I just called napa to discuss a new EGR. When he said the only real way to clean the intake EGR port was to pull the intake and that was a BIG job? How big is big? Remove the carb, distributor, remove a dozen bolts and she comes off? Is it pretty straight forward? How much more to it is there providing you don't break any bolts.. Any special tools required? I'm not sure I want to do this but I'd like to get an idea how many :smash: would you rate this job?

 

Actuall, it's not all that hard. Just make sure you mark the dist. good. If you get it goofed up, now you have to reset the thing. That can be a pain. Make sure you you mark the vacuum line.

 

Removing the intake manifold is one of the easiest jobs on the engine. Just keep track of all fastenters and be sure to drain the engine of coolant.

 

Not hard. Just take your time. Be sure and mark the distributor like everyone said. Make a mark on the Firewall where the rotor is lining up and then mark something that shows where the base of the dist is in at. When you drop it back in....go exactly back in that place. If you get off..there's a good paper on http://www.corvettefaq.com by Lars to get back to TDC...but hopefully you won't need it.

Only other things. After the intake is removed of all bolts securing it, it'll be stuck to the block. Put a long leverage handle where the water neck bolts on in that whole and you should be able to pry up the manifold from the block. Then thourougly clean all that old gasket stuff off before you put it back on...has to be really clean or you'll get a bad seal and oil leaks. Make sure to lay a rag in the lifter valley to keep all the junk off the motor. I used a wire brush and laquer thinner to clean and it took a while...I then got out the shop vac and tried to get every little piece that got past my rag in the lifter valley.

Not all that hard...just take your time. You may want to change the oil afterwards too...always a good idea any time your in to the motor.

 

Once you've removed all of the old gasket material from all intake, head and block locations, suggest you "buff" all areas with fine emery cloth, and then clean all areas with laquor thiner, which will ensure a good surface for gaskets, RTV etc. to adhere to when reinstalling intake. Also make sure you run a tap down all intake bolt holes in the head to remove crud in threads, then spray parts cleaner in bolt holes and blow out with air gun / pressure, while holding a rag around the hole to prevent crud from going everywhere, including you face / eyes. Clean the intake bolts with wire brush, then give them a bath in the parts cleaner as well. Must follow recommend torque sequence when tightning intake bolts, and suggest you do so in 10 lb. increments up to the 30 to 35 lb. recommended finale torque reading. Must use RTV or Permatex II on intake bolts to prevent oil from working past bolts and onto the intake. Suggest you use 1/4" bead of RTV on front and rear intake lifter valley area, and a good idea to let set for 12 hours before starting engine, and then re-torque intake after engine reaches operating temperature. If aluminum intake, also suggest useage of anti-seeze on all bolts which screw into the aluminum intake. As already suggested, an oil and filter change after you start and run engine to full operating temp. is also a good idea, since even after being very careful, you are likely to have some engine crud drop down in the lifter valley and get into the lubrication system. Would be a good time to change thermostat as well, since coolant will have been drained. Suggest you purchase or go to library and get a Haynes or Chilton's manual which details steps involved in this job, if you don't have access to this type of instructional material.

 

It isn't that tough. Distributor is the biggest pain in the ordeal. If you're going through all that work, might as well upgrade something. :)
-terry

 

Don't get me started.. :lol: Thanks for all the advise. :cheers: I know I can do it BUT I think I'm going to leave well enough alone and plug off the EGR. A mechanic friend (eveyone has one) said he's seen more problems especially at low rpm request that point back to the EGR. I don't get sniffed till jan 2003 so I should be fine for a while. I should have a new motor in her before then.. I hope.. Awe come on honey... it's not really that much... :cry Hope she goes for it. I know she will... ;)

 

The worst part is that the factory iron intake is HEAVY!

 

You've had some 100% advise from the others but I want to add emphasis to some points that have already been made. The most common problems people have upon reasembly is getting ignition timing right and leaks. AS already posted, carefully mark the relationship of the distributor to the manifold or firewall, and the relationship of the rotor to the distributor with a pencil. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the engine to it's #1 firing position before you start just in case you do encounter any problems getting the distributor reinstalled. The #1 firing position is NOT 0º, it's whatever your initial advance is supposed to be (8º or whatever).

Also as already posted, use a shop vac while scraping gaskets. "Scraper in right hand, vac nozzle in left hand". That way any crud goes into the vac rather than into the engine. Most of the oil sealing problems I've seen have been where the manifold, head, and block meet. Make sure all the surfaces are sqeaky clean but be sure to "floss" that area.

 

I'd like to add a different perspective to this, a little Murphy's Law if you will. And this is not meant to discourage you from trying...

I pulled my engine. Then I tried to disassemble the manifold from the heads. Many hours later (using air tools, a chisel, a torch, and a little tool I like to call my b&^ch bar) I had a cracked intake and bolts that were frozen into my crap stock heads. Oh, and one head is still, to this day, stuck to my manifold. :smash:

Normally, removing the intake should be an easy job. But with our cars, not a lot is normal. So good luck with it, and be prepared for the worst.

:cheers:

 

You also want to put rags in the open vallys to your heads, you don't want crap in the cylinders.