Okay, the last of the manifold nuts is off and the manifolds are free from
the head! Off-list, I had asked a friend the secret to removing the bottom
nut that lies underneath the intake runner to #3 & 4 cylinders, She said
the secret was to pull the radiator, get a Craftsman speed wrench, and have
some one with skinny arms do it. I should have asked her to come up and
demonstrate it for me, but then I remembered I did it a few years back
(trying to remove a bad starter), so I should be able to do it again. Well,
try as I might, I just couldn't get a 12mm on that last nut. I even jacked
the car up (two jacks, lots of wheel blocks and I waited for my wife to get
home, JIC) and tried to see if I could reach it from below. No luck.
Finally, why trying to describe why it was taking so long to my wife, who
detests the cold and was by now freezing, I remembered that one of the nuts
was bigger than the rest. Sure enough, a 13mm slid over and after five
minutes of a quarter turn at a time, the stud fell out of the block. It
tried to hide behind the starter with several of his buddies but I found
them. The PO had swapped out the stock stud for something a bit bigger.
But then, since I put it back in last time I had it out, I'm as much to
blame as he is! I think along with having the head cleaned up, all new
studs are in order.
BTW, how does everybody feel about reusing head bolts Vs new?
Paul
OROC
|