fantacmet

So awhile back though I haven't been getting the oil consumption, the rig has been running like crap since I got it with horrendous mileage. 10MPG if I'm lucky. Plus I can't go over 45MPH.

It was suggested I had a blown plenum gasket and I did the paper check, and low and behold bingo bingo, FAILED MISERABLY!

Well I don't really have the $$, and I can't really afford to do it, but I need to get it fixed before gas skyrockets this summer. I'm not going to do the Chrysler fix, which doesn't work for more then a sort period of time. (though I do plan to send Chrysler an invoice to pay me for the parts and labor as per the lawyer I spoke with since I have legal insurance through work, probably won't get anywhere with it but if I do I'll let everyone know).

Too many horror stories with hughes and APS. So I found some people who have used the felpro or dorman gasket set along with a laser cut plenum and bolts from this guy on a few forums and he sells them direct or on ebay. They all say the same thing, the gasket sets are better then hughes, and the aluminum plate is better quality and finished better. Plus 54 bucks for the plate AND bolts and possibly a nice thick TB gasket.................. That's a steal.

Will snap some photo's and give a report on the quality of it when it gets here. Of course I won't be able to put it in for a few weeks. I have to obtain the torque wrenches somehow, and have to get a few days off work in decent weather.

Bustedback

Do not over torque the intake manifold when you install it. Go in a spiral pattern at 7ftlbs, then go again at 12ftlbs. Go around about three times until your sure they are all torqued to the same value. Over torquing can actually cause the block to crack around the cam bearings. Good luck.

fantacmet

Hence why I don't plan to touch it without a torque wrench, thankfully I've been seeing Snap On's showing up at pawn shops for under 80 bucks lately. Bad side is they probably need to be calibrated, but still beats 300-400 bucks for a good new one. Of course I could just get the deflector style, but last several times I've used them, the head gaskets on the engines I used them on blew out.

Thanks for the advice though, I wouldn't have guessed the block was that fragile.