Pontiac Repair: Firebird 3.4L 1994- Head gasket-202,000 miles, air plenum, gasket kit

Question
QUESTION: Passenger side head gasket blown and I could see antifreeze dripping and smoke from the tail pipe when engine was running. I like to fix this problem myself. Now the questions are,
1.To take out the air Plenum, do I have to take out the gas rail and injectors?
2. Do I have to take out the exhaust pipes and catalytic converter and if so what is the best way to accomplish this task?  Any tips?
3. The valve lifetrs work fine but should I replace them or leave them alone. Don't like to spend too much money on a old car.
4. What else I should change while the head if off?

Thanks and appreciate your help as soon as possible.
Rick

ANSWER: Hi Rick:

You may want to re think it! 200K on this car It may not be worth the time. Yes you have to take off the cross over pipe at the exhaust manifold. I thinm on that engine you can leave the fuel rail and injectors in the manifold you just need a small swival socket to get around the rail to remove the lower manifold bolts. As for the Valves and lifters Nothing in the head has to be changed. A little trick the rocker arms on that engine I belive are adjustable It's old enough that I belive they are all the newer engines are not adjustable. take out the head bolts and do not take off the rocker arms make sure you mark the push rods and put them back in the same spots when you put the head back on set the head on loosly and put the push rods back in between the lifters and the rocker arms then tighten the head back down. that way you will not have to screw around with adjusting the lifters when your done. Ther eis not much else you need. You can buy a head gasket kit that will have all the gaskets in it that you will need. good luck:}


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: It was very hard to take out the intake manifold with fuel rail attached. So I decided to take out the Fuel rail first. To my surprise, I could wiggle it with a screw driver but it would not come out from the manifold. so I tried to pry out the whole fuel assembly under the 2 fuel line. I was successful in taking it out but one of the fuel line came out from it's hole (fuel rail).Did I do something dumb and now have to buy the whole fuel rail or can it be pressed back in without having a leak afterwords. Also one of injector had it's bottom rubber washer missing. I believe it fell out during the extraction. Should I change all of them or just buy one. Any recomendation?

Thanks for your help.
Rgds,
Rick

Answer
Hey Rick:

Well first off I belive that you can get a fuel rail seal kit for that car. As for the injector o-ring they do make a kit for that but it has 16 o-rings in it. It's the same kit for a 4,6,8 cylinder engine they all take the same seal so they made one kit and your stuck buying extra parts you don't need. So I think you may just luck out. just a time saver tip when you get the fule injectors and rail back into the car do not put the upper plenium back on turn the key on and off several times to make sure that when the fuel pressure is built up in the rail it doesn't leak. Nothing would suck more than you get it all back together and then you have a fuel leak! I've been there and done that it ruins a day in a hurry. Change all the seals on the injectors and coat them lightly with a white lithium grease they will slide right back into place. So make that 2 time saver tips for the price of one. Good luck :}