msmcgill

I am about to undertake replacing the leaking intake manifold water jacket seals and gasket on an '84 GS with a 12A engine equipped with a full California smog system. Any advice, words of wisdom or special tools required? I'd really like to hear from forum members with experience on a car similar to mine. Thanks anyway - but I am not interested in hearing about how easy it was on your race car or emissions equipment-free road car (if you are "lucky" enough to live in a state or country where that is allowed). Any suggestions will be appreciated!

jorx81@aol.com

iTrader: (6)

Before you even look at the intake, remove the coolant drain plug on the side of the block directly below the oil filler neck.
It's not that difficult on emissions car either, just remember where everything goes.
I like to remove the carb and manifold with the rat's nest.
There is one bolt that attaches the rats nest that is very hard to get to. you will need a u-joint with a short socket or a 12mm woble socket.
I like to attach bailing wire from the carb to the crazy multiclor valve things to hold every thing together well before pulling it all off together.
You may or may not have to remove air pump, but for your first time to get a good look at everything you should go ahead and take it off.
Make sure you clean both the manifold and the engine mounting surfaces and the coolant outlets very well before putting it back together.
of course this is not a step-by-step guide, but just a few tips.

msmcgill

Thanks! Great information. Is there a gasket that needs replacing when I pull the air pump?

Rx7carl

He pretty much covered the basics. No gasket needed for the airpump. Disconnect the hose and belt and unbolt it. And like he said, it might be easier, although a bit awkward, to remove the rats nest, carb and manifold as an assembly.

msmcgill

Good deal. I'll give it a go. I finally gave up on finding a local mechanic who is competent with a rotary in San Diego. My local dealer won't even touch a Gen1. After the last couple of episodes, I decided I'd be better off doing ALL the work myself. One of the knuckleheads who worked on it recently cut the metering oil line to get the carb off (I assume) and then spliced it back together with a loose-fitting piece of black rubber hose - which promptly pulled apart. I am lucky I discovered it before the engine was toast. The puddles of clean oil on the garage floor were my first clue something was a miss. Thanks!

jorx81@aol.com

iTrader: (6)

I also should add... I prefer to remove/install the linkages(throttle cruise) after unbloting and slighty rotating the entire carb/mani/nest assembly, it keeps me from going crazy pissed off trying to attach linkages.
This may go without saying to you 12a guys or maybe I'm the only one. I can hardly keep my temper without it.
Also be carefuly with the omp lines they are known to be brittle, and don't forget to put the omp link back on the carb, it's easily overlookable.

msmcgill

I AM AN IDIOT. No one bothered to mention that you should water test your intake seals BEFORE you put everything back together. After spending three days on this job and getting everything put back together except the air filter, I decided to flush the cooling system before refilling it with coolant. Low and behold, as soon as I filled the radiator up with water, it started POURING out of the bottom (side) of the engine. I think one or both of the seals must have shifted while I was bolting the intake back on (although I used a thin film of Permatex to hold them in place)? Or could it be that the THICK replacement intake manifold gasket isn't allowing a complete seal at the o-rings??? Does anybody have any suggestions before I tear this thing apart again...or am I SCREWED??? Could it be that I just need to tighten the barely reachable intake nuts and bolts down tighter? Thanks!