Remove or just loosen the intake manifold for HG replacement for a on 93 Legacy L

[illanrob]

Seven years ago my 93 Leg L 2.2L 5spd was idling poorly from a cracked intake manifold gasket (had two sequential gasket cracks: could still drive with the first crack, then the 2nd gasket crack barely got home by revving the engine high during idle periods) and lifting the intake manifold up 1/2 to 1 inch or so to replace the gasket was difficult for the drivers side in particular.

 

I did not see an easy way to completely remove the manifold without removing the fuel injector rail. At the time I removed a number of brackets or stiffeners to loosen the manifold and did not replaced these pieces. Did not want to create fuel leak issues on this gasket repair and preferred to leave the fuel rails alone. Managed to replace the two gaskets and the engine worked just fine on the first attempt.

 

Seven years later the instructions on the head gasket replacement require to remove the intake manifold.

 

Do I really need the intake manifold off to do this work? Do the heads have to be pulled up?

 

Would there be a photo on what the top of the 2.2L engine looks like just before the heads are removed?

 

I did a head gasket replacement on a '76 Subaru L 1.6L carbureted engine in 1993 (RIP in 2000) or so and that engine had no intake manifold issues.

Edited October 17, 2011 by illanrob
fat fingered, not ready to post yet

[idosubaru]

unless i'm missing the question the intake manifold should come off for a variety of reasons. *could* it be done without removing....yes. there really isn't much of a reason though. you're going to save 30 minutes of work but it could cost you 30 minutes...or an hour in other ways (like it already has on this post), and the likely hood of a lesser quality job.

 

helpful to remove mostly for cleaning. the block mating surfaces need to be thoroughly cleaned for headgaskets, they aren't like normal gaskets and should be installed correctly every time - clean surfaces are a must for HG's. cleaning the block with the intake manifold in place is challenging and requires more effort than pulling the intake manifold off. you could clean from underneath if you enjoy that sort of thing...

 

the heads to have to come out of the engine to clean them, though if you wanted to try this they could be dropped underneath.

 

i've done it before...but it's hardly any extra work just to pull it off. it never saved me time because the manifold makes things harder to get to, harder to clean, less room, needs moved out of the way for something, and it's just hoses and throttle cables, very easy to remove. you can disconnect the minimum and prop it up out of the way or even flop it all the way back towards the windshield....but still all the same comments apply and simple to remove. but if you're the kind of person that likes the thought of it sounding and seeming quicker, then by all means roll with it!

 

it's only a few minutes work, not a big deal either way.

[markjw]

And you shouldn't have to remove Any fuel rails or any of the harness. Like Gary said, it's just a matter of dis connection plugs and hoses and the four mounting bolts. If done right, the whole mess stays intact and will lift right off the top of the engine. The notion that your going to do a quality HG job on that engine without removing the intake manifold is just plain silly.

Edited October 17, 2011 by markjw

[MilesFox]

It us possible to unbolt hte intake and swing it out of the way without having to disconnect everything.

 

I would vote for pulling the engine, as you are going to get all that far to realize the head bolts wont clear the frame to remove the heads without undoing all the motor mounts and jacking up the engine. from that point, it is 4 bolts to just remove the whole lump.

[Fairtax4me]

I did not see an easy way to completely remove the manifold without removing the fuel injector rail. At the time I removed a number of brackets or stiffeners to loosen the manifold and did not replaced these pieces. Did not want to create fuel leak issues on this gasket repair and preferred to leave the fuel rails alone. Managed to replace the two gaskets and the engine worked just fine on the first attempt.

 

As Mark said there is no reason to remove the fuel rails to get the intake manifold out. All the fuel piping and rails will come off with the manifold.

 

Remove the intake tubing, disconnect throttle and cruise cables, disconnect fuel hoses (I recommend replacing them), PCV hose pulled out of the way, spark plug wires unhooked and set on top of the manifold, a few wire connectors for the temp sensors under the passenger rear intake runner, unhook the three large wire harness connectors on the passenger side of the bellhousing. Then remove the bolt that holds the hook bracket to the block, and 8 bolts that hold the manifold to the heads. Give a tap to knock it loose and lift it up and out of the way.

 

You will have to move the power steering pump prior to removing the intake manifold.

There are three 12mm bolts accessible through the holes in the pulley, and two 10mm bolts that hold the power steering lines to the manifold which need to be removed. Then the pump can be lifted and pushed off to the side. Basically it will sit right in the air filter box and be completely out of the way.

[jarl]

Uhm... I don't see any mention of a coolant hose that goes to the coolant "bridge". Also, for any reader with a newer AT, there's the EGR pipe as well.

[Caboobaroo]

Leave the fuel lines connected, disconnect the wiring harness, the cam/crank sensors and the throttle body coolant lines. There will also be a couple other sensors that need to be disconnected before you can move the manifold out of the way. Oh and the 8 bolts that bolt it to the heads. It will swing out of the way onto the driver side strut tower, just far enough out of the way to yard the engine out.