56 Star Chief Manifold??

Anyone out there ever try to take the manifold off of a 1956 Pontiac Star Chief? If so, do you have any advice for proceeding? Expecting that the bolts and bolt heads will be difficult to deal with. Any help would be appreciated!

 

I'd like to know the answer to this one too. Might be worth asking on the pontiac-1950s Yahoo group.

 

Just dig in and do it. Take a picture of all the linkages, etc. before you take it apart so you know where everything goes. The worst part of taking it off in the car is lifting it while bent over the hood, since it is a fairly heavy part. If you get stuck, repost with maybe some pictures and you'll get help here.

 

Working on a Pontiac is much easier than a chev as an example. Intakes are easier and less messy to swap out. You do not need to pull the dist like you do with a chev so, you do not have to mess with the timing.

Also, Pontiac engines use a valley cover under the intake to keep hot oil off of the base of the plenum. Because of that, you also will not get dirt inside the engine either.

If this is a running car, I would take it to a car wash and pressure clean it first.

This is a simple job but, why do you want to pull it?

If you have other questions, let me know. Have over 400 old Pontiacs here at Pontiac Heaven
www.pontiacheaven.org

 

Just unbolt it. I've ripped apart several of these engines in rust belt cars that then sat for 30 years in a junkyard and never had too much trouble with them. One newer Pontiac V8 in a Trans Am I had one bolt that was rounded off some and I was able to use a chisel at an angle to get it started and spin it on out.

 

Hi thanks! The reason why I want to pull it is that I cannot remove the head pipe from it currently, and that part needs replacing. Unfortunately someone has tried to weld it and when we tried to remove the head pipe the bolts broke off. Not a big surprise! But where it is under the car would be seriously dangerous to use a torch/welder, so the plan was to take off the manifold and get things out where we can see them. The flange etc. is leaking exhaust or I wouldn't have touched any of this. My fear is that the manifold bolts will also break off rather than come out. Leading to even more trouble. Motor runs great so I would like to use it until I run into trouble.

 

Oh, you want to take off an EXHAUST manifold.
Even though you said you would not want to do this, heating the head at the flange area with a torch will greatly reduce the possibility of the bolts snapping off.