Manifold Problems

[B_to_C]

Hey,

Simple question...

How do you get the drivers side manifold off? There's a bracket on my engine that connect the alternator, steering pump, and makifold together. But it looks like I don't need to take that bracket off bc it has open "C" type bolt holes... I dunno. I just really can't figure out how to get those two front bolts off. They look like studs but they have two more nuts on the back side of that braket...I'm so frustrated...

TIA

 

[Mad-Dog]

I'm thinking ya gotta pull the power steering pump bracket loose to get to the front manifold stud......

 

[R72K5]

what engine ? what vehicle ? year ? wheres your alt at ?

 

[B_to_C]

sorry guys, thought someone would just be like "oh yea...just do this"

It's a 1990 GMC Jimmy 5.7. the alternator is on top on the drivers side, with the power steering pu,p just below it. And this bracket conects the alternator, steering pump, and two front manifold studs together in its nasty web of frustrating metal bends and hidden nuts.

I'll try to get some pics up today...

 

[B_to_C]

Ok here's a pic. You can see the two manifold studs that connect the bracket to the manifold, and how the bracket connects to the alternator with one bolt, and it connects to the power steering pump with two bolst (impossible to get off without pulling the puley off of the PS pump). I think I'm making this harder than I shoudl though, bc those two holes in the bracket for the manifld studs are like upside sown U's.

SOMEONE ON CK5 HAS HAD TO OF TAKEN OFF AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BEFORE

You better believe I'm going to keep bumping this until I get an answer

 

[diesel4me]

looks like fun...

I haven't done one of those manifolds(yet!)..but it appears to me if you double-nutted the studs,so the studs will unscrew from the block,you should be able to persaude the manifold to slide out from under the bracket with a pry bar....just dont bend the bracket TOO much!..hope the studs dont snap off!


BTW--how did you make out with that dana 60??...I hope you were able to re-sell it...I'm still angry at the junkyard--only been there once since--and I told Alice you weren't happy,but she didn't have too much to say,other than "he'll have to talk to my husband"...my friend has stopped buying parts from them as well..I guess he got some parts that didn't fit ,and they would not refund his money,only give "parts credit".

It was a tranny that cost 400 bucks..he was lucky to sell it to someone who needed it..he wont buy anything there unless he has NO other choice now...things have changed a lot since the son took over the yard...and not for the better..It sucks,because I've dealt with them for 20 years,and never had any trouble..they crushed most everything there anyway....

 

[shane74]

You have to remove all those brackets. It is a factory stud/nut that goes through the manifold.

 

[kgblazerfive]

You should be able to unbolt the bracket from the ex manifold and unbolt it off the back of the alt. then the ps pump

 

[gmcjimmy90]

i believe that the bracket unbolts from the powersteering pump and the alt. cant really remember had mine off when i rebuilt heads but i had to pull all of the brackets off.

 

[B_to_C]

Hey Bob,

I did manage to make out OK with that Dana 60. I worked out a deal with one of the members of my local 4x4 club who was driving back from mass to CO. He eded up hauling the Ford 60 to some guy in Ohio, and traded it for a chevy one I was out a couple more hundred bucks, but I think I still got out of it all ok. So I'm in the process of finding all the parts I need for this one now. And thanks again man, that was one crazy day of axle hunting we went on!

And about the manifold...

In order to get the bolts off that are holding the bracket to the steering pump it looks like I will have to take the pump pulley off...which means I would have to take the cooling fan, and shroud off. I mean really WTF were they thining with this bracket?!?! I don't see it on earler 350's... This has got to be one of the most frustrating things I have had to deal with on my truck (and trust me I've had plenty)

 

[1979jimmy350]

The easy way with that bracket is to cut it I have seen plenty of guys with s-10's do it that way and they have had no problems. The serp setup is the same between the two blazers

 

[mrk5]

Is it the bracket indicated with yellow arrow you're having problems with? Won't it unbolt from the p/s pump where the green arrow is? Or can you not get a wrench in there? I'll bet it's a stud and nut setup.

I have the p/s pump pulley puller. Damn, now that I think about it I think it was stolen with the rest of my tools. Damn, damn. Anyways it works really slick at taking the pulley on and off. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

My setup doesn't have that bracket. It uses a rod from the back of the alternator to an intake manifold bolt. I don't think I have a bracket on the backside of the p/s pump.

Now that I think of it, you've got to be able to unbolt that bracket at the green arrow. Otherwise you'd never be able to get the p/s pump off.

At least that's how it seems in my head.

You need to transfer to UNC, then I could help you with this stuff much easier. Plus we have that top secret project to work on.

 

[B_to_C]

Yes that is the vil bracket. The TWO green arrows point to where there are nuts behind the steering pump the second one you can barely get a wrench on and certainly not turn. the red arrow shows the head of the bolt that looks like it goes all the way through the steering pump assembly...

 

[mrk5]

It doesn't go all the way through. There are 3 bolts on the front of the pump between the pulley and pump. You are just seeing one. They thread into threaded holes on the face of the pump.

 

[mrk5]

The bracket indicated with the yellow arrow; is there a second nut behind the bracket that holds the manifold on if the bracket and visible nut were gone?

If not, you could double nut the stud and pull the whole stud out from the head. Do you know what I mean by "double nut"?

 

[B_to_C]

The bracket indicated with the yellow arrow; is there a second nut behind the bracket that holds the manifold on if the bracket and visible nut were gone?

If not, you could double nut the stud and pull the whole stud out from the head. Do you know what I mean by "double nut"?

yea there is another nut behind the bracket on those manifold studs. And yea I know what double nutting is (already tried it)

 

[mrk5]

Yes that is the vil bracket. The TWO green arrows point to where there are nuts behind the steering pump the second one you can barely get a wrench on and certainly not turn. the red arrow shows the head of the bolt that looks like it goes all the way through the steering pump assembly...

My next question would be, "Are you sure there are 2 nuts at the green arrows?"

If there is only one, you might be able to get it loose enough to rotate the bracket out of the way after removing all of the other hardware connected to the bracket. Not actually unbolt it completely from the p/s pump.

 

[B_to_C]

Well that's how I found out about the fifth nut. I had taken off the other four (two manifold, one alternator, and one of the ps pumps) and man I was pulling and prying on that bracket but it wouldn't move...that's when I noticed that fifth bitch of a nut...

And another probmen is the stud (i guess) that's sticking out of the back of the p/s pump woun't let the bracket rotate.

 

[diesel4me]

There's a thought..

Yeah,maybe you could cut the bracket in half so only the bolts to the manifold and altenator have to be removed to get the peice out of your way,and leave the other half bolted to the P/S pump--then weld it back together after you put the manifold back on!..got a welder?? ...

I wish car makers were not so dtermined to make a mechanics life miserable!..they had a good design for 30+years--why cant they leave a good thing alone!??...

I DREAD doing any work on my Ford Contour!..that thing is a friggin nightmare under the hood--NO room to do ANYTHING!..even changing something as simple as a belt or radiator hose will require a lift and take a few HOURS,not minites to replace!..and my friend says I'd better sell or scrap it if it ever needs a starter or altenator..have to dissasemble half the engine just to FIND either one--he's replaced a few,now he turns customers away if they own one of those and need a starter or altenator..after looking at mine,I dont blame him!--i bet the dealer gets 400-500 bucks for a starter or altenator installed!


I'm glad you were able to unload that Dana 60!...it sucks it turned out to be a ford one..it appeared to be in decent shape!...I guess I'll know better what to look for if there is ever a "next time"--the best way is to find one still under a truck--then you KNOW it belongs to a GM!... --cant beleive we didn't realize it wasn't a GM axle!..but its not easy to tell if you havent seen many GM Dana 60's,and its lying on the ground rather than still in the truck!..

 

[mrk5]

Yep it's a stud on the p/s pump.

Not sure why there's 2 fasteners on the back of the pump, one seems good enough.

The only other Option I see is to remove the alternator entirely. Remove the nuts holding the bracket to the manifold. Then take that entire cast aluminum bracket assembly off the motor with the powersteering pump attached.

I know you can do that on mine. That's what I did to remove the pump, much easier to work on outside of the truck. There's only about 4 bolts holding that assembly on the motor. Mine is held on with large torx head bolts. IIRC, 2 at the bottom vertically aligned and 1 or 2 into the head and there may be one more I'm forgetting.

It really wasn't that bad to do. And DAMN you really need to get that manifold replaced you know!