Intake gaskets

[loyalematt]

Just wondering if you have to drain the cooling system to change the intake gaskets where there is a coolant jacket there on the EA82s. Thanks.

[DaveT]

Yes.  There is a main passage in the intake.  Coolant from the heads goes through it to the thermostat. 

Drain about a gallon out of the radiator gets most of it. 

Run it up to normal operating temperature,  shut it down, slowly and carefully loosen the 6 intake to head bolts.   Work them out and in gradually if they are really stuck.  If you really pay attention and practice,  you can tell the difference between the springyness of a bolt vs the yield when it snaps off.

Unless you put it toget her with anti seize before. 

[idosubaru]

Yes, drain it. 

If you're trying to be speedy-mc-grab-a-part at the back holler pull a part that doesn't drain the coolant first....you don't have "have" to drain it.  Pull the intake manifold and the coolant rages out of the intake passages, all over the top of the engine, into the head ports/valve seating area and drips into the combustion chambers. 

[loyalematt]

10 hours ago, idosubaru said:

Yes, drain it. 

If you're trying to be speedy-mc-grab-a-part at the back holler pull a part that doesn't drain the coolant first....you don't have "have" to drain it.  Pull the intake manifold and the coolant rages out of the intake passages, all over the top of the engine, into the head ports/valve seating area and drips into the combustion chambers. 

I think I will go more with the slowly-MC-doitright-the first-time in the backyard. Just done the HGs and the kit had the thin cardboard type gaskets I used for right now to get it back in service. I now have the OEM gaskets I need to change out and wanted to verify I had to drain the coolant I just put back into it. Thanks.