Missing plenum gasket?

[cheddy]

I took of the plenum above the intake manifold on my 2000 Ford Ranger and there was no gasket, just the three plastic o-ring type things. Also the IAC valve didn't have a gasket, there was just the o-ring thing there too.

As best as I could tell it didn't look like these parts were ever removed before so that if I had to make a guess there never was a gasket. I just order a gasket online to put it in there just in case.

My question is, is this gasket very important?

Here is a picture of what was missing (the green gasket):

 

[Yellowsplash]

The gasket goes below the fuel rail spacer against the lower intake manifold, the o-rings go on the plenum above the fuel rail spacer.

 

[cheddy]

According to the Haynes repair manual Chapter 4-8, #33

"Install a new gasket on the fuel rail then install the upper maniold and tighten the fasterners evenly..."

 

[AllanD]

The O-rings replaced the gasket when ford switched to the plastic intake plenum in 1995

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[Larry's shee]

Ok then in the Fel-pro # MS98005T ther are two of the "green" and six of the O-ring. Why? What for?

 

[cheddy]

Still pretty confusing for me as well. I am going to replace the o-rings before I reinstall the upper intake but should I or should I not install the gasket as well?

 

[cheddy]

So no Ford Ranger after 1995 has a gasket between the fuel rail and upper manifold?

 

[Mike828]

So no Ford Ranger after 1995 has a gasket between the fuel rail and upper manifold?

The three rubber gaskets are the gasket between the fuel rail and upper for your 2000.

 

[1994B4000]

If I remember correctly the upper gasket set I got for my '94 also had three rubber rings and two of the "green" style gaskets just like Larry's shee said. There was a little insert explaining to use whatever came off the motor originally and discard the others. They just make a "universal" gasket set that has enough parts to do either of the intake styles.

Since I have the old style intake I had three little rubber rings floating around my cab for a few months--heck, they're probably still stashed somewhere in there but I should have just chucked them out. You could save the second "green" style gasket though as a spare for the one under the fuel rail.

Oh, and the Haynes manual has a few "vague" bits where you have to do what they mean instead of what they say. This is especially true where one section is supposed to cover a wide ranger of model years where there were some changes.

 

[Larry's shee]

Contacted Fel-Pro, thats what they said about kit. Multi year fit. Waste of money IMO.