[nofehr]

I'm looking at 2003 3.4l vehicle purchase. How common are intake gasket problems?

[vinniekq2]

check the service bulletins for that car/engine.There are a few things that need to be done.Most services are easy fixes.

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

Originally Posted by vinniekq2

check the service bulletins for that car/engine.There are a few things that need to be done.Most services are easy fixes.

Untill the operator overheats the engine.. Then it's pressure test and mill the heads. These engines get a shop thru slow winters.. I get several per week.

First indication of head problems, in cold climates, is the heater/defroster stops working correctly.

[LATECH]

I see a lot of them. 50 -60 K on intakes, and if it overheats as a result, youll be doing head gaskets, and both at 100K .
See it all the time.
There are TSb s for the intake bolts, they want you to use the GM bolts that have a pre cured thread lock agent. As long as you put blue lock tite on the center bolts and red on the end bolts , you will be OK.
Also torquing them proper is critical. More is not better, to much torque stresses the frame around the eurathane beads that make the seal in the gasket , the frames crack and pre maturely leak as a result.