Can anyone please check this picture and tell me what parts are missing? I've never taken apart an intake manifold and I'm not sure what parts have been removed. I guess I need to know what I would need to put it back together.

Thanks...

valve cover, upper intake plenum, throttle body. Could be more still

dan

3 spark plug wires...(?)

yes and if car has sit for days or longer then likely crap is in the intake there.
Sitting outside then water got in there too and rusted the valves etc.

Don't even try to rotate the engine before cleaning the intake. Most Valve are keeping all dirt from entering the cylinders. Open valve lets smart dirt in and can bind up on bigger dirt. Maybe take middle section off then look thru lower at valves. Small vacuum tools might suck out the crap.

If Water got in then more problem to deal w/. Look at dip stick for a start, dump oil and watch for water. Engine isn't running the water may not cause oil to try to mix and allow water to sit on bottom of pan.

Cheap bore scope from HF etc looking in lower intake and thru plug holes can often tell whatever problems too.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

Can we get some background info? Is that your car? Or did you go look at a car with missing parts, and are trying to figure out how to make it driveable?

If it's the latter, then find out how long it's been sitting with the intake removed. If it's been longer than a few hours, then you should vacuum out the intake ports as mentioned above. Because chances are, there's some debris and/or water built up in there. You definitely should NOT turn the engine until those intake ports are cleaned out. You should also check the engine oil, to see if any water made it down to the oil pan. I say this, because some of the intake valves will be open. So water will be able to drip down into the engine.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 08-04-2017).]

quote Originally posted by Blacktree: Can we get some background info? Is that your car? Or did you go look at a car with missing parts, and are trying to figure out how to make it driveable?

Sorry for the lack of detail. I am rushing around today and on my way out again.

It is not my car. The picture was sent to me by the owner wanting to sell. He bought the car "a few months ago". Within a couple of weeks the engine developed a "tick" sound that is consistent with RPM. He disassembled to this point looking for the source. Could be the valve-train or a leak in the exhaust manifold or something else. He's now tired of trying to work in the tight spaces and just wants rid of it. He says he still has all the parts he removed. I am trying to figure out the level of reassembly (and skills) required to make it whole in order to troubleshot the running engine. Sounds like just the top of the intake manifold, valve cover, throttle body and associated gaskets, which I think I can handle. If I go for it I won't be working on it until it is transported. I'm not trying to drive it home at this point. Car is a couple of hours away.

I am concerned about the open orifices, too... He says "it turns freely" so at some point whatever might have been collected in there may now already be inside.

1987 GT. 115K miles. Other than the engine tick it is in "like new condition". Yeah, heard that before... I plan to go see the car tomorrow.

Additional comments welcome.

Thanks

There's not a lot of work to replace what's been removed. You'll need a manifold gasket set and a pair of valve cover gaskets. FelPro MS 93020 Intake Manifold Set, Includes Lower, Intermediate, and Upper Gaskets. I don't have the numbers for the valve cover gaskets. If you don't want to remove the other intakes you can purchase just the upper plenum cover. Felpro MS 93020-1 Intake Manifold Plenum Gasket.

If the motor's been protected and just uncovered for the photo, you might be safe, but like said above, should be inspected carefully. Most debris can be blown out of the cylinders by inserting a long tipped blow gun into the spark plug hole.

If you do purchase the car and decide to remove the intakes, to avoid having to readjust the valves, get the Lisle Tools 48500 Pushrod Removal Tool for the 2.8, 3.1 and 3.4 engine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXZLObJ3o2o

[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 08-04-2017).]

If for sale, tread Dead Motor in the price.
Because it is so in the condition you see regardless anything the current owner claims.

Rotate by hand or run the starter just means motor isn't froze up.
Claimed "Ticking" sound can very minor to early sign of crank w/ dying bearing(s).

You will need to tow the car and depending how far that can be a lot of $.
If you live in HOA City etc that restrict parking dead cars then could be a very big problem. They can tow the car and fine you too. The County here will fine or tow any car for parking issues even on private property.

Look for a cracked exhaust manifold, mainly the firewall side (most likely to crack)
If you find no cracks, consider it a dead engine.

Edit to add: one persons tick is anothers deep rod knock.

[This message has been edited by sardonyx247 (edited 08-04-2017).]

I am going to see the car tomorrow. I figure I can absorb the price of a major repair and still come out OK. If it's catastrophic I can still part it out and come out ahead.

Assuming we make the deal, after an in- person (non-running) inspection, he is willing to trailer it to a friends house out in the country where I can work on it.

Thanks guys...

(I'll post an update in a couple of days either way.)

I just got back from seeing the car. As usual pictures always look better than real life. There had been more disassembly than I could see in the pictures and it seems the intake openings were never covered or protected. There were also some hoses cut and a few (that I could see) vacuum tubes broken. A number of parts in the trunk that I could not identify. I figure it would cost me at least a couple of hundred bucks to put it back into running condition just so that the troubleshooting could begin again. The tires had great tread but all the sidewalls were cracked. Driven less than 300 miles in the last 9 years, based on a VIN report I paid for, and I'm sure it sat all that time, but probably indoors.

It's in generally good shape cosmetically, but I had expected much better condition all the way around based on what the buyer claims to have paid just a few months ago. (Thousands too much). It's a classic case of wanting to sell based on what they have into it vs what it's really worth. His price was a big discount from what he paid but still more than I think it's worth given the repair and deferred maintenance costs. I did make him an offer based on parting it out but he didn't feel like he could come down any more.

In the end I just wasn't prepared to pay that much based on the condition of the rest of the car. I would have happily absorbed the repair costs based on anything near what he bought it for, but not for what it is really worth. I left my offer open. I'll wait to see how he feels in a few days.

A "Non Running" fiero, no matter what shape the rest is in, is worth about $4-500. *If it won't move under it's own power, you have no Idea what could be wrong with it. brakes, electronics, suspension, engine...Etc.* they're all over the place . doesn't matter how much he's got in it

quote Originally posted by Lou6t4gto: A "Non Running" fiero, no matter what shape the rest is in, is worth about $4-500.

I would tend to agree, but in this case the taillights are worth that much, so I offered over that.