Intake Manifold Removal, Lower bolts!!

[Trainer7904]

Alright, I am trying to remove my intake manifold (92 TSi) and I have moved most everything out of the way, but the bottom bolts on the manifold are not coming off for anything. I can get a wrench on it, but once I get it on, I can't get any leverage to turn the rusted bolt. I can't get a socket on it because the angle of the nut seems to be going slightly up towards the manifold, so I wouldn't even be able to put a wrench on the socket if I would somehow get the socket on. I need any help on removing the bottom three or four nuts on the intake manifold. If not I'm just going to take a sawz-all to it.

 

[speed127]

I have a set of craftsman ratching box wrenches that I have used for just that and they worked out fine. Also if you can't get enough leverage stick a piece of pipe on the end of the wrench to make it longer. One other tip is metal shrinks when its hot so drive your car or let it idle for a bit and they should come right out. Hope this helps

 

[91orangeGST]

The best way is to start going to the gym 3 times a week. .... on a more serious note. Spray some wd 40 on it and let it soak in for a lil bit. If that doesn't work ask a friend who's stronger than you and see if he can get them off.

Good Luck,
Kyle

 

[rs-t eclipse]

wd 40 or some pb blast will help. becareful not to yank on the wrench because if the bolt snaps i hate to see how you would drill and tap it.

 

[Pure92TSi]

Intake mani's suck to take off. I had my head off recently and it was still hard to get off because those bolts were so tight. A pipe and crawl under the car is probably the best option for leverage (as stated above) and PB Blaster works really well too and it's only about 3 bucks for a can. And by the way metal expands when it's hot just like everything else.

 

[weith1111]

One other tip is metal shrinks when its hot so drive your car or let it idle for a bit and they should come right out.

Hmm it does? So when I can't get the metal lid off the glass jar I should run it under cold water?

I would go with the workout or get a stronger buddy. Many a time have I given up, and said there is NO WAY this is coming off, then ask a buddy who has 50 lbs on me to give it and shot and he breaks it free in a few minutes.

And spray the crap out of them with PB blaster. The stuff is magic.

Good luck.

 

[Trainer7904]

Im going to try to go under the car to get it. The problem isn't I can't push or pull on the wrench hard enough, it's that I can't get a wrench on it, and when I can, I can't get my hands anywhere on the wrench except the head. Maybe I need some different tools, it wouldn't help having anyone stronger take a shot at it, because I can't even get the wrench into a position to get a hand on it, at least from up top. I think the best way for me to get it is probably going to have to be putting a pipe on the end of the wrench and going from underneath the car. I took out the A/C compressor and that didn't even help much. I would drive the car around except that it has been sitting in my garage for 10 months and is half torn apart. Thanks for all the help though, I'll post again after trying underneath.

 

[weith1111]

I don't get what's in the way. If you removed the manifold stay (support) there should be nothing else back there but the knock sensor, a motor mount and some axles WAY below. Is the starter out? I can think of about 50 things that BLOW to take off, but I don't recall these guys being a super big pain.

 

[oldman]

Unbolt the downpipe and go from underneath.

 

[a_scobel]

I dunno if you're talking about the bolts right by the runners of the manifold, or the bolts on the stay/bracket, underneath the manifold...

For the bolts by the runners, get your ratchet (With 12mm socket of course) under the runners of the manifold, and put the socket on the bolt. Take a medium-sized crescent wrench (Hell, or a big one, if it'll fit) with a hole in the very end of the handle, and put that end between the runners, so that you can get the end of the ratchet into the crescent wrench's hole. Now, all you have to do is move the wrench up & down to turn the bolt (you're gonna have to hold the socket onto the bolt with your other hand, of course)....worked good for me. Since it's pretty much impossible to turn the ratchet with your hand under the manifold.

For the manifold stay/bracket, just reach underneath the manifold (from the left side of it), and you'll feel a metal piece bolted to the very bottom of the manifold. Just feel around for two bolts that are facing down (The head of the bolt is facing the ground, the tip of the threaded part is facing straight up). It'a fairly easy to get a ratchet down there to get the two bolts off.

Viola. No need to even get underneath the car.

 

[Trainer7904]

I figured out what was in my way, there was a bracket connected from the manifold to the block on the bottom, once I removed it I was able to get a wrench on the bolts and take it off in like 2 minutes. Only bad thing is the wire to the knock sensor got cut in the process, but nothing the soldering iron can't fix.