> I was just about to start pulling the radiator when something
> caught my eye.
> The end of the intake manifold looked different. Got my
> bi-focals adjusted
> and found I was looking INTO the end of the manifold. The
> factory installed
> plug (pressed in and epoxied I suppose) was gone!
>
> Yep, that would make it run lean and backfire... once.
>
> I have epoxied a shalow, 1-1/8 inch freeze plug in the hole.
> I'm not sure
> this is the final fix, though. I'm looking for a 1-1/8 inch circle of
> aluminum. Guess I could cut one.
>
> Has anyone else had the pleasure.....? What did you do? It
> would be expensive
> to replace the mainfold, I just want to repair it.
Yes, I've lived this one - in my case, it was caused by a stripped
nut on an exhaust value adjuster that put enough back pressure in the intake
to blow it out, along with all the intake gaskets. By a bit of happenstance
that I still find unbelievable, the plug landed on the body seam inside the
engine compartment. All I did was clean the plug up, turned it upside down
on my vice and hit it with hammer(to expand the O.D. slightly), and hammered
it back into the manifold using a 9/16" socket as a drift.
Dan Pockrus
'74B in faded Citron
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