73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks > Exhaust

Exhaust Manifold stuck

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Chanman09:
Too long; didn’t read:  I loosened up my exhaust manifold and it won’t come out. Caught between the starter and frame. Loose. Just sitting there laughing at me.


Ok. I’m not a complete rookie under the hood, and by no means consider myself a mechanic. So I’m flabbergasted as to what I’m doing wrong here.

I kinda am doing some super simple and cheap things to my 1986 c20 right now, as I’m saving up for tires and a wiring harness to get into my next stage of restoration.

I thought it would be a perfect Sunday project to pull off some smog stuff that has been burned, rusted, cut, or eaten by varmints. I had removed the 2 AIR pumps previously when installing a new fuel pump, and I finished chasing the hoses to different areas and pulled them. Then I took the giant octopus stuff off the top of the engine. It was a combination of hoses and hard lines going from one exhaust manifold to the other. A couple easy bolts holding the bracket on and it came right off.

I then so used on the air injection system at the exhaust manifolds.

Generous Pb blaster was squirted on the large nuts holding the tubes on the manifold. I rounded offf a bolt and decided maybe I should try something different.

YouTube university had a lot of guys cutting these pipes off, and welding them shut. I don’t know how to weld. And though it would be a good way to learn, I decided to dig deeper on the YouTubes.

I came across a Russian accented guy with his manifold pulled off and he was plugging the holes with some threaded plugs! It looked nicer than welds. And with the manifold off of the truck, I could probably get those suckers unbolted easier.


Now, if the manifold bolts are a beast, I gotta just learn how to weld.


Turns out all of the bolts came out pretty easily!,  that’s a first!

So, after some praising to the Lord, I go under the truck to disconnect manifold from exhaust pipe.

I get the nuts turning and the springs come off no problem.

I go back to the top and start pulling this manifold out.

So many problems!!

Firstly, I didn’t realize how long those air jets actually stick into the block!!  I was getting those little heifers stuck.

Then, I was getting the heat shield of the manifold stuck on the heat Shield protecting the rear 2 Spark plug wires.  I get the little electric screwdriver and get that little fella off there and find a ziplock and label that because those little screws are tiny!

Now, time to pull this thing out. It’s free.


NOPE!!

This ex man is catching between the frame and the starter and I can’t get it out! I begged, hit, pryed, hammered, pushed, pulled and my quick little job has turned into a 2 hour ordeal that has no end in sight.


I’m going back and forth from under the rig to up top. I’m trying to pull it out the top. Or push it through the bottom. It won’t do ether.

I have the brackets from the exhaust pipe soaked with pb blaster and I may require heat to get the bolts turning and I’ll have the exhaust pipe down to exercise another option, but I don’t know that will help.

Who has the answer for me?  I know I’m an idiot, my wife and kids remind me often, but I don’t think im THIS big of an idiot! I can’t let this best me. Surely someone has an easy answer I’m overlooking. ( if any of you say to take the starter off, so help me...) lol.

Thanks for the help!

VileZambonie:
Do you have the spark plugs out? What exactly is stopping you from removing it? You know it is fairly easy to lower the starter if it is in your way too...

Chanman09:
It's not catching on the spark plugs.  They are still in. 

It's caught between the frame and the starter, or if I finagle it a different way, the frame and the block and the AC plastic. 

I've never seen this.  I've never messed with a squarebody much, but I've been around 82 and 84 Fords, 89 and 94 GMC/Chevy OBS, and more modern stuff.  I have to be the only guy ever with this problem!! 

I've fought bolts and broke bolts and even had to heat up gaskets to turn loose.  Never had one just hanging there and not want to come out.  I'm dumbfounded

Swampyankee74:
If you can post a couple of pictures. Maybe the manifolds don't belong on that truck.

Shifty:
I'd pull the starter, as Vile stated.

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