How To Replace An Intake Manifold Gasket

Projections show that the global automotive intake manifold market will reach a value of $56.2 billion by 2026.

Car maintenance and repairs can cost a lot of money, but with the right tools and a bit of mechanical skill, you can replace a bad intake manifold gasket yourself. Just be aware that when working on your car you need to be careful to not create any further problems.

For a guide on replacing an intake manifold gasket, keep reading.

Drain The Coolant

Place Chocks behind the rear wheels and raise the front of your car with a jack. Place jack stands to ensure it doesn’t fall.

In most cars, you can drain the coolant by removing the plug from the bottom of the radiator reservoir. Some cars won’t have a coolant passage in the intake so make sure you check your manual first.

More modern cars generally have an engine drain rather than an engine plug. Older cars might have a plug or drain cock in the radiator engine. Remove the radiator coolant reservoir cap and drain the coolant.

Remove The Intake Manifold

Take a picture or make a note of all the hoses to the intake manifold as these need to be put back the same way once you’re done. You need to remove the hoses, but you might be able to leave some attached if you can remove the manifold and reach the gasket with them still connected.

Remove any fasteners holding the intake in place followed by the bolts in the order suggested in your manual.

Reinstall The Intake Manifold Gasket

Clean all surfaces first to ensure a good seal for the replacement. You might also need to apply sealant — your manual will have this information.

Some engines have dowel pins for hanging intake manifolds on. If yours doesn’t, use some sealer to stick the new intake manifold gasket to the engine. Tighten the bolts to the tightness specified in your manual.

Reassemble Your Motor

If you had to remove anything else throughout the procedure such as your disruptor you can now put everything back. Reattach the hoses and any wires as they were before you started. Tighten all connections and place the drain plugs.

Start The Engine

Now that everything is in place you can start your engine and turn your heater up as high as it goes. As the engine warms up you should see the fluid in the coolant reservoir or radiator drop, so top it up as it goes down.

Now you need to top off the cooling system with antifreeze and secure the cap. If your car has a coolant bleeder you should open it, but if not you can remove a heater hose from the engine and pour the coolant through the reservoir.

The heating vents will let out heat if it’s full.

Test Drive Your Car

Lower your car, remove the chocks, and take it out for a drive. Keep an eye on the temperature to make sure everything has gone right.

Further Issues

Replacing an intake manifold gasket incorrectly can cause other issues, so make sure you do everything correctly. If you’re confident with your skills and want to save some money then doing your own intake manifold gasket replacement is the way to go. 

If you’re interested in more auto repair articles check out some of our other blog posts.