engine and drivetrain Removing Dual Carbs

[bmwfan]

I have vacuum leaks around my heat spacers and at the intake cyl. Head gasket. I ordered new gaskets, and proceeded to take the carbs off, obviously the top bolts are not an issue. But the bottom nuts on the carbs and the intake to head mount do not have a straight shot to them with a ratchet or with an open or box end wrench.

Short of removing the head, does anyone have advice on this ?

I'll add some pics of the set up.

Thanks, Walt

Sorry, I see the pics loaded upside down. Do not know how to fix!

Edited September 12, 2013 by bmwfan

[rover1]

loosen the bottom nuts 1st

[bmwfan]

That is the issue. With an assortment of wrenches and sockets I am unable to get them on the bolts as one thing or another blocks my angle to them.

Is there something I am missing? I have built Muscle cars in my past. And still do most of my own mechanical repairs. But am perplexed by this as on how to get standard wrenches and sockets on the bolts. Any special tools involved?

Edited September 13, 2013 by bmwfan

[dbmw2002]

Thinkin like a small German and ingenuity, have had same issues with other intake manifolds on several BMWs, sometimes you just need to walk away and come back fresh. In a way you answered your own qwestion, yes with the head off it will be alot easir, sounds like you are doing the head gasket? Without doubt I would recco install before remounting head, makes it a 2 person job but you will be glad you did

[Mike87]

Short end wrenches may work. Also 1/4" sockets with extensions and swivels.

 

Removing the starter may help as well.

[mikebontoft]

swivel sockets look like they would help

[FB73tii]

With limited access under there it is tough. I used 10 mm jet nuts on the bottom and then had to make a short 10mm wrench to get in there because I put the DCOE manifolds on before installing the head. I took a small spare wrench and cut it down to maybe 3" long. Removing the starter may help, but it is tight no matter what. Agree with above--walk away, take a break, come back and all of a sudden you will see how to do it. Or not......in that case a few beers might help

--Fred '69 2002 45 DCOE & '74tii

[bmwfan]

Yes to all, except not changing the head gasket. I did walk away, searched through some old tools. The swivel joint is to fat, but found a 3/8th extension that has and tapered socket end that allows for about 15 to 20 degrees of angle. I can fit that in with 12 mm socket. But does not fit squarely over nut. It's a 12 pt socket so afraid I'll strip the nut. So tomorrow will find a 6pt socket for both a 3/8th and 1/4 in drive. Hopefully 6 pt will be less likely to slip.

Do you think it is better to remove carbs and intake as one unit. Or carbs and intakes separately ?

Thanks for the feedback and support. It does help with the frustration.

I purchased my 72' 2002 about 2 months ago. Have only had it out for test runs, no pleasure trips yet. I have it running pretty decent. Except for a rough idle, I hope that fixing the vac leaks with new gaskets will smooth this out. I found the leak messing around with the timing , got it to far off and engine backfired, with a flame shooting out around the heat block spacers

Yes to all, except not changing the head gasket. I did walk away, searched through some old tools. The swivel joint is to fat, but found a 3/8th extension that has and tapered socket end that allows for about 15 to 20 degrees of angle. I can fit that in with 12 mm socket. But does not fit squarely over nut. It's a 12 pt socket so afraid I'll strip the nut. So tomorrow will find a 6pt socket for both a 3/8th and 1/4 in drive. Hopefully 6 pt will be less likely to slip.

Do you think it is better to remove carbs and intake as one unit. Or carbs and intakes separately ?

Thanks for the feedback and support. It does help with the frustration.

I purchased my 72' 2002 about 2 months ago. Have only had it out for test runs, no pleasure trips yet. I have it running pretty decent. Except for a rough idle, I hope that fixing the vac leaks with new gaskets will smooth this out. I found the leak messing around with the timing , got it to far off and engine backfired, with a flame shooting out around the heat block spacers

[mikesmith]

There are a number of slender flexible-head wrench styles available that can help in situations like this.

 

Snap-on, Armstrong, Stanley etc. make variations on this design:

 

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=642105&group_ID=675027&store=&dir=catalog

 

Many years ago I had a set that had flex heads on both ends and holes in the shank you could pass a screwdriver through to get torque onto the nut. I think my father found them at an estate sale (before he ran out of space to store things, he used to find the most amazing tool collections).

[bmwfan]

Thanks for the info. I'll be on a tool hunt tomorrow .

[dbmw2002]

You are not alone buddy, these cars can be Xtremely frustrating at times, but know the goal is worth it and remember do it right or do it twice, thats what we said up at the ranch in Gazelle California

[jdeitch]

Obstruction wrenches and or ignition wrenches. Opening perpendicular not parallel.

Edited September 13, 2013 by jdeitch

[TobyB]

When I still had a brake booster, I made a wrench to get the 13mm nuts off- and as soon as they were off

(took at least an hour) I threw them away, got JIS 12mm nuts, and a 12mm swivel socket.  Ground it

down nice and thin where it needed to be, ran a SECOND u- joint for one of them, and made several

custom- length extensions.

 

That worked on mine.  Carbs could come off in 20 minutes after that...

 

Much easier once you ditch the booster, though.

 

Think swivelly, think offset, think socket brazed onto wrench- you'll get there.

 

t

[allbim]

I haven't done it for a while, but I seem to remember that it's a lot easier to remove the manifold (s) if you take the carbs off first.

Once you have the manifolds off, you might want to trim them with a Dremel or die-grinder to give you a little more clearance for wrenching. Be careful you don't puncture the manifold when you do that. The 12mm nuts are a must.

Edited September 13, 2013 by allbim

[LimeySteve]

#2 on no booster & remove starter , it was easy for me just when I installed my new engine last Saturday  to bolt the twin 45 Dellortos still on the manifold with the starter removed (mounted after in my case) Use soft mounts at the carb to manifold too , they stop the fuel frothing due to vibration. I just use a normal short open end wrench too.

Edited September 13, 2013 by LimeySteve