Removing intake manifold without getting coolant in engine

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67dodgedartconv

67dodgedartconv

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How do I accomplish this feat? Will drain radiator part way down but plug in side of block is frozen. How do I keep coolant from getting into the valley and into the oil? Still have almost fresh break in oil and need to keep it clean. Thanks for any tips.
 
If you have an air compressor you can use a towel and the blower tip to force air into the upper hose inlet, this will blow much of the water out the bottom. Try and get a good seal with the shop towel so that all/most of the air enters the block. You can never get all the water out but you can it down below the heads/intake. treblig
 
Suction gun? Dont think it can be avoided. Drain oil into a clean pan,re-use it.
I understand your position, but why bother?i would drain coolant, pull heater hoses and blow compressed air out of intake. It likely will leave some behind.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
If a customer told me to save the oil, its not gonna happen. Fresh oil goes back in.
 
Drain radiator, pull thermostat housing off, use wet/dry vac to remove any coolant in intake.
 
After draining the usual way, take out one or both - front or rear, exhaust manifold bolts, on both heads, to lower coolant level below port height.
As an alternative, a lower timing cover bolt could be removed, but that may cause an unwanted gskt/RTV leak.

If you're removing manifold to remove/replace lifter, on many stock heads, lifters can be removed/changed without removing intake.
Remove rocker shafts, may have to loosen one manifold bolt that protrudes, and using magnet or a welding rod tool, to pull lifters thru the opening in the head.
Cheers
 
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Jack the back up as high as you can and pull the lower rad hose off. After it has finished draining, lower the back to set the engine level. Any coolant that dribbles into the valley can easily be mopped up. It tends to pool around the lifter bores. When you remove the intake; lift it straight up and pull it straight forward over the rad; any dripage will be harmless.
 
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I little bit is unavoidable. ..plain and simple.
Do your best, sop up all you can, drain and change the oil when DONE, and really don't sweat it.

Jeff
 
Use some PB Blaster on the block plug and tap the plug with a hammer to help it penetrate and break the plug loose. You might get lucky.
 
Build a Ford with a 351 Cleveland. They have dry intakes.
 
inertia said:
After draining the usual way, take out one or both - front or rear, exhaust manifold bolts, on both heads, to lower coolant level below port height.
As an alternative, a lower timing cover bolt could be removed, but that may cause an unwanted gskt/RTV leak.

If you're removing manifold to remove/replace lifter, on many stock heads, lifters can be removed/changed without removing intake.
Remove rocker shafts, may have to loosen one manifold bolt that protrudes, and using magnet or a welding rod tool, to pull lifters thru the opening in the head.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Yes, removing intake to change noisy hydraulic flat tappet lifters. Never occurred to me that openings in heads might be large enough to fish lifters through. Will look and see. Joe's Gibbs racing break in oil only has about an hour of run time on it, am trying to save $70 dollars or so by saving it. Thanks for all the tips.
 
Use a 6 point socket and remove the two block plugs. Then buy two 1/4" NPT brass radiator petcocks and screw them in the block. Next time you need to drain the block, just open the petcocks.
 
The Joe Gibbs oil looks scary in the pan. It always looks like it has metal in it..
You drain into a CLEAN pan and reuse but realy, is it worth 70-90 bucks?
I'd cut the filter and use new oil.
 
Drain your expensive oil if you want to reuse it. Anything antifreeze that drains into the crankcase will come out through the open drainplug.
 
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