Exhaust Manifold Removal Question

[clevo]

I salute those of you who work on engines every day and are able to complete a repair in a timely manner. I'm doing the head gaskets on my 1990 Beretta's 3.1L engine, and at the pace I'm going I feel like I'm running in quicksand.

The exhaust manifold against the firewall is the last thing left to go before I pull the heads. Now I know why people pull the engine to do this job - there is barely any clearance.

I'm heading out to buy some universal joints for my socket set to somehow reach between the bold and the firewall to unfasten those 6 exhaust manifold bolts. Are there any other tools or things I need to need to know to get those bolts off? Was I suppose to rock the engine forward or something to gain some clearance?

[Mr Project]

Re: Exhaust Manifold Removal Question

The exhaust manifold against the firewall is the last thing left to go before I pull the heads. Now I know why people pull the engine to do this job - there is barely any clearance.

Call me crazy, or lazy, or both, but I just did this on a Buick Regal and I just didn't remove the rear manifold from the head.

From underneath the car it's pretty easy to get at the two bolts that hold the downpipe to the rear manifold. Once it's disconnected, you can just lift the head off with the manifold attached.

Once the head is on the bench you could detach the manifold if you wanted to replace the gasket.

[bszopi]

I agree... I think I tried removing the manifold once, and ever since then I've either pulled the engine (for other work) or kept the manifolds on the heads until they are off the engine. Much easier that way.

[tractorman]

He's got a good point. I've never done head gaskets on one of these v6's, but I've done more than I can remember on assorted diesel engines. I usually take the exhaust manifolds off, but if for some reason one is hard to get to... I just leave it bolted to the head. It's never caused me a problem.

I imagine things get pretty rusty up there in Wisconsin- leaving the manifold on could save you A LOT of trouble with broken bolts and such.

[GutlessSupreme]

When I did the head gaskets on my 3.1 Cutlass I just propped the rear head up and slid the new gasket it without disconnecting the exhaust at all. Definetly not the proper way to do it, but it was the easiest.

[tractorman]

Seems like the head and deck would be awful hard to clean that way.

But I've done stranger things, myself...

[clevo]

Thanks guys - I did as you suggested and just took the head off with the exhaust manifold attached.