Need help with intake

[Garry B.]

I just bought a very nice aluminum, dual quad intake manifold. All of the holes and threads are excellent with no signs of any repair damage. The problem is someone put what looks to be an iron or steel, threaded plug into the hole where the temp sending unit goes and I can't get the ?#$&*% thing out. I have soaked it with PB Blast for over two weeks now and nothing. The plug has an odd shaped, elongated square head on it that doesn't seem to fit any standard or metric wrenches or sockets. I don't want to damage the hole by being too forceful. Any thoughts on getting this thing out? If a picture would help let me know and I will post one.
Thanks.
Garry

[Gary C.]

Re: Need help with intake

Gary, try soaking with Kroil Oil www.kanolabs.com for a day or two. Then spray with CRC Freeze Off http://www.crcindustries.com/auto/content/fzo.aspx at 15 minute intervals for an hour or two and then give it a go. Used that process to remove studs out of a FI manifold. Good luck. Best, Gary....

[John D.]

Re: Need help with intake

Another good tip is to heat the aluminum around the steel fitting. I use Mapp gas for that. Be careful though as Mapp gets very hot. I have melted a thing or two with it over the years.
But typically I farm out the fitting removal on FI baseplates, etc. My friend clamps the baseplates in a big hydraulic press. He sandwiches them between two big pieces of 2x10's, etc. Then he uses big time heat, lots of penetrating oil and typically the fittings come out rather easily. Once in a while when bubba puts a fitting in flush-used up all the threads he will have to cut it out. Those water pump by pass fittings with the screw driver slot are not his favorite. JD

[Rich G.]

Re: Need help with intake

I would be afraid of breaking the manifold if it is that tight. What i did on a plug in a head that I couldn't get out was to drill a hole in the center of the plug, start small and then go as big as you can without hitting the threads. Then I got my little air saw and cut a little piece out of the remaining piece being careful just to touch the threads.Then I got a small chisel and knocked out the little piece I cut out. Then i cut another piece out and did the same thing. and by then you should be able to knock the other piece loose. You might have to run a tap to clean up the threads a little. A little thread sealer on the new fitting and your good a s new. Good luck.

[Bill M.]

Re: Need help with intake

I had a big problem with a steel bolt stuck in an aluminum transmission housing. I tried penetrating oil, no luck. I tried MAPP, no luck. (I've always had luck using MAPP on steel-on-steel.) I wound up drilling out the bolt as Rich described.