Intake/exhaust manifold removal technique?

[tazwegion]

Spent most of the afternoon dismantling my XJ engine ancillaries just to get to the cylinder head, I've managed to get all but 1 bolt off the manifold but it's 1/2 along the block behind a maze of header pipes... I've been trying to reach it with a "ringy" but it feels like it's almost out of reach, so what gives? is there a U-beaut trick/technique?

I may have a fresh approach in the morning but it never hurts to ask around either...

[ozjeepster]

are they the stock headers & is it the bolt thats roughly in the middle on the bottom , get a long wratchet spanner & soak the hell out off remaining bolts over night with crc or something similar , i did mine not long ago & found the only way i could get 2 of them was with a long wratchet spanner as the bends in the pipes would not let a socket & bar through to get them , book time to remove is i think about 7 hours & the same to replace them so no need to rush lol

[Billnick]

A socket is the only tool to reach it. A 3/8 drive +uni joint and one extention helps.

[Cypher]

having recently done my exhaust manifold several times (protip: make sure its on properly the first time), I became somewhat skilled in this. on the bolts I could get to I used a rachet with extensions and uni joint, on the two under the exhaust manfold at the rear I used a racheting spanner, my trick was to be under the car with the front driveshaft disconnected and the car jacked up slightly so I could contort my arm around everything to get a decent swing at the spanner...massive PITA

[tazwegion]

Originally Posted by ozjeepster

are they the stock headers & is it the bolt thats roughly in the middle on the bottom

No they're Wildcat headers and yes that's the SOB bolt

Originally Posted by ozjeepster

get a long wratchet spanner & soak the hell out off remaining bolts over night with crc or something similar, i did mine not long ago & found the only way i could get 2 of them was with a long wratchet spanner as the bends in the pipes would not let a socket & bar through to get them

Yeah I've been eyeing off a set of those ratchet ringy's for a while... easier to justify now though

Originally Posted by ozjeepster

book time to remove is i think about 7 hours & the same to replace them so no need to rush lol

Sounds like I'm ahead of schedule then LOL

Originally Posted by Billnick

A socket is the only tool to reach it. A 3/8 drive +uni joint and one extention helps.

I think I may have half heartedly tried that approach already... better with a fresh set of eyes tomorrow



Many thanks for the pointers guys!

[junglejuice]

I have extractors on mine and I have to do it from underneath, there is simply no way of doing mine from above, it they were stock ones it is easy to do from above...

[tazwegion]

Yeah thanks JJ I was getting that impression, hopefully it's only a head gasket and not the head that needs replacing (water ingress in cylinder 2 only)