engine and drivetrain Help With Installing 1972 Tii Plastic Intake Runners

[BillWilliams]

The wife treated me to new plastic intake runners and new rubber O rings for a 1972tii this past Christmas. I just got around to installing them. The old ones are off. I took care to orient the hose clamps in the correct manner on the new ones.

 

Question for the class.  When I gently tried to persuade the new ones on, they seem stiff as maybe they should be. When installing these new ones made of un-obtainium, how should I soften or lube the new ones for easy reinstall?

 

I thought of just a lube but leaves the plastic rigid but maybe that is the way to go. (Be nice class)

 

If I were to soften them, should I soak in hot water or try a gentle heat gun approach? (Again, be nice class)

 

Or is just brute strength the way to go? Or in my case, "old man strength".

 

Dangers, cautions and advice please.

 

In the photo, it looks like I need to watch the ice cream or I will soon have that "dicky do" disease.

 

Edited August 3, 2013 by BillWilliams

[tjones02]

Plenty of lube, o-rings on the plenum not in the runner, shove them on while gently rocking them from one side to the other. I've taken them on and off a few times to be sure the o-rings get properly seated. Sometimes an o-ring gets pinched, so be prepared to need more than 8 of them.

Problem is... The last new set we installed cracked within a year causing massive intake leaks. We ended up selling the customer a very nice set of used ones from Sean's stash. The dealer refunded us. It's not the same plastic as the originals...

Edited August 3, 2013 by tjones02

[BillWilliams]

Thanks Tom and Mike. I will save the old ones, just in case.

[ray_]

And there's this, as a future potential alternative I suppose. http://www.racetep.com/tiitube.html

 

 

Good luck, Bill!

 

Cheers,

[bnam]

What about sticking it in the oven at 150F for 10min?  Engine gets hotter than that, so the heat should not be an issue.

[tjones02]

Unless the oven is in the garage next to the car they'll cool before you can walk them past the wife and outside to the car...

Now, a heat gun might be of some help. More portable than an oven...

Edited August 4, 2013 by tjones02

[thehackmechanic]

I boil mine, and take the pot with the plenums in it into the garage. Then they go on fairly easily without me herniating myself.

 

Truth be told, I currently have a set of the Top End Performance plenums on the car. Bought them from another FAQer. They've been passed around member-to-member, sort of like the Brotherhood of the Traveling Intake Plenums, Now that I've resolved my lean-running issues (and they weren't due to the plenums), I'll probably put my original plastic ones back on.

[stone02]

Hey Bill,

  just like rob i boil the runners.

the only difference for me is that i 

use the wood stove 15 feet from the

car and obviously it happens in the cold

weather. i heat them up and then i use

ATF on the oring which is on the manifold

and then into the plastic runner. the ATF

will not hurt the plastic or the oring. also it

will not bother the motor during start up.

after start up you need to check for vacuum

leak. in all the jobs i have done only one oring

got out of position and i reset it.

good luck,

chris 

[BillWilliams]

ok, I have some great options. Looked for Silicone Grease today and came up empty. I am sure I can get ATF anywhere. Stone, I have some of that Marvel Mystery Oil in the medicine cabinet. Do you think that would work? If not, I can get me some ATF with no problem and leave the MMO in the medicine cabinet for personal medicinal purposes.

[BillWilliams]

Thanks for all the tips on the FAQ and the e-mails. I took the advice and cobbled it into a combined installation procedure that worked for me.

 

I put the O-rings on the intake manifold and lubed them with Marvel Mystery Oil, I had some in the cabinet. I used my fingers and an artist brush to get the MMO all over the O-rings.

 

I took a large pasta pot and heated it to 150 degrees. Measured the temp with an IR gun. Had two of the runners in the pot while heating keeping them off of the bottom with some silverware. I did not want the tubes in contact with the bottom of the pot.

 

Carried the pot to the shed. I had the front part of the air cleaner removed for access to the #1 and #2 runner. Oriented the tubes in the proper manner and wiggled and pushed until the top and bottom seemed snug. Tightened the clamps and moved to #2. It went on the same way. Reheated the water to 150 degrees with the other two runners and repeated the process. Waited a week to get my nerve up to see if it would start and run without any vacuum leaks. After remembering to reconnect the cold start harness, it started and ran.

 

Not claiming total victory yet but so far so good.

 

 

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Edited August 17, 2013 by BillWilliams

[OriginalOwner]

 in a thread awhile back, Blunt suggested "personal lubricant" to increase the slideability of rubbery thingies onto metal thingies.  I've since used it quite successfully for coolant hoses and fuel hoses.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/55560-any-tips-on-install-of-rubber-grommet-that-surrounds/

 

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

Edited August 14, 2013 by OriginalOwner

[John_in_VA]

Nice work, Bill. Looks great!

[eurotrash]

 in a thread awhile back, Blunt suggested "personal lubricant" to increase the slideability of rubbery thingies onto metal thingies.  I've since used it quite successfully for coolant hoses and fuel hoses.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/55560-any-tips-on-install-of-rubber-grommet-that-surrounds/

 

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

Ha!!!  - doesn't everyone keep a bottle of that in the garage?  Maybe its just me..  and Blunt.

[ray_]

Ha!!!  - doesn't everyone keep a bottle of that in the garage?  Maybe its just me..  and Blunt.

What you and Blunt do is between you and Blunt. ;-)

 

Nttawwt!

 

Cheers,