What else should I do while I have the intake manifold off?

[Fletcher]

Shortly I will be receiving an intake manifold, new carb and custom cold air intake adapter to replace the stock manifold & solex carb.  While I have the intake manifold off and whatever is beneath it/nearby exposed, is there anything else I should attend to just cuz I can while i'm in there? / Are there things (maintenance-wise) that one should do in conjunction with this swap? 

 

Thanks 

[John76]

Easy access to the starter motor...if it needs fixing/replacing.

Ditto for the steering box.

[tme]

Order a set of small intake stud nuts if you don’t already have them.  They will make it much easier to RR the manifold.  https://www.iemotorsport.com/product/thin-11mm-nut-for-intake-manifold/

[esty]

30 minutes ago, tme said:

Order a set of small intake stud nuts if you don’t already have them.  They will make it much easier to RR the manifold.  https://www.iemotorsport.com/product/thin-11mm-nut-for-intake-manifold/

educate me...if the ones he removes ain't broke why replace them

[Son of Marty]

1 hour ago, esty said:

educate me...if the ones he removes ain't broke why replace them

Some of them lack enough clearance for a socket to slip on easily The 12mm nuts are somewhat OK but if someone used a 13mm it's real hard.

[TobyB]

1 hour ago, esty said:

educate me...if the ones he removes ain't broke why replace them

He shouldn't.  They're not a wear item.

And the originals were made in Germany.

Replacements, likely not.

 

t

[Mike Self]

2 hours ago, Son of Marty said:

The 12mm nuts are somewhat OK

Even the 12mm nuts along the bottom edge are difficult to get a wrench on...next time I have my manifold off I'm gonna grind a little relief into the underside of the manifold arms to allow a socket to go on straight.  I did that on my clutch M/C and it made a world of difference in removing/replacing it.  

 

And while you have the manifold out, prophylactically replace the coolant hoses that run under the alternator and into the manifold...and if the alternator bushings are shot, it's a lot easier to wrestle with the alternator with the manifold out of the way...

 

mike

[tech71]

Freeze plugs under there look ok? If not, nows the time to change them.

[tme]

6 hours ago, esty said:

educate me...if the ones he removes ain't broke why replace them

Makes it much easier to RR the manifold.  Less knuckle damage, less swearing, better for those around you.  Several of the nuts on the bottom are a challenge even with a cut down wrench and chances are after 50 years what you have are rounded or miss matched.  Same applies to the exhaust manifold in my book.

[John_in_VA]

6 hours ago, tme said:

Order a set of small intake stud nuts if you don’t already have them.  They will make it much easier to RR the manifold.  https://www.iemotorsport.com/product/thin-11mm-nut-for-intake-manifold/

 

How many nuts does one need?  With the issues with IE recently is there a suitable option from BelMetric or McMaster-Carr?  Thanks in advance!

 

https://www.belmetric.com/metric-nuts-c-3/

https://www.mcmaster.com/hex-nuts/

[Son of Marty]

As Mike S said. you can also use a die grinder to enlarge the pocket there's enough meat on the manifold to support a reasonable amount of grinding.

[Mark92131]

What intake manifold are you receiving?  Another OEM 2 barrel, a Cannon 2 barrel, a Lynx?  The OEM manifold will support all your intake manifold water jacket hose connections.  The Cannon requires an OEM 1 barrel lower water jacket and the Lynx requires you to use a bypass pipe to make the connection between the water pump and the heater core and a water neck from a 320i or S14.  The Solex you are removing had a water choke, if the new carb is an electric or manual choke, you'll need to cap at least the feed on the block.

 

Mark92131

 

 

[Fletcher]

11 hours ago, Mark92131 said:

What intake manifold are you receiving?

an excellent question to which I don’t have an excellent answer.   
 

The car itself and this upgrade are both from Bill Watson of Road Rockets in Sonoma, CA.  The custom manifold porting is modeled on what he says is the most efficient intake upgrade his shop has produced referencing Kenny Augustine as the source of the original’s inspiration.  It’s being provided with a Weber 38/38 carburetor and a custom adapter to allow the stock cold air intake to be used without making contact with the hood.  This solution is currently being tested on a donor 2002 at Sonoma Raceway and will be shipped to me in a few weeks.  

['76mintgrün'02]

Hopefully it is just a hogged out stock manifold with the water jacket on the bottom and not an aftermarket one that omits that feature.  (as Mark referred to above).

 

Cleaning is the main thing I would do while it is out.  I like to make little wooden or plastic scrapers to get into the nooks and crannies and start off with those, to remove as much buildup as possible before using any sort of cleaning chemicals.  It's way less messy to catch/sweep up the scrapings than it is if you turn it into a "muddy" mess.

 

I'm eager to see the way they adapt the stock air cleaner to the 38-38.  I'm guessing they'll cut out the dome and weld in a flat plate that mates with the top of the carb.  Please post photos when you get it.

Tom

[Fletcher]

14 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

I'm eager to see the way they adapt the stock air cleaner to the 38-38.  I'm guessing they'll cut out the dome and weld in a flat plate that mates with the top of the carb.  Please post photos when you get it.

Will do ??