Got all the bolts out (yes, I'm sure). Distributor out, carb off, thermostat housing off. Despite 2 nights trying to get the intake off, it just won't budge. There's quite a lot of black RTV at the rear of the intake (and possibly elsewhere, too)... it's acting like glue and the intake almost feels welded to the heads/block! I've sliced through as much RTV as I can using a box cutter.

Have tried the following, so far:

Ratchet extension bar into thermostat housing and trying to pry the intake off (resulted in cracked thermostat housing).

Muscle power (fingers through thermostat housing hole and yanking)... resulted in hurt elbow.

I've tried to lever between the block and the intake with a flat-blade screwdriver, but there's nowhere really to lever from as the intake is pretty-much flush with the block and heads all the way around.

Any other suggestions? I'm really stuck right now.

Thanks,
Ian.

dont pry against the heads...instead take a good sized screw driver and push it thru the rtv at the front of the intake. you should b able to pry from there with no problems.

Remember theres 12 intake bolts and the oil sender might be holding it down.

All 12 bolts are out. Oil sender is into the block and is close to (but not touching or interfering with) the rear of the intake.

Might be tough to get a screwdriver at the front of the intake due to the water pump (guess I could remove that though). So, I should be able to work a screwdriver blade through the RTV and into a gap between the intake and the block at the front??

Thanks,
Ian.

If you cant' push it through get a hammer and tap it through. Nothing to hit except pushrods on the side.

That is a strange one. Maybe whoever installed it used sealer everywhere. If you can get under the front with a screwdriver you should be able to pop it loose. To be honest they usually pop right off.

Unless whoever put it on was related to a buddy of mine. He and his dad replaced the heads on his small block. When I stopped by, there was Permanex #2 running down both sides of the BLOCK!! Yep, gooed up both sides of the head gaskets, intake gaskets, even the carb base gasket. I said NOTHING and found something else to do than hang around.

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You have to have at least one of the valve covers off too, they usually hang over the intake, and could be very close. Plus if you remove one, you might be able to cut away some more of that RTV!

Thanks guys... I'll remove the water pump and try prying using a large flat-blade screwdriver from the front of the intake tomorrow.

Re. valve covers, they don't seem to be in the way, but I'll double-check.

Thanks,
Ian.

I had this happen on a BBC. Had all the bolts out. Used an engine hoist to try and pull it off. Actually lifted the engine up and it still stayed stuck! Ended up pulling the the head bolts out of one of the heads. Put tension on the whole thing with the engine hoist on the manifold. Popped the head with a deadblow and parts went flying everywhere. I didn't really see any excessive sealer. Just stuck. Be careful.

Wow, hope I'm not in the same boat (esp. as I don't even own an engine hoist).

Guys, how about if I wedge a pry bar into the hole where the thermostat housing goes and lever from there? I'd be nervous about fracturing the intake though(?)

Try the screwdriver method 1st. Just keep putting larger Screwdrivers through the hole once you get a hole. LOL!

Ok, will do. Will report back tomorrow with the results.

Thanks!

First, make sure you definitely have all removed all 12 bolts (the mistake has been made before). The inner ones on each side are kind of hard to see up next to the carburetor mounting pad.

Take off the valve covers. You will end up taking them off before you install the new intake anyway. It its very hard to set the new manifold in place straight when you are trying to work around the valve covers.

Carefully drive the screwdriver in where the RTV is between the center of the manifold and the block. Don't go too far and hit anything inside. Gently pry it up, working across from side to side.

You can also take a short piece of wood (2x4), and use it like a big drift punch to knock the manifold loose. The wooden "punch) won't hurt the manifold, but might be enought to shock it loose.

Bruce

Thanks Bruce... all 12 bolts are most definitely out, as are all the ancillaries that attach to the intake (distributor, coil, ballast resistor, carb, stat, etc). Valve covers are still on at the moment because I didn't want to risk the screwdriver / pry bar slipping and damaging parts of the valvetrain. However, the valve covers will be coming off once I've got the intake loose.

Looks like a screwdriver (or maybe a chisel) at the front of the manifold is the way forwards. I was going to work on this tonight, but was too tired. Will try over the weekend.