I want to remove my exhaust manifolds and air so I can get ready to put in some headers without air? Where do I start?

I have the plnum and TB and assorted backets removed form Polishing and powder coating so I figured, why not take the crappy exhaust out.....I cant drive the car for a while due to legal reasons ....gotta lay low with the white IROC....so I figured I could get the sucka ready for headers.....

Can someone tell me where to begin?

thanks

 

If I remove the AC compressor will I lose all the FREON that in there? I know I gotta get the lower AC bracket off..

 

well if u open any of the A/C hoses then u will lose the freon and just hope no one calls the EPA on u becuz u still have r12 in there and its very very bad to release it into the atmosphere.

 

Yup, here its something like a $50,000 fine for spilling the freon.

 

how would somebody know he did it?

i work on window AC units/fridges all the time with R22 and R12, i always let it out and nobody ever knows.

 

I work for a refrigeration company. The fine is more than 50k, by law you must recover it... some things leak or are so small that recovery is pointless, but when dealing with large ammounts of refrigerants, you must recover them. Refrigerants are also like gold dust to the right people.

 

Seriously,

where do I start if I want to take my exhaust manifolds off?

What do I dissconnect fist..can someone give me some steps?

 

Ok, nobody is responding so I will throw in my advice.
Since your engine is in the car and most likely the manifolds have never been off, it is kind of going to be a pain so if this is your first time dealing with this task, I would FIRST disconnect the battery,(which I think you may have already) remove the AC compressor with the line attached still and tie that off to the side, freon problem solved, get your fuel lines out of the way also, then remove ALL the other accessories, since you can never have too much room. On the 85- 87s alot of the accessories seem to tie onto the exhaust manifold bolts anyway. of course the whole smog pump and related hoses should come out as well. (while this is apart, replacing the waterpump wouldnt be a bad idea since it is a cheap part and a hassle to change on 85-87 V-8s). Then you will find that the little tabs that bend over the rest of the manifold bolts will be a pain to deal with. At this time I would remove the valve covers as sometimes it makes it easier to access bolts and especially when reinstalling the headers (depending on the brand) Remove the Y-Pipe and loosen the trans mount and or crossmember. This should now allow you to raise and tilt the engine as need be to give you easier access to some of the rear manifold bolts and tabs. If you havent already, remove the spark plugs.
The rest should be pretty self explanitory!
Good Luck!

 

OMG!...so its not an easy task?

 

I didn't have to go through jacking up the engine or anything but it is still a process that takes time and a good amount of labor.

 

The only reason I stated to loosen things necessary to jack engine is that I have found it is quicker (for me anyway, as I use air tools) to loosen those 5 bolts on the crossmember and mount to jack and bring the engine a little forward to ease the pain of bending those stock bolt tabs in the rear of the engine. Plus, I have heard some headers require the engine to be tilted or pivoted.
Anyway Wishmaster,
Dont be afraid to do this job, it is well worth it and I think I have pretty much given the worst case as to how much work can be involved. While Im sure there are ways to shortcut and leave more things in place, My experience working on these cars tells me that it makes the overall job go alot quicker to just remove them right off the bat, than to struggle for the space needed, whether it be for removing the manifolds or installing the new headers.

 

No, its not necessarily easy. Spray everything really good first a good penetrant of some kind and let it sit overnight at least, this should help more than anything. I had some real problems with one of the nuts on the exhaust studs on the p-side of my car and I had to end up using a dremel to grind it off! That too forever. But once you get done it will be well worth it, have fun!