Surge Tank Stuck

01/02/2009

I'm having a problem removing the surge tank from my '97 to get to the rear bank coils. I have unbolted the EGR, removed both stamped brackets on the "top" of the manifold, removed the 2 module bracket screws and pushed the module to the side on the rear of the tank, and removed the top bolts from both rear supports. I also loosened all upper-runner to upper intake manifold hose clamps and disconnected all vacuum, PCV, etc. lines. I used the guides on the v8sho.com website found doing a search by "surge tank".

Problem is, the surge tank and upper runners will NOT move. It doesn't seem like a sticky / hardened hoses thing- it seems like the assembly is still solidly bolted to the engine. Trying to pry it loose or get some "wiggle" results in rocking the whole engine and transmission- and I have brand new motor mounts. Looking at all illustrations, it seems like the only real solid support for the surge tank should be the 2 stamped brackets on the top and the 2 supports on the back head. Does it usually take a huge amount of force to break the surge tank / upper runners loose from the throttle body and upper manifold? Any ideas on what else I might be missing?

At this point, unless someone can suggest something better, my next actions will be to remove the TB separately, and loosen the lower bolts on the rear surge tank supports (if I can reach them) so I can pivot the supports out of the way.

Additional information-
The cams were welded about 2 years back, so the surge tank has been off before, fairly recently. We switched the front and back coils at the time, since the cam weld consumed my entire budget at the time.

Thanks in advance.

-Josh
'96 silver
'97 black
'93 blue mtx
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Use some 3/8" extensions and a hammer to drive the cast brackets coming up from the rear head towards the drivers side. Try that before trying to deal with the lower bolts on those brackets.

Scott (aka Beaker)
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I usually take the intake off in pieces, mainly because I started doing it that way and it works. Other people take the surge tank and half of the runners off in one unit, and there are advantages to this, but the one time I tried it I couldn't get it to work so I went back to the tried and true method.

To take the surge tank and runners off in one unit, you have to loosen the 8 rubber hoses, take off the 2 brackets on top, and I think you have to loosen the brackets in back so they can swing out of the way of the surge tank. Then you pull the tank out of there. The only thing holding it in place will be the 8 hoses. You might have to start on one side and wiggle back and forth, or up and down, to gradually break loose the hoses from the intake runners. It will be relatively easy to reassemble, but for my hands it is very tough to get to the bottom bolts of the 2 rear brackets, so I don't like loosening them.

If you do it my way, the long way, you take the 2 brackets off the top and pull the top bolts out of the rear brackets. You loosen the rear 4 rubber hoses, then take off the runner part between the hoses and the tank. Then you take off the runners that go from the tank to the fron thead, without loosening their hoses. This way messes with the gaskets on the top of the surge tank, and when you reassemble it is sometimes hard to get the runners back in place between the tank and the heads, and it is hard to get the bolts into the rear 2 brackets.

Bj
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You have loosened the lower bolts on the rear cast brackets and swung them down and out of the way?

The TB can be removed as one piece with the rubber coupler and the 90 degree elbow. No need to remove the TB from the TB base.

Paul
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Thanks Paul, everyone else who replied. I was not able to get out there to work on it today, but pretty much everyone seems to agree that the Lower bolts on the supports by the firewall need to be loose so I can pivot the supports out of the way. I should be able to take a crack at it tomorrow morning.

Coils will be from the front bank of the '96, currently running fine, which will in turn receive some j'yard spares I've been saving. Low Buck!

-Josh
'96 silver
'97 black
'93 blue mtx
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When you have the surge tank off it is a good time to remove the lower stud that holds the ground strap on. Then take that and move it to the top of the brace. Also put a washer under the ground strap lug and it will come off easy every time.

I never put the drivers side rear strap back on personally.

Paul

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