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MG MGB Technical - Intake Manifold Bolts

My car is a 1973 MGB. Basically stock - the original carburetors, head, etc.

I am doing my regular Spring maintenance and I checked the intake manifold bolts. Basically, these are four studs that stick out of the head, in which the manifold attaches and then a larger washer and then a nut.

I was able to get to and tighten the two nuts on the ends, however I cannot get to the two in the center. The carburetors and the metal plate behind the carburetors is covering them up. I have also tried to get them from under the car but with no luck.

So, is there any way to get to these nuts to tighten them up without having to remove the carburetors? It is not that they are loose, but due to time I could tell they did need to be tightened.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Robert
Robert Browning

Robert. It should be possible to get a wrench on the two inner most nuts. I am using the original, factory intake/exhaust manifolds on my 68GT and, on a 79 roadster, am using an aftermarket intake manifold and an early model exhaust manifold. No problems tightening the nuts with the wrenches that I have available to me. (Do not think that there is anything special about the wrenches I am using, but I do not know what wrenches you are using and cannot compare angles, etc. between the two. )

If you cannot get your wrenches onto the nuts, you will need to loosen the carbs and move the carbs, spacers, and heat shield sufficiently away from the center line of the car to allow you to check the tension on the nuts.

Les
Les Bengtson

Thanks. I will try again and let you know what happens.
Robert
Robert Browning

No luck. It is impossible to get to the bolts/nust without removing the carbs.

Job for another day.
Robert Browning

And of course once you do take everything off to check them they will be fine!


Simon Jansen

I find removing the carbs to be a fairly easy and quick task, and I am generally pretty slow at working compared to others I know. There is the four carb nuts, the fuel line and the cable mountings, and I pull the two carbs off together so the linkages stay put, and place them on the bench as a unit until they go back on. If you have an hour, I bet you could have those two bolts snugged up and everything back where it belongs.

I presume you also got to the bolts that are on the very ends of the exhaust manifold as well...

Erick
Erick Vesterback

As I recall, you have to use a 12-flat ring spanner and turn them about a flat at a time.

HTH

Neil
Neil

Just an update -

I took my valve cover off for repainting, I was finally able to get to the two center intake manifold nuts - and it was a good things as they were loose.

So now we know.

Thanks for your help.

Robert

Robert Browning

This thread was discussed between 25/04/2009 and 16/05/2009

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