Sprint manifold+downpipe removal

[tarynus]

Hi everyone,
After ordering a new stainless steel exhaust for my sprint, I confronted the problem of the 3 downpipe screws, i therefore decided to take out the manifold and the downpipe out in one piece.
But now that I have freed all the manifold bolts I can't get the whole bit out as there isn't enough room...
I tried lifting a bit the engine with a jack under the oil pan after removing the left engine fitting but that didn't create much more space...
Does anyone have an idea how i could get this manifold out, I 've been struggling with for about 3 weeks now, so any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thx
Tom

[RobCavendish]

Hi Tom,
I know that this is very tight and that the bolts are too long to remove without moving the engine a fair way to the drivers side. I would think that you would need to at least remove both engine mounts (as over time the engine mounts drop and the engine sinks further down, making the problem of removal of the manifold worse) and maybe the gearbox might need loosening around the mount to get enough room, the radiator would probably have to come out too! A jack under the sump with a block of wood to spread the load would help to allow engine movement.
It is possible to remove the three manifold to downpipe bolts with the manifold in situ, although this is tricky too, it can be done, as I've done it myself. This is definitely an easier option than attempting to remove the manifold, even if you could do this you would probably have to remove the manifold to downpipe studs anyway in order to get the manifold out.
The other option is to take off the head, but again, not my preferred option.
Good luck!
Rob

[mahony]

When I fitted my stainless downpipe I just did what you did and jacked up the engine via the oil sump on a block of wood and disconnected the nearside engine mounting and engine steady bar ( as high as possible ) and just pulled the manifold and downpipe as one through the engine bay not sure why you cannot do it
ps : not sure you should undo both engine mounts to raise engine and I used new manifold bolts too

[tarynus]

Thanks for the quick response,
Mahony, did just disconnect the steady bar or did u actually remove it to get more room and what did you do "(as high as possible)"?
Maybe i did not lift the jack high enough then, if you managed this way, i'll give it another try see how it goes

[mahony]

Just undid it I also forgot to add I removed the fan heater for more room.

[Robert 352]

There is another technique which I have used successfully and that is to remove the exhaust heat shield which is pop riveted to the firewall. It means pulling back the carpets and drilling the pop rivets out from inside the footwell. If you do that and remove the heat shield first then there is enough room to drop the downpipe off the manifold. Then if you screw rather than pop rivet the heat shield back on there should be no problems if you ever have to repeat the exercise at some later stage.

I think I might have mentioned this elsewhere on the forum. I have retained the original studs in the exhaust manifold.

Best of luck

Robert

[tarynus]

Thanks i ll have a look at the exhaust shield see what i can do there,
As for the fan heater i don t need to remove it as my car is left hand drive (i live in france) so i only removed the brake master cylinder, maybe this one of the reasons i have less room to get it to though

[Robert 352]

Removing the master cylinder! They did not make it easy for you did they when they developed the LHD version. And I guess it is going to be a little bit awkward finding those pop rivets holding the heat shield in place in behind all the pedals as well.

But in my experience when you remove the heat shield the downpipe will drop right off the studs on the manifold and can then be extracted down through the bottom of the car. You can also then, if you ever have to, remove the cylinder head whilst the engine remains in the car.

Good luck and if you want any photos of how I have remounted my heat shield I shall be happy to supply them.

Robert

[tarynus]

Thanks a lot robert, pictures might indeed come in handy, i ll let you know how things go and if i need some.
Tom

[Jon Tilson]

Hmm a left hooker eh?
Your rack and column may well make life difficult too. If you have already removed the master cylinder it really should just be a case of getting the
engine rotated away from the inner wing enough to lift it out and clear. I'm afraid the bolts on the downpipe flange are VERY difficult to remove in place.

You will have to disconnect the steady bar at the front of the head and also dont forget the bracket that holds the downpipe to the gearbox underneath.
Be careful with this as they are hard to replace and you dont want to break it.

I have had to take the engine out completely in some cases to sort this problem.

Jonners

[tarynus]

Hi jonners, yes its just a matter of moving the engine enough to take manifold and downpipe out as i have already unscrewed all the manifold bolts from the engine. I ll give it a higher lift with the jack tomorrow, i was a bit scared lifting it high might damage something, as just don t know actually how high i can lift it...

[tarynus]

I just gave it another go and lifted the engine about 1cm above the left fitting,but still coudnt get the manifold out..
anyone knows how high i can lift it without harming anything?
Mahony do you remember how high you had to lift it by any chance?

[mahony]

Sorry it was some time

[alangraham]

I removed a Sprint down pipe once in 1984. I started at 7pm and finished at 2am before the birds started singing. Still gives me nightmares now. Never again.

[tarynus]

, I can already swear too i'll never do it again, 3 weeks here and there sofar...