Well, some of you had asked about removing the exhaust manifold heat shield, and since
mine was rattling, decided I'd give it a go. First, this was WAY harder than removing the
heat sheild on my '82 Datsun Pickup. There was lots of clearance there, not so here.
Tools are simple: 1 3/8" drive ratchet, 10mm socket, 12mm socket.
Disconnect the O2 sensor comming out of the lower end of the manifold. Remove the 10mm
bolt holding the O2 sensor wire bracket.
Remove the 10mm bolt holding the dipstick to the heat sheild.
Remove the 12mm bolt holding the exhaust gas line to the lower middle of manifold. Once
you have this bolt removed, loosen the 10mm bolt on the lower side of this bracket, and
rotate it out of the way.
Now, it's just a matter of pulling out the heatsheild. Easier said than done. Since I was
working in the dark (never a great idea) with just my trusty MAG light to guide me, I
didn't realize that the bracket holding that exhaust line was movable, so I spent a
considerable amount of time fighting it. I wasn't about to put it back in so I could see
how easy it was with that bolt loosened. :o)
All in all, took me about 30 minutes and a lot of swearing. If you have difficulty getting
it out, just remember that it will bend a little in any direction, and it's OK to scratch
it on other metal parts. Just try not to cut any hoses with it...
Be sure to be carefull when pulling the shield off the O2 sensor, so that you don't damage
the sensor lead.
Oh, I also removed (temporarily, of course) the spark plug wire looms bolted to the valve
cover. This provided me a little more room to work, and let me rock the shield towards the
engine when trying to "unhook" the bottom half of the shield.
Anyway, after I buttoned everything up, I took the car for a quick spin and no more
rattle! We'll see if it lasts...
Dave <[email protected]>
I2C#1