| Re: intake Plenum
If it's anything like a 98, getting it off is pretty easy, remove plug wires, disconnect fuel rail connectors (leave the fuel rail on the intake), in 98 the injector harness comes with a quick disconnect plug, remove that, your vaccuum lines, and the TB and then you can take it off as a complete assembly, otherwise you'll spend a ton of time taking the fuel rail & injector harness off the Intake which isn't necessary.
I second Ranger's comment, the intake gaskets just prevent a vaccumm leak which can lead to a lean condition but has nothing to do w/compression. You should do a proper leak down test (a kit is $30 from harbor freight, but u do need an air compressor which can be had for a couple hundred or less, and the only hard part of getting your cylinder to TDC requires you to hand turn the crank but it's doable if u get the car in the air). You can inspect the coolant overflow tank for bubbles which would indicate a head gasket failure, you can also listen to your exhaust which a hissing sound would indicate a leaking exhaust valve, if you take the intake off and put your hand over the intake flute you'll know if an intake valve is bad, and if it's none of the above but you still have low compression or it looses compression quickly then you know you have a bad ring. It's really that easy and it allows you to properly diagnose where the comrpession problem lies... | 
