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[albitz]

Yep - oil in plug wells indicates failed camcover gaskets,ususally caused by blocked breathers.Looking at your pics,the breathers and throttle body havent seencarb cleaner for quite a while.That will be the cause of your troubles.Mayo in breather pipes,I would imagine same cause as mayo in oil filler neck - short journeys,particularily in this colder weather.GM 10/40 semi seems to be the best oil for keeping it to a minimum.A good motorway blast once in a while also helps clear the mayo.
Clean the breathers at least once a year (preferably twice imo) to ensure your new camcover gaskets dont go the same way as your old ones. And dont forget - only tighten the covers down to 8nm - which isnt very tight at all.
I find wynns carb/injector cleaner aerosol is best for cleaning the breathers etc. Looking at the state of yours,you will probably need 2 cans.
Nice write up youve done as you went along btw.Im sure some of those pics and accomanying script could be used for a maintenance guide of some sort.

[Deuce]

There is two longer bolts that hold down the coil packs, that way you can remove the coil packs first instead of trying to pull the lot out at once.

People do things different ways however so whatever works for you

I'll try that with the other bank, thanks.

Never done this before so this way is my first way, lol.

Also I DID DISCONNECT THE BATTERY NEGATIVE BEFORE AYTHING ELSE. VERY IMPORTANT.

[Deuce]

Yep - oil in plug wells indicates failed camcover gaskets,ususally caused by blocked breathers.Looking at your pics,the breathers and throttle body havent seencarb cleaner for quite a while.That will be the cause of your troubles.Mayo in breather pipes,I would imagine same cause as mayo in oil filler neck - short journeys,particularily in this colder weather.GM 10/40 semi seems to be the best oil for keeping it to a minimum.A good motorway blast once in a while also helps clear the mayo.
Clean the breathers at least once a year (preferably twice imo) to ensure your new camcover gaskets dont go the same way as your old ones. And dont forget - only tighten the covers down to 8nm - which isnt very tight at all.
I find wynns carb/injector cleaner aerosol is best for cleaning the breathers etc. Looking at the state of yours,you will probably need 2 cans.
Nice write up youve done as you went along btw.Im sure some of those pics and accomanying script could be used for a maintenance guide of some sort.

Cheers Albs, thank you for the advice. Will do the EGR cleaning tomorrow.

I thought it would be good to do a how to as there is only information for the 2.5 V6. That has been very helpful and I'm grateful for the person who took pics for that one. But there are a few differences with the two V6's  which can be compared with both 'how to's' together.

[Deuce]

Ditto to what DLK said.

I notice you left the coil packs attached to the rocker covers - that may cause you a problem when you come to refit them You'll want to separate the two.. which can be tricky and probably much easier with the rocker cover still bolted to something immobile (like the engine).

Careful if you have to lever, though, the edge of the coil packs can be brittle and you don't want to chew them up too badly.

Which bit is the coil pack? The middle part that fits above the spark plugs?

I have now separated this from the cover.

Have to go out now.

[aaronjb]

Which bit is the coil pack? The middle part that fits above the spark plugs?

I have now separated this from the cover.

Yep - that's the part I was referring to As DLK alluded to (and I'd forgotten) you can take the bolts out that hold it down (the long slender ones) and screw the slightly larger plenum bolts into the resulting holes - these are big enough that they thread into the coil pack but not the head below it, and let you pull on them to remove the coil pack. Neat idea on GMs part, that.

Anyway - good going It'll be much healthier for the car not having those little lakes of oil in the plug wells!

[albitz]

Deuce - do you have a torque wrench which goes down to 8nm ? If not I have one here you can borrow.

[aaronjb]

Deuce - do you have a torque wrench which goes down to 8nm ? If not I have one here you can borrow.

Everyone knows 8nm is "one white pinky knuckle", Albs..

[Darth Loo-knee]

Just a little something Deuce.. You have mentioned EGR a few times, what are you refering too ?

[Darth Loo-knee]

Darnit, DLK snuck something in there while I was typing.. 

Sorry mate it won't happen again

[Deuce]

Deuce - do you have a torque wrench which goes down to 8nm ? If not I have one here you can borrow.

Is there such a thing.

I have two and will have a look tomorrow.

[Deuce]

Just a little something Deuce.. You have mentioned EGR a few times, what are you refering too ?

I mean the black unit bolted to the top of the plenum, the pipes with it. the pipes that come off it and the unit behind the 1.3.5 head. Not sure if there is more.

[Deuce]

Got diverted by a football match 

The other rocker cover was a bit more fiddly. Just managed to move the cable trunking out the way enough to get the bigger bolts into the coil pack and remove that first. What a great idea!!



Just as much oil in the spark plug basins as the other head!!


All ready to clean and rebuild tomorrow.

[Deuce]

Another question.

This EGR block behind 1, 3, 5, Does the smaller pipe just pull off? I tried and it wouldn't budge and wondered if there is a clip lower down.

[aaronjb]

Ah - that's not an EGR system, it's a crank case breather system (I know why DLK asked; the 2.6 & 3.2 don't have EGR valves, only the earlier V6 engines do)

Unfortunately I don't know if there's a clip on that pipe - I didn't get quite that far down into mine  the little rubber pipes do tend to weld themselves on with heat & time, though

[Deuce]

Ah - that's not an EGR system, it's a crank case breather system (I know why DLK asked; the 2.6 & 3.2 don't have EGR valves, only the earlier V6 engines do)

Unfortunately I don't know if there's a clip on that pipe - I didn't get quite that far down into mine  the little rubber pipes do tend to weld themselves on with heat & time, though

  See what I mean about my terminology on modern engines 

Crankcase breather system, is what I meant