Air box removal

jk911 · 07-10-2002, 03:24 PM

How do you do it. I don't want to drop the engine.

What is the sequence of things , do you start by taking off the intake manifolds?

There are no other posts on how to do this ! and there are no tech articles.

I have purchased new rubber boots but I don't know how to put them on ?

Any help will be appreciated.

1975 2.7 CIS

jhh967 · 07-10-2002, 03:42 PM

I assume the boots you mention are the intake runner to airbox boots. These must be the victims of dry-rot??? Do you have air leakage problems?

First, the ribbed air boot going from the mixture control unit to the throttle body must be removed. Also all of the fuel lines must be disconnected from the fuel distributor. Next remove all of the nuts securing the intake runners. While doing this take care that you account for all of the nuts & washers. Next disconnect all of the electrical connectors (warm up reg, start valve, aux air valve... maybe other stuff too, I don't remember).

After all of this you may be able to lift the entire assembly off of the engine. More likely though, there will be a vacuum line, oil tank vapor line or something that will be entangled and keep it from coming free. If that is not a problem, the intake gaskets will probably be stuck to the runners and the heads, preventing their release.

Having been there, I really do feel your pain! Sorry I don't have better news.

jk911 · 07-10-2002, 04:10 PM

Thanks for those suggestions .

I still have some more questions. So all six intake manifolds have to come off ? do they ?

If so can't I remove the intake manifold's one at a time from underneath the airbox from outer to inner one at a time till they are all removed and them put them back on with the new rubber boots ?

OR if i were to replace the whole airbox couldn't I do it in this sequence or is it harder this way.

I don't know if there is an air leak but i suspect there is because the idle fluctuates.

jhh967 · 07-10-2002, 04:44 PM

In an older car its hard to say exactly what to do. You might be able to take it off as you describe, but its hard to predict what stuff will be stuck. I promise there will always be something stuck. My best advice is to start taking stuff apart the best way you can. You will find stuff that is stuck and you'll have to work around it. You will find oil/vacuum/electrical stuff that will be entangled and you'll have to work around that too.

Bottom line is that you just have to stick your head in there and get all sweaty and dirty and use your mechanical aptitude to figure out how to get stuff out of that crowded engine compartment. Just make sure you don't drop anything into the intake ports on the heads - That could be bad.

Hope this helps, and let us know what you find!

jhh967 · 07-10-2002, 04:48 PM

Oh yeah, I almost forgot - remember to turn all of the screw heads on the hose clamps toward the front when you put everything back together. That's a given if you don't have to drop the engine, but if you do end up dropping the engine its easy to forget that you might have to remove them at some future date and you might want to do that without dropping the engine again.

jk911 · 07-10-2002, 05:18 PM

Thanks guy's.

I will give it a go when I get a chance.

I have noticed that some of the screws on the rings are facing backwards but I think I will just cut the old rubber off with a razor!

Sunroof · 07-10-2002, 06:41 PM

I replaced my air box with the help of a great mechanic who did most of the work. I recall four rubber thick bushings that were under the box to take vibration and these had to be replaced because they were getting brittle. The toughest part is the junk behind the box that takes a contortionist to get to, i,e., cold start valve line, rear hoses to the fuel distributor, linkages, that troubling line to the rear of the air boot. The manifolds were removed to freshen the gaskets and get better access to the runner boots. BE CAREFUL THOUGH with the nuts and washers holding down the intake mainfolds!!!!! If one gets in to the intake ports your hurting.......................its a good time too to paint your intake manifolds too. The reversed tough to get to clamps on the runners were probably because someone attached the runners to the manifold first or just the oposite, on the box first and had room to tighten down.

Do not forget the new POP OFF valve...........very important.
Good luck

Regards
Bob
73.5 T (home of the first CIS)