I can't get the @$#%ing manifolds off!!

[68fastwilliams]

I am in the process of resoting the engine bay in my fathers P15 Vert. I have the engine stripped down to the block and head but I can't get the manifolds off.

here is a pic before I started the tear down.

I have all of the nuts removed from the studs and the exhaust manifold is unbolted from the exhaust. The @$#%ing things will not budge. I crawled all around under the car to make sure that I did not miss something. The only thing I have not done is unbolt the intake from the exhaust. Do they have to be seperated to get them off the engine?

I beat on them with a hammer and they still did not move. These things are killing me!

[BobT-47P15]

This parts manual pic shows some of the bolts. But not all.

There was a thread not too long ago on this topic. Think there is at

least one "hidden bolt".

[BobT-47P15]

In an earlier post, Mr Coatney said "13 is the magic number" of manifold

bolts.

Here is a link to that thread....

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=2607&highlight=Plymouth+manifold

[Reg Evans]

I hope yours doesn't turn out to be as stuck as mine was. I had all 13 fasteners removed and the thing would still not budge. This was on a 40 Plymouth and I think the manifold had never been removed. I tried heat,PB blaster and a big hammer for a week. The exhaust manifold had a big crack in it so I finally had to torch a hole thru the manifold where the 2 lower long studs had become part of the manifold and burn thru them. I had removed probably 15 of these in the past without this problem. Good luck with yours.

[68fastwilliams]

Thanks guys for the ideas and the pic from the shop manual! It looks like I still need to remove the two fasteners behind the intake on the exhaust manifold. However it also looks like the only way to get to them is to remove the intake, which will require seperatring it from the EM.

Should be a treat. Wish me luck!

[Reg Evans]

Nah....just a socket with an extension should reach the nuts just fine.

That is if you meant the 2 hidden ones on the exhaust manifold.

[TodFitch]

Thanks guys for the ideas and the pic from the shop manual! It looks like I still need to remove the two fasteners behind the intake on the exhaust manifold. However it also looks like the only way to get to them is to remove the intake, which will require seperatring it from the EM.

Should be a treat. Wish me luck!

I have had my manifolds off several times and I have always taken the intake and exhaust off together as an assembly. I don't know about using a socket with an extension as mentioned in another post as I recall having to use an open end wrench on a couple of them including the "hidden" one behind/under the carburetor.

[68fastwilliams]

Reg,

Great pic, thanks!

[1948Skip]

Here is the ticket.

the "hidden" one behind/under the carburetor.

Skip

[68fastwilliams]

Thanks for the help guys and the great pics. I removed the two inboard nuts that are under the intake and like magic the manifolds popped right off:o .

Thanks again.

[woodscavenger]

You got lucky......it spent well over 10 hours. The two long ones snapped off. They held eveything tight. I finally got a small gap and used some small strips of sheet metal to slip down in between the block and the exhaust and then put a screwdriver between the two sheet and started pounding in like a wedge. I had to go back and forth up and down the manifold putting in more strips and bigger screwdrivers until it came off.

Now, does anyone know where to get replacement studs for the long ones. BTW they tap directly into the coolant jacket.......I didn't know that when I pulled out the first one.....oooops!

[greg g]

The other tool that works great for manifold nuts and bolts is one of the ratchiting box end wrenches. I have a set from Craftsman and they are the best thing since sliced bread.

If you get a set, get the ones with the slight angle offset and the lever that changes the direction. they make the ones that you flip ro tight and loose but i have found the other to be much better, you can use which ever angel is best for the fastener and your hand and then tighten ad loosen with out flipping the wrench. Mine are open end on one end and the ratchet is on the other.