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    #1

    upper intake plenum

    well im going to be replacing my valve cover gaskets tomorrow. i have read that the upper intake plenum is in the way of at least the pass side valve cover. so i looked in my haynes manual and it has you doing all kinds of stuff to remove the plenum. is all that really needed? can i just take out the 6 bolts that hold it on and just kind of move it out of the way enough that i could reach the valve covers easily? as in not really taking out all the vacuum, EGR or whatever stuff? not taking it completely off, just unbolting and sliding it out of the way. and do i have to get a new gasket for the intake??

    oh yeah while im at it im changing the spark plugs and probably going to put some new brake pads on the front. just a couple simple little things for fun
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    #2
    IIRC the passenger side VC can be removed without tinkering with the upper intake, it's the driver's side that's gonna be a bitch. Either way, no complete disasembly of the plenum is necessary, just take off the 6 bolts that hold it down (2 in the front, 2 way back, and another 2 under the "5.0" plate) and lift it a little - the VCs don't need much room to be wiggled out. The only thing you need to be very careful with are the vacuum lines, as due to heat and age they are pretty brittle - remove as many of them as possible before yanking the intake.

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      #3
      The passnger side is covered by the upper....driver's side is cake...almost.
      '89 Ford LTD Crown Vic - '92 Ford F-150 Custom -
      '95 Ford Bronco XL -

      sigpic :rebel:

      Comment

        #4
        Originally posted by BoxMan
        The passnger side is covered by the upper....
        ... which doesn't mean the VC can't be wiggled out from under there - I did it somehow when installing the aluminum Mark VII ones. Don't rememer what got me stuck on the driver's side, think it was the TB linkage I had to take out.

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          #5
          You should replace the stock upper with an HO upper if you haven't already.


          '90 Mercury Grand Marquis GS
          Baseline 5.0L numbers totally stock, 123 rwhp, 239 rwtq
          5.4L swap coming soon.

          Comment

            #6
            My '89 CV needs new gaskets, too. I'm not looking forward to the job. How heavy is the upper intake? What's the best gasket to use, cork or rubber?

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              #7
              My TC runs cork gaskets withoit leaking a drop of oil, but my covers are cast aluminum and press on the gaskets much more evenly. The best gaskets seem to be the rubber ones with steel frame moulded in, Fel-Pro makes them - get those if you can. The intake is not really that heavy, it's just kinda clumsy to move around cause of all the hoses and stuff attached to it.

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                #8
                I have to replace my VC gaskets very soon. I'm just going to drop the car off with my mechanic and picking it up later on that day. I won't get my hands dirty, but my wallet will be a little lighter and I won't have any more oil leaks on the driveway... .


                '90 Mercury Grand Marquis GS
                Baseline 5.0L numbers totally stock, 123 rwhp, 239 rwtq
                5.4L swap coming soon.

                Comment

                  #9
                  I just dug up my old receipts. Last winter I had the shop do my '88's VC gaskets. $155 for the labor. Ouch. I can't afford that now. I might as well do it myself.

                  Only "special" tool for this job is that long allen wrench, right?

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                    #10
                    Ivan, I don't know how you got those inside bolts out/in with the upper still on. You must be a fuckin' magician like my dad's buddy who replaced a fuel filler neck without dropping the tank.
                    '89 Ford LTD Crown Vic - '92 Ford F-150 Custom -
                    '95 Ford Bronco XL -

                    sigpic :rebel:

                    Comment

                      #11
                      I'm sure you're planning on it already, but while you have easy access do the pcv too.

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                        #12
                        Now that is a great first post!
                        '89 Ford LTD Crown Vic - '92 Ford F-150 Custom -
                        '95 Ford Bronco XL -

                        sigpic :rebel:

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Indeed.
                          1983 Grand Marquis 2Dr Sedan "Mercules"
                          Tremec TKO conversion, hydraulic clutch, HURST equipped!

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Upper intake weighs maybe 10 lbs. Its not that big of a job. Change the vacuum lines while in there and put a new PCV valve, screen and grommet. Good valve covers are not super cheap, I'll reccomend the Fel Pro permadry gaskets. I've posted the part number here somewhere. You can easily do the whole job yourself with premium gaskets for less than $50. Much less if you want cheap gaskets or you search them out on eBay. Factory Ford gaskets are also the rubber on steel type and appear from time to time cheaper than the Fel Pro ones.
                            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                            Originally posted by phayzer5
                            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Monterey, you don't need no allen wrenches when pulling the intake - just a T20 torx for the "5.0" cover plate, and a socket with a 6" (or more) extension and a 3/8 ratchet for the six 1/2" bolts.

                              BoxMan, for those bolts I used a small socket, a 2" extension, and a 1/4 ratchet, IIRC. Also my hands are pretty small, and having a golden ring that cannot be removed without chopping the finger off has made me learn how to squeeze them in tight places and tricky places

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