way the plug looked, it appeared too easy to strip. Mike suggested I look into "Gold Plug". These are stainless steel plugs with a strong magnet in them. I bought one to fit the Spectra pan in the black Monte and another to fit the factory pan in the blue Monte. You can see the one pic showing the Spectra plug and the Gold Plug, even though the Gold Plug was like $21 per plug, I think this was a good idea (just as risk avoidance of future issues). And I saw a video where a guy lifted a hammer with the magnet in a gold plug, so I grabbed my biggest ball peen hammer and it was hard to lift, but it certainly held it!!!

This plug is now in the black Monte. Just a side note, I did find, according to the specs online, the oil pan from Dorman does use the factory size drain plug. But truth be told, if I ever had to change a pan again, I would consider an aluminum pan from a Series III engine. I heard to do that swap you also may need the oil pick up tube. But it would be way more worth it in my book.

 

I run that Gold Plug on my Camaro, I really do like those plugs. Glad it worked out for you too!

 

Big Mile Stone this weekend!

The Novi Paxton is officially off the black Monte (and I am in progress of getting it to the blue Monte). But, finally got to start the black Monte and drive it this weekend! Only issue, the new fuel pressure regulator leaked gas, so I have an old one in the car at the moment and will be replacing this failed brand new one soon!

So nice to FINALLY enjoy the fruit of so much labor!
Quick recap of what this car has had done:

• New oil pan and pan gasket
• New lower engine and transmission mount
• New valve seals
• New upper and lower intake gaskets (plus a small mod to the coolant flow on the upper and lower intake).
• New(er) radiator hoses
• Some stuff to pretty it up (stainless hardware and some powder coating of small things)
• Remove California Emissions (still has the Cali rear manifold with a block off plate)
• De-mod the Novi Paxton (this includes changing the fuel rail and placing factory injectors back on).
• Re-flash the PCM with a tune from before the Novi Paxton was on it and update that tune to remove the California Emissions.

I still have future things I want to do with this Monte, such as I have a set of powder coated brake calipers I need to re-build and install. But that is a project for another day. I need to work on the Blue Monte now!

 

It's alive!!!

 

Good work on all of that!