Im in the process of pulling my head, started by taking apart the intake manifold... damn I underestimated that job. Took me half a day to lable all sensors, all the bolts, and everything else pertainingto the job. Still one bolt bothering me though, nothing I do can get it... sockets wont get to it, and straight wrenches wont either... Its because somehow the bolt got pushed too close tot he support wall and the walls on the sockets are too thick to fit in the space between them, any ideas on how to get it, or push the bolt away from the support bar.... By the way, its on the lower manifold, and its the bolt on the very bottom connecting the lower manifold and a support there, thers one on either side, and nearly impossible to get to without slicing ur arm trying to fit it between firewall and manifold (trust me I know). Thanks for the info if you give any...

I really had to work to get those bolts off. I recommend using a smaller 1/4" ratchet and a small wrench and trying to get at it. I didn't try this, but it might be an option to reach up from under the car. I'm not sure if your arm is long enough, though. You'd definitely have to remove the C/C box. Also, a correctly sized extension can be helpful as well. There are a variety of ones from which to choose.

But you just keep working at them and you should be able to succeed. That bolt that is under the alternator bracket is evil!

Not taht bolt, thoguht it was a pain in the ass also, took me almost two hours... Im talking about one on the other side, its not any of them connecting the the head, its just one connecting to a metal support, there are two under there, I knwo the thing is bent cuz one of them was simple as anything, while the other one is impossible...

Man, I know its no cake walk, but if it takes you that long to take off the intake manifold, I would go to work if I was you and make $$ instead and have a shop pull your head.

Those support bolts are definitely reachable from under the car should you not be able to reach it from the top. Just make sure and remove the C/C diaphram box first.

Hey super20g, its not that I dont knwo what Im doing, because I do. But there was one tricky bolt on here that I didnt have the right length extension for and even after that I couldnt get enough leverage.. Then the second bolt has been pushed towards the wall somehow and its chillin against it, therefore making it impossible to get to. I want to do it myself to a)save alot of money, and b)learn about it for myself. Its summer so I dont mind the downtime, and what the hell, something else will most likely go wrong in the time I have it, isnt it better to figure out what Im doing now, than to run to a mechanic every time and whine to him about it. Alot of money is to be saved if you have the patience and brains to do it right, and thats why Im doing it myself

Matt,


You hit the nail right on the head, when it comes to how I feel!!!!

I love my car, I love it so much, and I keep finding reasons to keep it.


Three weeks ago I got my new TB and intake manifold from ARD and decided to do it myself. What a pain in the ass it was. I removed the spare manifold that got sent to ard from an avenger so I knew how to do it. What i found out trying to do it in my car is not like the avenger cuz there is lees clearance on the firewall to the engine. That day I hated my car sooooo bad.....

I still haven't put it in, I did do the TB. But waiting to get some patience and try the manifold once more....Good Luck with it!!!

Yeah just work at it, it will come off. But if you are removing the whole head... maybe not remove it? diconnect all sensors and the fuel line from teh rail, and lift? I'm going to try to see if I can get the head with intake manifold attached to take down for the rebuild to bolt on the block. make things easier. I'll have to check a few things but it might be an easier way...

Una salus victus.



Michael J. Kulaga
e-mail: Michael_97RS@2gntDSM.zzn.com aol IM: MJKulga
http://highlander.dsmpower.com/

All motor in the making.

Injen CAI, 55mm TB, P&P Intake Manifold, Hooker Header, GS-T Muffler, AFX UDP, S-AFC, 8.5mm Magnecor Wires, Crane Fireball HI-6DI2, SS Clutch Line, NRG Susp. Motor Mount Ins., FU/RU/RL STBs, TSW Blade 17x7.5, Bridgestone Potenza RE730, Front KVR Cross-Drilled Rotors & Carbon Fiber Pads

To Be Installed: P&P Milled Head, Rear Disc Brakes, Rear KVR Cross Drilled Rotors & Carbon Fiber Kevlar Pads, SS Brake Lines

Like Michael said, just keep working at it. I removed all the bolts from under the car. The real pain in the but is that cruise control vac. box (no matter where I put it, it got in my way).



Eric Madden

Well, I finally got the thing off.. Had to single handedly push my car onto ramps, now THAT was a pain in my ass, but well worth a very hard time. I got under the car and removed that black box, I guess its the CC box. I foudn that I was missing about three bolts... oops. SO took them off and everything came off.. Inside the lower intake manifold I found a large ball of black gunk that smelled liek fuel and oil mixed, Im guessign that wasnt helping things, several small pieces of loose metal, which resembled a screw (If youve read my other posts, thats why Im removing everything, a damn screw flew in,) and a plug (One I used to plug a hole in intake mani..long story). Now my question is, considering my valves are sitting perfectly (intake adn exhaust), coudl the problem with my car simply been that a cylinder was being completely blocked between the plug and gunk? Or do you think I have bottom end damage. I woudl really like to know whether I need to still remove the head and get to block or not. Please tell me what you think, my car was idling really really rough, but once I got above 2k it would rev freely, leading me to believe there was no bottom end damage. PLease tell me your opinions on if these items in there could have been causing the problem, and if the screw could ahve gone through without disrupting my pistons. THanks

Screw? I don't remember that one. BUt it's highly uunlikely that the screw did no damage... it''s just a matter of how much, or how little.

How much of a blockage was there? If it really disrupted airflow then you would basically have little to no power out of 1 of 4 cylanders, especially at low rpms you would noticed this, either in rough idle, sounding like it was missing a lot, etc.

Una salus victus.



Michael J. Kulaga
e-mail: Michael_97RS@2gntDSM.zzn.com aol IM: MJKulga
http://highlander.dsmpower.com/

All motor in the making.

Injen CAI, 55mm TB, P&P Intake Manifold, Hooker Header, GS-T Muffler, AFX UDP, S-AFC, 8.5mm Magnecor Wires, Crane Fireball HI-6DI2, SS Clutch Line, NRG Susp. Motor Mount Ins., FU/RU/RL STBs, TSW Blade 17x7.5, Bridgestone Potenza RE730, Front KVR Cross-Drilled Rotors & Carbon Fiber Pads

To Be Installed: P&P Milled Head, Rear Disc Brakes, Rear KVR Cross Drilled Rotors & Carbon Fiber Kevlar Pads, SS Brake Lines

<<<<<<<Hey super20g, its not that I dont knwo what Im doing, because I do. But there was one tricky bolt on here that I didnt have the right length extension for and even after that I couldnt get enough leverage..>>>>>

I figure you know this but i wasnt saying you didnt know what your doing... I do 90% of my own work as well, expecially now that I am out of work for the summer. Sometimes however I opt to take it to a friendly local shop that loves to work on my car to have them do something for me if I dont have the time, and work an extra day to foot the bill. Not often though.