Tips for changing intake manifold
- Thread starter LukeZ
- Start date
Luke,
Use a set of line wrenches on smaller nuts!
It is real easy to round off the hexes on the nuts using a standard open end or worse yet a "Fits all" crescent wrench. A open end wrench should work fine to hold the "Larger" nut from turning.
Hope this helps!
Bob S.
Use a set of line wrenches on smaller nuts!
It is real easy to round off the hexes on the nuts using a standard open end or worse yet a "Fits all" crescent wrench. A open end wrench should work fine to hold the "Larger" nut from turning.
Hope this helps!
Bob S.
The vacuum line at the base/back of the carb is 9/16" or 5/8". Hold the 3/4" adapter on the carb body itself while loosening the fitting. The fuel filter housing is 7/8 or 1". Hold that one while loosening the smaller fitting (9/16" or 5/8", I think). Definitely spring for a set of flare wrenches. The air cleaner rod can be removed with a pair of pliers, but I usually leave that in place as a handy lifting tool.
As soon as the carb is off, use a shop vac to clean all the junk that has collected in the top of the engine so you minimize contamination into the engine.
Mark the distributor orientation by laying a ruler, etc. across the top of the rotor and marking the alignment on a piece of tape on the firewall. Note and remember about how much the distributor turns as you pull it up and out. The cam and distributor/oil pump are driven by a pair of helical gears, so there is about a 15-degree turn as the distibutor tang drops into the oil pump. If you are off by one tooth, you'll have issues with timing.
As soon as the carb is off, use a shop vac to clean all the junk that has collected in the top of the engine so you minimize contamination into the engine.
Mark the distributor orientation by laying a ruler, etc. across the top of the rotor and marking the alignment on a piece of tape on the firewall. Note and remember about how much the distributor turns as you pull it up and out. The cam and distributor/oil pump are driven by a pair of helical gears, so there is about a 15-degree turn as the distibutor tang drops into the oil pump. If you are off by one tooth, you'll have issues with timing.
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Thanks for all your help so far!!
Here's where I am so far:
-Coolant drained
-All vacuum lines and plugs detatched
-Air cleaner off
-Carb off
-Valve covers off (degreased, cleaned, repainted)
-Stock intake bolts off (the intake is still on the car though. The alternator bracket and a few other things are in my way. In progress)
-Towels and rags covering the intake hole where the carb sat and the valve lifters
-Lots of other bolts, brackets, and small things removed
-Lots of pictures
Now about the distributor:
Ill say from the start that I know nothing about them. So far, I have unplugged the 8 spark plug wires. I have loosened the 4 hook/screw thingys and taken the cap off (before I did this, I marked with a sharpie a line on the cap and bottom part. Not sure if it matters. It only goes on like one of two ways). Now I'm looking at this white plastic thing that lays on its side. I have no idea what any of this does and I have been avoiding messing with it any further. Is this what I'm supposed to mark a line on? (keep in mind I don't know much distributor terminology haha. Based on ssn696's post, I assume the rotor is the white thing?).
Here's where I am so far:
-Coolant drained
-All vacuum lines and plugs detatched
-Air cleaner off
-Carb off
-Valve covers off (degreased, cleaned, repainted)
-Stock intake bolts off (the intake is still on the car though. The alternator bracket and a few other things are in my way. In progress)
-Towels and rags covering the intake hole where the carb sat and the valve lifters
-Lots of other bolts, brackets, and small things removed
-Lots of pictures
Now about the distributor:
Ill say from the start that I know nothing about them. So far, I have unplugged the 8 spark plug wires. I have loosened the 4 hook/screw thingys and taken the cap off (before I did this, I marked with a sharpie a line on the cap and bottom part. Not sure if it matters. It only goes on like one of two ways). Now I'm looking at this white plastic thing that lays on its side. I have no idea what any of this does and I have been avoiding messing with it any further. Is this what I'm supposed to mark a line on? (keep in mind I don't know much distributor terminology haha. Based on ssn696's post, I assume the rotor is the white thing?).
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Luke,
The white thing is the rotor.
Before I pull any distributors I will rotate the engine (Pull spark plugs out to make it easier) until the timing line on the crank is at 8 before TDC. Check with your distributor cap and see if the outer hook is pointing towards #1 terminal on the cap. If it points at #6 you have to come around 1 full turn of the crank.
If you are pointing at #1 mark a line with a sharpie or other marker on the rotor and down to the distributor body. Also its a good idea to place a tape mark between the distributor body and the firewall on the back for reference when putting the distributor back in.
Remove the bolt and hold down from the base of the distributor, Slowly pull up on the base to remove the distributor watching the direction the rotor turns. Once it stops turning mark the distributor body with a second thicker mark at the point where the rotor stops, this will assist you in getting the distributor back in place when the intake job is complete.
Looking right now at your picture you should be real close to #1 at 8 before TDC.
Good luck!
Bob S.
The white thing is the rotor.
Before I pull any distributors I will rotate the engine (Pull spark plugs out to make it easier) until the timing line on the crank is at 8 before TDC. Check with your distributor cap and see if the outer hook is pointing towards #1 terminal on the cap. If it points at #6 you have to come around 1 full turn of the crank.
If you are pointing at #1 mark a line with a sharpie or other marker on the rotor and down to the distributor body. Also its a good idea to place a tape mark between the distributor body and the firewall on the back for reference when putting the distributor back in.
Remove the bolt and hold down from the base of the distributor, Slowly pull up on the base to remove the distributor watching the direction the rotor turns. Once it stops turning mark the distributor body with a second thicker mark at the point where the rotor stops, this will assist you in getting the distributor back in place when the intake job is complete.
Looking right now at your picture you should be real close to #1 at 8 before TDC.
Good luck!
Bob S.
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OK. Step 1 is to figure out where the distributor is pointing in the picture. See the three wires sticking out from under the cap? That is pointed towards the back of your carb.
In the next picture, with the cap off, using the three wires as a reference it looks like the rotor on the distributor is pointing at about #7 spark plug wire position. Do not rotate the motor once you have the cap off and are messing with the distributor.
The goal after you have replaced the intake is to have the distributor base and rotor in exactly the same positions. Lay a ruler across the rotor bolts pointing to location A on your firewall. Put a piece of tape on the firewall and draw a mark on it that lines up with this direction. Put a mark on the metal base of the distributor (B) oriented the same way. There is a single bolt that holds a clamp on the distributor base, in the crappy GM location. Use the closed end of a combination wrench so you don't round the head and skin your knuckes. Remove the bolt and the clamp. (Clean and paint the clamp while it's off the motor if you are detailing things.) When you lift the distributor out, the helical gear at its base will rotate the shaft counter-clockwise. Remember about how much this is so you can approximate it later. Take a flashlight and look down the distributor hole. You will see the top of the oil pump shaft, with a slot in it. Note the angle relative to the engine. In order to drop the distributor back in after the now manifold is on, you have to align the distributor shaft the same amount counter-clockwise from the marked location in order to drop the tang on the bottom of the distributor gear into the slot in the oil pump while also getting the rotor lined back up. Once the distributor is back down (make sure the gasket is on there or it will leak), drop the clamp back on it and thread in the bolt. Once it is snug align the base of the distributor. If you did all this correctly, the rotor and mark on the distributor base should both align with your mark on the firewall. If somehow the oil pump shaft was turned, use a long flat blade screwdriver to turn it slightly back into alignment. Put the spark plug wires back on the right order. 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. #1 plug wire on the distributor cap is just clockwise, looking down on it, of the spot where all the wires go into the bottom of the kickout on the distributor. #1 spark plug is on the driver's side, towards the radiator. #2 is towards the radiator on the passenger side.
In the next picture, with the cap off, using the three wires as a reference it looks like the rotor on the distributor is pointing at about #7 spark plug wire position. Do not rotate the motor once you have the cap off and are messing with the distributor.
The goal after you have replaced the intake is to have the distributor base and rotor in exactly the same positions. Lay a ruler across the rotor bolts pointing to location A on your firewall. Put a piece of tape on the firewall and draw a mark on it that lines up with this direction. Put a mark on the metal base of the distributor (B) oriented the same way. There is a single bolt that holds a clamp on the distributor base, in the crappy GM location. Use the closed end of a combination wrench so you don't round the head and skin your knuckes. Remove the bolt and the clamp. (Clean and paint the clamp while it's off the motor if you are detailing things.) When you lift the distributor out, the helical gear at its base will rotate the shaft counter-clockwise. Remember about how much this is so you can approximate it later. Take a flashlight and look down the distributor hole. You will see the top of the oil pump shaft, with a slot in it. Note the angle relative to the engine. In order to drop the distributor back in after the now manifold is on, you have to align the distributor shaft the same amount counter-clockwise from the marked location in order to drop the tang on the bottom of the distributor gear into the slot in the oil pump while also getting the rotor lined back up. Once the distributor is back down (make sure the gasket is on there or it will leak), drop the clamp back on it and thread in the bolt. Once it is snug align the base of the distributor. If you did all this correctly, the rotor and mark on the distributor base should both align with your mark on the firewall. If somehow the oil pump shaft was turned, use a long flat blade screwdriver to turn it slightly back into alignment. Put the spark plug wires back on the right order. 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. #1 plug wire on the distributor cap is just clockwise, looking down on it, of the spot where all the wires go into the bottom of the kickout on the distributor. #1 spark plug is on the driver's side, towards the radiator. #2 is towards the radiator on the passenger side.
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Hold on a few minutes, I am editing my post because I guessed wrong on how the distributor was point in your photo.
OK. Now everything should be accurate. I will log in tomorrow and see if you have any more questions.
OK. Now everything should be accurate. I will log in tomorrow and see if you have any more questions.
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Quinn and Bob, thank you both for the help!
So the distributor is marked and the firewall is marked, and I magaged to pull it out.
Ended up getting the old intake off (really heavy, as small as it is) and I scrapped off the old gaskets and vacuumed up the gunk. I'm definitely going to do an oil change at the end tho, just in case. I drained my anitfreeze into a dirty bucket too (won't make that mistake again), so I'll need more of that as well.
Everything important is covered with towels and rags, to make sure nothing gets down in the oil, lifters, or heads. Calling it a night. I might degrease and paint more stuff tomorrow if it needs some it. I might make an expensive trip to the hardware store too for a bunch of stainless bolts. Stripped and rusty bolts don't make me very happy lol.
It's not going to be smooth getting that new intake on. I have a pretty good opening, but I still had to shimmy the old intake out. There's a few things in my way that I really don't want to remove completely, but hey, if you're gonna do a job, do it right. It'll be worth it when I get that manifold on straight the first time!
Just wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone on this forum, and especially the members who posted to this thread. I wouldn't have made as far as I did without you all! This really is a great community. While swapping this intake is a pain in the neck and way more work that I thought it would be, I can honestly say I'm enjoying it and that I'm learning a lot about my engine. That's what it's all about, right?
I'll be back tomorrow. Thanks!
So the distributor is marked and the firewall is marked, and I magaged to pull it out.
Ended up getting the old intake off (really heavy, as small as it is) and I scrapped off the old gaskets and vacuumed up the gunk. I'm definitely going to do an oil change at the end tho, just in case. I drained my anitfreeze into a dirty bucket too (won't make that mistake again), so I'll need more of that as well.
Everything important is covered with towels and rags, to make sure nothing gets down in the oil, lifters, or heads. Calling it a night. I might degrease and paint more stuff tomorrow if it needs some it. I might make an expensive trip to the hardware store too for a bunch of stainless bolts. Stripped and rusty bolts don't make me very happy lol.
It's not going to be smooth getting that new intake on. I have a pretty good opening, but I still had to shimmy the old intake out. There's a few things in my way that I really don't want to remove completely, but hey, if you're gonna do a job, do it right. It'll be worth it when I get that manifold on straight the first time!
Just wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone on this forum, and especially the members who posted to this thread. I wouldn't have made as far as I did without you all! This really is a great community. While swapping this intake is a pain in the neck and way more work that I thought it would be, I can honestly say I'm enjoying it and that I'm learning a lot about my engine. That's what it's all about, right?
I'll be back tomorrow. Thanks!
Just a heads up, stainless fasteners can't take the same torque as steel bolts. The stainless bolts will stretch at much lower torques, I would suggest getting some grade 5 bolts from an auto parts store.
If you do use stainless fasteners then just check that the required torque for the bolt you're replacing does not exceed the max torque of the bolt.
I made that mistake, bought some stainless socket head cap screws for my intake manifold and was warned by a coworker that they probably wouldn't take the full torque speck.
https://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Torque of Stainless Steel, Non ferrous Torque.pdf
If you do use stainless fasteners then just check that the required torque for the bolt you're replacing does not exceed the max torque of the bolt.
I made that mistake, bought some stainless socket head cap screws for my intake manifold and was warned by a coworker that they probably wouldn't take the full torque speck.
https://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Torque of Stainless Steel, Non ferrous Torque.pdf
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