exhaust manifold installation?

[protosy]

okay, okay, i am feeling really retarded right now. but what the hell is the deal with the exhaust manifolds. i cannot manage to get all 6 bolts installed at the same time. its like the stupid things shrank when they were ceramic coated or something. the center two install just swell, but the outside four holes are like 1/8 inch to close to the center ones.

whats the deal? do you have to tweak them a bit with a pry bar or something to get it all to line up. i am not exactly thrilled about the notion of prying on cast iron parts.

and for you, mister Al Dustan II, here a :fist: for screwing me and this community over so bad.

thanks guys
chad

 

[jwaller]

ya thats a prob with the old manifolds. some ppl drill out the holes so you can get the bolts in. others have had luck with a torch and heating them. others have ahad god luck with putting them in an oven.

I like the pry bar technique if it's close.

 

[protosy]

thanks john. its really quite close, so maybe a little tweak with the trusty old snap-on pry bar will do the trick.

at least i dont feel so stupid now.

thanks again.
chad

 

[kwick6]

common problem, they even make a tool for dealing with it.

http://www.bobstools.com/Store/LS13000.html

 

[protosy]

so do you have said tool? if so can i borrow it from ya?

 

[kwick6]

so do you have said tool? if so can i borrow it from ya?

No actually I don't, but I believe myclone made one fairly easily. Basically a short piece of 1/2" allthread with 2- 1/2" nuts on each end, that you loosen, which accomplishes the same thing.

 

[MikeRenz]

before you use the tool and crack your mani......try installing the middle bolts first. Work your way out from the middle. The outer bolt holes are a little oblong and may allow you to get the manis on without trying to stretch them.

worked for me.

 

[protosy]

no joy, i tried that. i cannot get the inside bolts for the two outside cylinders that way.

 

[nightdiver]

ya thats a prob with the old manifolds. some ppl drill out the holes so you can get the bolts in. others have had luck with a torch and heating them. others have ahad god luck with putting them in an oven.

I like the pry bar technique if it's close.

What he said....try the torch.

 

[MRKING]

1

1

Try the oven technique if all else fails . Works like a charm .

 

[Stangbeater]

How did you make out?

 

[protosy]

havent yet. i got bored of fighting with em. i will take up the charge again tonight. i will probably atempt to employ the oven trick.

chad

 

[bezerk]

warm the manifolds up with a heat gun
use a stud in the narrow holes, and start wiggeling...with the manifolds

 

[SonomaGTlover]

Did someof the ceramic coating get into the holes? You might check and drill it back out if it did. I have had that problem with powder coating on other parts.

 

[bezerk]

i had them coated, no problemo

 

[ghettosled]

have a friend pry while you try to start the bolt. It also helps to have fresh new hardware with clean threads. DOing this all by yourself is pretty scary b/c there isnt much to grab onto for leverage.

 

[myclone]

so do you have said tool? if so can i borrow it from ya?

No actually I don't, but I believe myclone made one fairly easily. Basically a short piece of 1/2" allthread with 2- 1/2" nuts on each end, that you loosen, which accomplishes the same thing.

Yep, that was how I did it. My drivers side lacked maybe a 1/16" of letting me put the bolts in so I broke out the allthread, cut a piece just short enough to fit between the manifold outlets, put a couple of nuts on it, and used two wrenches to loosen the nuts. Worked fine for me and cost $.000001 .

 

[93ty475]

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

both of my stock manifolds owned me tonight...none of the auto parts stores i visited today had the spreader tool..i'll try to make one like myclone's...i tried a big pry bar tonight every which way and even heated the driver's side up in my oven and it didn't work....if it isn't one thing with these trucks, its another...i stopped before i f'd up the threads in the heads...i bought new grade8 bolts for this today...two bolts are shorter than the rest of the twelve, i found...need to get two stud type if i recall...maybe i'll try a torch tomorrow...these manifolds have been removed for around 3 or so years...maybe that has something to do with this...

 

[93ty475]

i forgot i had a chinese portapower kit...i pulled between the front and rear exhaust runner and lined it up perfectly...knocked out the passenger side and crossover tube as well :whew: i know i know the valvecovers...theyre off now...switching them out probably tonight...

 

[SpoolingTurbo6]

hahahahaha

hahahahaha

That's so cool Only syty guys think this $#!t up