Easiest way to install manifold clamps? Dorman Manifold clamps

[iboughtatahoe23]

For the life of me I can’t get my hands back there. Easiest way to install?

 

[Airman68]

LOL, I bought one too and looked at it and thought the same thing. Still havent installed. I do need to do it though. Not sure how much to fix it correctly but can't be cheap.

 

[donjetman]

View attachment 400805
For the life of me I can’t get my hands back there. Easiest way to install?

Pay someone BIG$ to do it
or

Lifter tick when cold? Berryman B12?

I have to agree that the assorted 'mechanic-in-a-can' products seldom do you much actual good. Does anyone else remember when 'lifter tick' was another way to spell 'small block chevy'? joe

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

 

[OR VietVet]

When I did mine, it was in my friend's shop and up on a lift but he still had it easier than me installing them. Smaller hands and younger. Plus, we had the manifolds off for motor mounts.

 

[89Suburban]

When I did mine, it was in my friend's shop and up on a lift but he still had it easier than me installing them. Smaller hands and younger. Plus, we had the manifolds off for motor mounts.

Yeah I was gonna say try from underneath or pull the inner fender and try from the side?

 

[Geotrash]

Yeah I was gonna say try from underneath or pull the inner fender and try from the side?

This is the easiest way without a lift, in my opinion.

 

[89Suburban]

Maybe pulling the valve cover will help?

 

[j91z28d1]

I did the drivers side rear.. the holes where a bit off on one of mine, took a bit to figure out why I couldn't get the 2nd bolt to start.

once I figured that out, opened the hole up wasn't bad. a flex head ratchet wrench was handy to tighten it down. I do also have a top side creeper at work. so that probably made it easier for me too.

 

[Scott in AZ]

So the OEM manifold bolt stud must be removed or ground down below the exhaust header flange? That means I can’t install the clamp with intact bolt studs. I was wondering if anyone uses a similar clamp to supplement the existing intact bolt studs.

Rather than that, why don’t we proactively remove and replace the bolt studs one at a time? Would that require a full manifold removal and new gasket? Or can it be done in place?

 

[OR VietVet]

So the OEM manifold bolt stud must be removed or ground down below the exhaust header flange? That means I can’t install the clamp with intact bolt studs. I was wondering if anyone uses a similar clamp to supplement the existing intact bolt studs.

Rather than that, why don’t we proactively remove and replace the bolt studs one at a time? Would that require a full manifold removal and new gasket? Or can it be done in place?

ARP | The Official Web Site

arp-bolts.com

 

[Geotrash]

Rather than that, why don’t we proactively remove and replace the bolt studs one at a time? Would that require a full manifold removal and new gasket? Or can it be done in place?

The risk is that in the process of removing the other bolts, one or more snap off in the head requiring significant work to get them out. Drilling the bolts to use an EZ-out is risky because the head surrounding it is relatively soft aluminum. So for a broken bolt, most folks find they either need to weld a bolt to the nub that's left, or take the cylinder head off to work on it on the bench.

 

[Coveman]

I bought replacement arp bolts and watched a few yt videos on removing them. Best tricks I saw were doing one bolt out/in at a time, using penetrating oil and heating the bolts first, and going very slowly on each bolt a little cw / ccw until you feel the bolt starting to free up. Most guys recommend using anti seize on the new bolts

 

[Charlie207]

Supposedly, laying a big/thick blanket in top of the engine, and laying a wide board on top of it all allows you to lay on top of the engine and reach down over the top of the head. At least that's what one of the Amazon reviews with pics claimed.

 

[OR VietVet]

I bought replacement arp bolts and watched a few yt videos on removing them. Best tricks I saw were doing one bolt out/in at a time, using penetrating oil and heating the bolts first, and going very slowly on each bolt a little cw / ccw until you feel the bolt starting to free up. Most guys recommend using anti seize on the new bolts

For many years, when I was taking out bolts that I was afraid was going to break, I did the penetrant/heat and tighten/untighten method. When you wrench in a state where they use salt on the roads, you use every trick you know to not break a bolt.

 

[project_x]

I went from the top, but used magnets to hold the plate clamp in place.

And coned the first but of the bolt to guide it in...

It still took much longer than I thought it should... But thought I would share what worked for me.

 

[Charlie207]

I couldnt' get the ground-strap bolt off the back of the block where the top bolt of the clamp attaches. There's a heatshield between the firewall and the block that eats up some space.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

I couldnt' get the ground-strap bolt off the back of the block where the top bolt of the clamp attaches. There's a heatshield between the firewall and the block that eats up some space.

Were you able to remove those? And how did you go about it? Wheel well?

Take the shield off and then wouldn’t you be able to get in there with a ratchet? Or maybe you could with wrench. They tend to be flatter than ratchets.

 

[Charlie207]

Were you able to remove those? And how did you go about it? Wheel well?

Take the shield off and then wouldn’t you be able to get in there with a ratchet? Or maybe you could with wrench. They tend to be flatter than ratchets.

No, I should have specified that I'm dead in the water on this one. I initially tried every combo of ratchet and/or wrench, but no luck. I don't even know how to get that heat-shield off. It might be much easier on a 2WD vehicle, but I wouldn't know.

I even bought a set of flex-head wrenches, but even that didn't give enough leverage. So... now I'm just pretending that the leak coming from that one exhaust port is in time with my music.

 

[j91z28d1]

put the flex side on the bolt, put something thru the open end against something and pry it for leverage. I do remember that bolt being crazy tight, like I thought I was going to break my wrench on it haha.