How is the hose attached to the bottom of the intake ? The one I'm looking at in the photo, is the hose nearest the distribtor with the blue tape. Is there a clamp, or just slide on ? How hard is it to remove this hose ?. I may be removing the intake & valve covers to refinish & to replace the egr tube.
Would love to find somebody that has powder coated intake & valve covers for sale that are ready to pop on & take my old ones back as a core.... Anyone providing a service like that ?
Thank you for any information.
[This message has been edited by CoolBlue87GT (edited 03-20-2014).]
That hose just slides onto the bottom of the intake. You might have to reach under the intake with needle nose pliers grip the rubber end and twist it slightly to break the seal it might have. Then you should be able to pull it off easier.
That hose just slides onto the bottom of the intake. You might have to reach under the intake with needle nose pliers grip the rubber end and twist it slightly to break the seal it might have. Then you should be able to pull it off easier.
Thanks. Now, how about the powder coated intake & valve covers ? Anyone still doing powder coat ? I think I remember somebody named Papa Fiero ?
I don't powder coat but I do refinish valve covers and upper intake. I use VHT high temp engine paint and clear coat. Here are some pics of an intake and valve covers I've done.
If your interested I could do yours. PM me if you are.
I have read stories of people getting to the bolts without removing the upper intake, but personally I don't see how you can do it without at the least loosening the upper intake. And even if you do loosen it you will for sure have to replace the gasket between it and the lower intake so you might as well remove it completely.
I'm convinced people that somehow claim to remove all the valve cover bolts without removing the upper intake must use some sort of sorcery.
Originally posted by Fiero84Freak: I'm convinced people that somehow claim to remove all the valve cover bolts without removing the upper intake must use some sort of sorcery.
Originally posted by Fiero84Freak: I'm convinced people that somehow claim to remove all the valve cover bolts without removing the upper intake must use some sort of sorcery.
True. I can't see it happening.
Having said that, I think the most difficult part of removing the upper intake is dealing with the throttle body coolant lines. Unless you just want to keep everything original, you can remove the lines and fittings from the throttle body, and the two hoses from the thermostat housing. Take a single piece of hose and loop between the two hose barbs on the thermostat housing. There is a bracket on the end of the upper intake that holds the lines and the MAP sensor. I cut off the section of the bracket that supports the lines, then bolted the bracket back on to the plenum. An added advantage to doing this is that you will be able to get to the distributor and cold start injector without the lines being in the way.
------------------ Raydar 88 Formula IMSA Fastback. 4.9, NVG T550 Praise the Lowered!
So how is the lower intake removed? I see there are 8 bolts holding it down, but once those are removed do the injectors hold it from actual removal from the engine top? Does the fuel rail assembly along with the lines have to be removed first? The '87 I helped a friend move from his storage yard runs but has something banging (possibly in the top end) along with a miss on one cylinder. I'm thinking he has a lifter/rocker problem, but it was not under the rear valve cover once that one was removed. So the front one has to come off. Thanks for any help.
First tape off the injector wires so you know what's what when you put things back together.. Release the fuel pressure from the valve on top of the rail.. Remove the rail including the injectors.. Should come off in one piece.. Then get to the lower intake bolts to take out.. Wala.. It's off
You don't have to remove the lower intake. You DO have to remove the upper and middle intake. As I posted above, the most difficult part of removing the upper intake is dealing with the throttle body coolant lines. They are just *in the way*.
Once you have removed the upper intake, remove the plastic vacuum lines that are there. Be very careful not to break anything. They are very brittle after all these years. Then remove the fuel rail and injectors. It's only held on by a couple of bolts. You'll have to either remove the cold start injector from the end of the lower intake, or remove the tube from the end of the fuel rail. Once you've done that, and removed the bolts, you can pull or pry up on the fuel rail. the injectors will come out with the fuel rail. (It's a good idea to take a brush and maybe some solvent and remove any grit that is around the injectors where they plug into the manifold. You don't want any of that falling into the engine.) You can leave the fuel lines attached to the fuel rail and just swing it out of the way, or you can remove them. Whatever you find easier.
Once the fuel rail has been removed, then the middle intake can be unbolted and removed. It's only held on by a few (maybe 4 or 6) bolts. After that is removed, you will have plenty of room to remove the valve covers. Be careful not to drop anything down the intake ports or injector holes. I would be inclined to tape over them with masking tape.
You mentioned a banging in the top end, along with a misfire. I broke a rocker stud on one of my 2.8s. Made a hell of a clatter, and kept backfiring through the intake. Good luck.
Thanks. That all makes sense now that I've seen it all. Didn't know there was a middle intake. Three pieces, huh. There may already be some debris getting in the injector ports since some of them were already almost coming out of their holes already. I scored some Maple tree helicopters trying to fall in. I'll sink the injectors back in a bit and use a blow nozzle on the top of the engine.
I unbolted the TB from the upper intake, unbolted the EGR tube at the EGR valve and the upper came off very easily. Everything on the car so far has been very supple. It's a 68K mile car. He's replaced the battery and alternator, plus something else recently and left the car sitting since the big banging.
If a rocker or a simple fix is not the problem I'll advise him to look at the local yard where I know there's a 95 Camaro, some Lumina APVs, Montanas, etc..
Used to be a guy on here who did the exchange system with valve covers and intake plenums ( upper and lower ) His user name was Electrathon from Gresham, Oregon. Not sure if he still does them though. Kit
Dave, I had a local guy powder coat my Intake and Valve covers last winter. It took him about a week and they turned out beautiful. I also had him weld up the two coolant outlets for the throttle body lines on my Thermostat housing and had the housing powder coated too. I will add pictures when I get out to the garage later. The cost for al that was about $125. A little bit high but, again, it turned out beautiful.
Dave, I had a local guy powder coat my Intake and Valve covers last winter. It took him about a week and they turned out beautiful. I also had him weld up the two coolant outlets for the throttle body lines on my Thermostat housing and had the housing powder coated too. I will add pictures when I get out to the garage later. The cost for al that was about $125. A little bit high but, again, it turned out beautiful.
$125 doesn't sound to bad, would love to see your photos when you get them posted. Thanks for the information.
Here are some pics. The guy who did it for me sandblasted them and then powder coated them. I had to sand the paint off of the vanes to make the aluminum visible but it wasn't hard, in fact it was easier than I expected. Then I shot them with a coat of clear to prevent tarnish. Like Raydar I removed the coolant lines to the TB years ago. I am sure you don't need them in south Fla. It cleans up the engine compartment a little. Yes, I forgot to tell him the T'stat housing should be black and after seeing it decided I liked it.
You should be able to find someone local to do yours but if not let me know. I will probably have some other things to take him soon.
Originally posted by CoolBlue87GT: \Would love to find somebody that has powder coated intake & valve covers for sale that are ready to pop on & take my old ones back as a core.... Anyone providing a service like that ?
Was hoping to have mine done this winter, still putzing around with it as I can't find anyone with a sandblaster. Paying for it isn't wroth the value.
You mentioned a banging in the top end, along with a misfire. I broke a rocker stud on one of my 2.8s. Made a hell of a clatter, and kept backfiring through the intake. Good luck.
The banging turned out to be a valve dropped inside the cylinder. The entire valve. Inside the rear valve cover was a significant amount of rust on the rear most two spring/valve assemblies. The baffling in the cover was rusted. I was concerned that the banging was consistent with piston cycling and not cam cycling. Not really a surprise since he said he figured the engine would have to come out.
