Why do you say the yellow stuff is better?

doesnt give the dex glue, and doesnt have the tendency to eat alum if you dont service it regularly, and it doesnt get that nasty haze to it like the dex does, and mine is still very clear even after 10k miles of driving like i stole it, and it doesnt discolor the coolant reservoir like the dex does, i really like it and i didnt think i would

there is hope yet

Why do we have dex cool then if what you just said is all true. Seems like dex cool is the worst thing. I can see it turning the reservior bottle a werid discoloration. I just painted mine gloss black today with a little window so i can see where the level is, along with the valve covers and t-stat housing. Just waiting to get back my parts from 60 degree v6. Cant wait.

Neither of these is true. There are other tools you can use besides a swivel attachment to reach those bolts. Also, I was able to remove my rear valve cover without removing the bracket.

Yea so...more problems.

The car runs and drives..but the idle is very rough. My SES comes on then starts blinking...

i know you can get the code read but from what I hear you have to pay money just for them to read the code....and i really dont want to do that.

im guessing a injector is clogged or something, i cant think of what else would be wrong. It doesnt sound like the engine is misfiring although it might be.

Just when I slow down to idle the car feels jumpy and shaky and at a stop its very shaky. What could it be?

that is what mine did. The blinking ses light is a misfire. Advance or napa reads and clears codes for free. Did you find all of the chunks of the fuel rail o ring that you lost? Cause i didnt find all the parts of mine. It went into the rail and clogged an injector. I found a used set of injectors on aleromod and swapped them all. Runs great now. Best place to start is wiring. Make sure all the plug wires are tight. Are the plugs good? After that check the fuel rail not only for leaks but make sure all the wires on the harness are on tight. If you have a friend that works at a dealership like i do they might scan it for free with the scanner that napa doesnt have and tell which cyl is missing, that way you know where to focus. Good luck.

omgggg...okay so i got pissed and took apart the fuel rail again...took it completely off and inspected each injector.

I then noticed when taking off and looking at the cylinder 2 injector on the opening that goes INTO the fuel rail it seemed to be clogged or stuck open/shut. i then realize the red power wire going into it was severed completely!!

Hence the cylinder 2 misfiring. Okay now, does this mean I need an entire new injector or can i fix the wiring? its cut basically right where the wire meets the connector to the injector, so its like little to no space to splice and rewire...

if theres no fix then whats the pn for the wiring harness...UGH


the wires is like this ==== =[](inj)

you can actually either do one of 2 things for the bad wire, i would NOT recommend splicing it or fixing it,

1. get a pigtail from GM use that

2 get the entire wiring harness from GM, that way it is all new, not very expensive and no messy wire splices that can go wrong in the future, if you need a good price on one let me know, i can look tomorrow

OK...let me rephrase then....if you remove the bracket which takes 2 minutes you save your self 10 minutes trying to figure out and failing how to remove that last bolt of the valve cover gasket hidden behind the alternator bracket bolt.

And as far as the bolt for the power steering pump that you have to take the engine mount bolt out for.......WHAT tool do you use then since this is what you clearly state,

"23.) Remove one of the engine mount bolts (As seen in the picture HERE) and then using a "U-JOINT" and by rotating the power steering pulley, you should have a clear shot at all 3 of the bolts that hold the power steering assembly to the engine (As seen in the picture HERE). Now you should just be able to set the power steering assembly aside without disconnecting it.

If there is another tool or way to do this then it would be most helpful in elaborating what it is because other than those two things your instructions where flawless...the only other thing I would recommend is a wifi laptop to check out your pictures.

again job well done thanks for the help!!!!!:applause:

I personally had little trouble with that rear valve cover bolt so I didn't bother to write up how to remove that bracket. I suppose I got lucky. Although since so many people can't seem to get to it easily, once I replace my head gaskets (which will be soon) I'll include it in the walkthrough and show pictures of where the bolts are on the bracket. Also, for what specific tool you could use instead of a swivel attachment, you can use a low profile ratchet (Or at least one with a small head). That is actually how I put the bolts back in on the power steering pump.

Also, if anyone else has pictures or would like to add to the walkthrough, feel free to tell me and I'll edit the post.

I also plan to add a trouble shoot section to this walkthrough, since inevitably some of us (including me) had some issues after completing the gasket change. But for those who have replied above with issues there are some easy things to check when you put everything back together. I had some major idle issues when I first started my car, and after a good check there were some things that I had overlooked. My problems were: Dirty coil pack connections, a fairly major vacuum leak (at the TB), and an untightened spark plug. Those simple things combined basically made it so that my engine wouldn't run for more than 10 sec at a time, and when it did run, it didn't run or idle smooth at all. A shop might have charged me a small fortune to diagnose and fix these issues, but I was basically able to fix these for free.

I would suggest that you also look into replacing your serpentine belt if you have more than 50k or notice any type of chaffing or cracking thnis is a very good time to do this. To do this just jack the engine up enough to relive the pressure from the engine mounting block and remove the three remaining bolts and then just pull out the old and put in the new and continue with step #24.

i spliced the wire for now, it works and the SES light is gone..no rough idle.


if you can find me a price for a wiring harness that would be good. or a part number...whichever

well ill do both...tomorrow

Yes I also recomend changing the serpentine belt while you are doing this. You have to take the power steering off so you have to remove the belt which after being in tension for 50k and then untensioned tends to be loose. Alrighty

Just note that if you're going to be removing/replacing the serpantine belt, you will need to remove the engine bracket and support the engine underneith while doing this (2x4 and a jack works). I did not cover this in the walkthrough but I may address it later.

I stated earlier then I thought my lim was gone. Coolant in oil figured it was lim. Took it to the machanic and then I got a call saying that the it was dry. I was like wtf? So this has me kind of wonder wth is going on. Wuhoo this should be fun to deal with.

gectek; did you find the pn or a good price on that harness?

ok found the number, but the pricing is kind of messed up, so if i found a fault with the pricing it means either 1 of 2 things, i can get it at the advertised price, which is a big discount(only $59), or they tell me no and i get it for my normal price, which is 93.81, you can get it from gm parts direct with shipping for about 90 and some change, but if i can get it at a better price, ill let u know ASAP

the pn is 12570229, thats for the entire harness, i can get the single injector pigtail for about $27, but i didnt get the pn, very busy right now, ill let u know what i find out on pricing tomorrow though...ok

thats alot to spend when just one wire was ruined.

i looked on rockauto and found that they sell just the connector for like $4 and the picture of it shows wiring coming out of it, so im not sure if theres a few inches of wiring coming from it so you can splice it or if you have to wire it yourself...

http://info.rockauto.com/SMP/SK25_FULL.JPG

i have pigtails here that would work fine its just a small cap that twists onto the wire and keeps it in good

no no no no no, do not use the screw together ones, do not use the crimp connectors, only solder, twist the conn and solder it, the use heat shrink tubing and then tape over it. anything else isnt worth doing. the pigtails have about 6 inches of wire on them, and if they have it for that cheap, then get it. hopefully its the right one, just make sure of the wire color and such when u splice it in

well it matches the connector on mine and i found it by searching 1999 pontiac grand am gt 3.4 liter so im guessing its the right one..

i dont have a soldering gun so ill have to figure out another way to connect it.

A cheap soldering iron goes for like $4 at a hardware store. Best way to connect it, most reliable, and cheap. Just make sure you done apply too much heat.

K guys a have a HUGE question....this morning i woke up and had a bad feeling about the car.so i popped the hood after it had been running for about 15min. Always noticed a little bit of coolant leak on the side of the head where the gasket meets. So i took off the oil cap and on the top there was the milky substance.So i basically **** a brick. Drive a half hour to class on the highway,temp and everything is fine. Got to the aiport(where my classes are) and took off the oil cap and the oil was fine...smelled and looked like the oil.Now i noticed my PCV valve was cracked,gotta get a new one after class. Is this my lim going? or was the white substance just bc the car was cold. If it is the case,what are the best LIMs i can get,when i say that which ones will last the longest....please help me

If there is coolant leakage in between the heads then its the LIM leak. My suggestion is before even bothering with saying "yea i can probably drive on this for another few months" just go and fix it. It's bound to happen to you sooner or later anyway, and better to do it now then before it gets worse.


The parts and everything you need can be purchased for under $100 then do all the work yourself using this walkthrough...just, DONT take the fuel rail off when you remove the LIM and it makes everything a whole lot easier. Just buy the felpro gaskets they are metal instead of plastic and much more durable. $70 package gives you everything you need except egr gaskets and throttle body gaskets. some say not to use the rtv they give you in the package but thats up to you. Then buy threadlock for the LIM bolts as well. You'll also need a torque wrench and a U-Joint or swivel socket. you should be set.

k sweet thanks dude....where can i order that from? My spring break is next week,i may do it then

I ordered mine from rockauto.com

There is the part numbers and prices for each part. The rest of the stuff you can buy at a auto store. Go to rockauto and do part number search, the manufacturer is fel-pro for all of those items and type in each part number and it should come to 70 something

Fel-pro LIM Gasket set MS98003T $68.79
Throttle Body Gasket 61053 $1.10
EGR Valve Gasket 70804 $6.70

sweet tits........this about a day long job? because i have a whole week to be home with my parents :/

K i ordered the gaskets....Do you recommend the High temp RTV? or the blue kinda....i just dont want this to happen for a long time,so im gonna take every measure to avoid it for a while

It's stated it takes 8 hours if you follow directions...but since i took the fuel rail off of mine and encountered some problems it took me about 10 hours spread out over a weeks time. You're definately not going to want to do this all in one shot because you'll either get lazy or your back will start to kill you from bending over in the friggin engine for so long.


I used the RTV that came with the felpro set but some people say to go purchase a better one. im not sure but if you go to a auto store and ask for the best rtv they have theyll show you.

Just read the walkthrough completely a few times to get a glimpse of exactly what you'll be doing. Then start with step one and slowly follow the directions. One of the most important things is the pushrod order. Good luck

The instructions are perfect and you can follow them to the "T", if you remove the bracket alternator which takes 2 minutes you save your self 10 minutes trying to figure out and failing how to remove that last bolt of the valve cover gasket hidden behind the alternator bracket bolt.

I would suggest that you also look into replacing your serpentine belt if you have more than 50k or notice any type of chaffing or cracking this is a very good time to do this. To do this just jack the engine up enough to relive the pressure from the engine mounting block and remove the three remaining bolts and then just pull out the old and put in the new and continue with step #24.

TAKE YOUR TIME!!!! I gave myself two days and did not rush, I printed out the instructions and used a highlighter to mark the steps I completed and I came inside several times to look at the pictures that corresponded with the steps if I needed clarification. I used the black RTV in the kit as well and it worked fine and still is good after 3 days.....

You CANT go wrong if you follow the steps and yes you do have a leak and spring break is a good tiime to fix it. Dont forget the swivel adapter for the socket.

Good lucka nd any question let us know

umm yea thats a negative,i canceled the order...i forgot i had rent due today eeeekkkkkkkkkkkkk. I think there ok for now.Low coolant or anything has been giving me problems,just the little but of residue on the side of the block,but its been there since i bought the car in 05....

I am almost positive that you do have this problem. Almost every GA out there is going to get it atleast once. However you should have some extra cash on hand before you start because it can quickly turn into a much more expensive job if you break stuff like I did.

yea you stated that you saw a milky substance on the oil cap. thats how it starts and then i finally looked at the oil cap not even a week or two later and it was even worse. thats when i decided to do the job and im glad i got it over with and you should really get it done ASAP before you have worse problems.

Yup your deffinatly going to want to get it done. I just got mine done, switched over to the green stuff. I noticed it when i was putting winshield washer fluid in. Didnt drive it untill I got it fixed Monday. $325 for my trusty garage to do the whole shabang.

Milky white substance on the oil cap is not necessarily indicative of a LIM gasket failure. You mentioned you drove and checked it again and it appeared to be normal. This to me means that you just had some condensation on the oil cap and it heated up enough driving to the airport to evaporate it off. You also mentioned the leak externally Now this is probably a LIM gasket but with it being external you may be able to hold out a bit. Also if you're not loosing coolant then are you sure the "moisture" you're seeing is really moisture?

That is odd. I've never heard of there being milky substance on the cap and then it disaspearing? As soon as I noticed it I saw that there was more a week later and knew I had a problem...not to mention the loss of coolant. I actually barely had a coolant leak problem until i flushed my coolant out and filled it again. That's what was wierd but it triggered the LIM problem to get 10x worse.

Even so, I wouldnt even wait till it gets really bad to do this work. Just get it over with unless your completely strapped for the cash, just get it done otherwise. It's a pain in the ass to do but such a relief to get out of the way.

Too bad I still need to fork over $400 for new tires now...my money problems never end ;crap

Exactly what eric99gt said.

Milky stuff on the cap does not mean you have a LIM leak. My LIM was just replaced and I have milky 'winter condensation' on my cap. Just keep checking your oil for the choclatey milkshake stuff and you will be fine. All it means is that you arent heating the engine long enough to burn off the condensation. My condensation actually steamed off so bad it warped the oil cap (too many short trips with lots of buildup).

but he said he noticed dripping coolant from in between the heads as well?

The LIM can seep a bit of coolant over time and not necessarily have a leak. May leave a residue that looks like a leak but you could hold out on doing the gasket. Best way to tell if you have a leak is either coolant loss or if you get the milkshake on the dipstick (sounds perverted) lol.

It's nice to see that some people here aren't just jumping to conclusions. ;)