Bitch tube got put in upside down can it be taken out?

[thatphysicsguy]

I need to take the intake mani off but the incompetent boob of a mechanic (who really taught me a lesson about knowing what shops to trust) put the bitch tube in upside down and the damn thing wont budge.

Thus I cant get the manifold off and it's completely stalling my work.

Last time I took it off, it was a breeze, but now it won't even budge and it's preventing the intake from even moving a millimeter.

Do I have to just take a saw to it and order a new one? or is there some workaround that I'm not seeing?

[Ether-D]

Damn. So your intake manifold bolts and associated hardwares are all removed and the whole works is stuck? If that's the case, then get a pipe cutter and go to town on the thing. Be careful if you have to use a hacksaw or saws-all for the shavings can (will) fall into the oil pan. I think the bitch tubes are cheap from pelican. I cut about 1/8" off of both ends of mine so it would be removable with the intake in place. Careful though, if you take too much off, you can ruin it (ax me how I know).

BTW, the spacer you made for my power steering pump is still functioning perfectly after almost 20,000 miles. Thanks bro!

[thatphysicsguy]

Damn. So your intake manifold bolts and associated hardwares are all removed and the whole works is stuck? If that's the case, then get a pipe cutter and go to town on the thing. Be careful if you have to use a hacksaw or saws-all for the shavings can (will) fall into the oil pan. I think the bitch tubes are cheap from pelican. I cut about 1/8" off of both ends of mine so it would be removable with the intake in place. Careful though, if you take too much off, you can ruin it (ax me how I know).

BTW, the spacer you made for my power steering pump is still functioning perfectly after almost 20,000 miles. Thanks bro!

Glad to hear it's holding up. It was a pretty substantial chunk of metal so I wasn't too worried.

I wonder if I bend the tube if it'll come out. what you said about the shavings going into the oil pan is definitely right and I didn't consider it.

[TobyB]

Yeah, how about collapsing it with vice grips or big hose pliers?

Then it could fold up and (maybe) come out...

That sucks.

t

[101]

^^^ I'd try that or the big fxxxing hammer route before resorting to filling the oil pan with metal shavings.

[thatphysicsguy]

I've tried going at it with the vice grips, but the tube is too thick to bend and there's very little room down there to get any sort of hammer. Any other ideas?

I swear the shoddy work that his mechanic has done has caused me no end of suffering and frustration. If you're going to trust your car to a shop, do your due diligence first.

[AndrewBird]

I don't see how installing it upside down would cause it to not come out. Unless the metal washer under the spring is jamming on the tube? Try compressing the spring with a zip tie and then see if you can get the tube to move.

[barbierij]

Yeah, just have someone strong pull up AND hold that tube while you remove the manifold.

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[ahlem]

Push down rather than pull up?
If the tube is upside down, the spring should work opposite of normal too?

[Ether-D]

A low profile pipe cutter like plumbers use is what I was talking about. It has rollers and a cutting wheel and won't make any shavings to be dropped into your pan.

Like this:

[Dirty325ix]

hate to say this but maybe you just forgot 1 bolt somewhere on the manifold or maybe the way he attached the water pump is holding things up

I find it hard to believe that the bitch tube could cause this much of an issue when you have so much to pull on....but i also dont understand how you could install the bitch tube upside down with out hammering it into the intake...but then again if it is upside-down wouldn't it have very minimal contact with the engine block(less than a quarter inch)

[thatphysicsguy]

zip tying the spring does nothing. It is wedged in there. I have no idea how derp-mechanic got it in there. But I found a way around taking the manifold off (i did get all 12 nuts off first though which was a huge waste of time lol)

[potatomash]

Hey got this same issue, did bending it work to get it out? Trying to avoid removing my intake manifold