free website stats program intake manifold bolts - running rough | Harley Davidson Forums

intake manifold bolts - running rough

(intake leaks make a harley run very lean / rough / no middle accel and rough otherwise)

how do i crack my nuts ?

i got my bike apart down to intake bolts. i found the size of bolts was ? 5/16 " or 4/16". many suggested using Ball Hex 1/4" (screaming eagle intake bolt tool). i got a matco 1/4" ball hex long and a couple of 1/4" wrenches if needed (oops but should work).

i'm unsure if 5/16" is the "straight allen" size. 1/4 straight wiggles (not tight is bad) and i've seen people say 5/16" or 1/4" ball. (does one use 1/4" ball in a 5/16" ?)

bolts are very tight. my tool won't crack the nut i think even though it's a matco it will break the tool first. i don't think it's ever been off since 2001 OR prev. owner put on Vines pipes and overtightened? way too tight but also leaking bad ! :)

if i used a cheap tool it might strip bolts.if i damage nut i'd have to cut out intake manifold, drill, back out - a real bear - may end up taking out engine + trans if not lucky. the nut is NOT STIFF, it's soft (good for aluminum, bad for me)

if i damage anything else i'd need new heads ! heads are aluminum, easy to damage (by head, pounding, overtightening)

options i know are

(1) heat it up and try (but it's aluminum i don't wanna warp anything)

(2) take engine + trans out for better access and hope that's enough (trapped in V will still be a problem unless i pull off heads (aka, get wiggle room / wiggle ability))

(3) cut intake body so i can use ? 5/16" is it ? , buy intake body from Harley parts

does anyone have better ideas ?

happy ridin and thx for any tips !

i'm an auto mechanic cars don't use small bolts on head.

i would have limped moded the bike to the harley dealer had i known what kind of trap it can be if they nuts are too tight.

i'd suggest to anyone let a master harley mech do it 1st time if the nut might be frozen and then do it at home every ~ 2 years, screaming eagle tool, for great smooth running and rides.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ball may cam the head of the bolt out. Cut off an allen wrench to about 3/8" long on the short arm. Instead of applying steady pressure to the wrench bump it with the palm of your hand or a small rubber mallet. Jarring it will work better than a constant pull. A little PB Blaster soak wouldn't hurt either.
 
your right. but those are all freshman tips.

when i say tight i meant including typical wrench skill. as in broken tool or bolt tight including basic skills.

i'm unsure you've grasped the situation and seem you show a poverty man on a honda i'm unsure if that's a "flame attempt", as if i care

when one has a long arm screaming eagle (is at a right angle) (which i don't have but may make or get) using a mallot would not work at all because a ball socket can move in more than one way.

it'd work fine on a 5/16" straight if held properly (if there were clearance, which there isn't, and i'm unsure if it is 5/16", the harley parts spec is metric)

thank you
 
I'm with Redfish on this. There isn't much rocket science to breaking bolts so trying the basics would be great. I'd highly recommend using the proper size socket on there too. If the book says it's metric, putting an SAE socket on there that 'fits' is asking for trouble on an already hard to break bolt.
Not only are you interchanging SAE and metric, but you are also interchanging nuts and bolts. If it's nuts, just cut them or drill through them enough to break them off. As an auto mechanic, you should have all the tools needed to do that and the dies to fix the threads when you are done.
 
No one is attempting to "flame" you. They are simply trying to give you their best advice. You are new to this forum. And no one here knows what your skill
level is yet. At the risk of seeming to flame you, you dismiss the advice given as "freshman" stuff, but yet you don't know if a ball end hex driver is the same size as a straight hex driver. Be patient here and you will get some excellent help.
 
No one is attempting to "flame" you. They are simply trying to give you their best advice. You are new to this forum. And no one here knows what your skill
level is yet. At the risk of seeming to flame you, you dismiss the advice given as "freshman" stuff, but yet you don't know if a ball end hex driver is the same size as a straight hex driver. Be patient here and you will get some excellent help.

Excellent advice from a "senior" member! :s
 
ok found an "answer" to frozen manifold bolts.

turns out the lower two came out with a 1/4" straight hex (cutoff) and a couple wrenches on it and a good immediate push to crack just as first commenter said !

but the top two were as i feared: someone had been there before (nuts not clean) and way too tight. my 1/4" ball made a little worse and shaved the tool a little too.

from auto i though: we cut off NUT (not bolt) use stud remover but it needs a good stud and length to grab! can't! not true here. harley's bolt is not rusted and come off clean. flange retracts enought to get off once free.

so i'm cutting off the head, i can get the intake off after i do, then using pliers or stud remover kit, confident it's quite possible with that style to remove that i won't have the worst of jobs to do.

(so note above idea of cutting intake tube and replace may allow access for good bolt removal: but in this case there is no need and intake is 8x more expensive then bolts)

ok ! thank you all for helping
 
no flaming here? didn't know. well on some forums (infamously fx co underground, where i live) it's pretty harsh they ride each other hard the wrong way and only newbies are surpised by it :) whatever u say i'm easy. good thing i didn't post a cutting response then he might not have been prepared :)
 
no flaming here? didn't know. well on some forums (infamously fx co underground, where i live) it's pretty harsh they ride each other hard the wrong way and only newbies are surpised by it :) whatever u say i'm easy. good thing i didn't post a cutting response then he might not have been prepared :)

We don't flame anyone on this forum. Those that do are shown the door rather quickly. Joe's avatar and model bike are just a harmless joke. He was only trying to help you out.
 
Back
Top