Crankcase vent tube!

[jamiholzbach]

I am reassembling my M20 after breaking the timing belt, and I've got the head on and torqued down. However I'm finding that installation is not the reversal of removal, and I cannot get the intake manifold and the crankcase vent tube into position to mount the manifold to the head. No where in my haynes manual does it even mention the tube nor in the Bently does it say to mount the intake manifold to the head before placing it on the Block. Did I just waste a new set of headbolts and a gasket because of this omission, or is there another "trick" to installing these items? Please let me know If I just made a "NEWB" mistake or what.

[jlevie]

I don't believe it is possible to install the tube with the intake manifold mounted. I'd pull the intake manifold rather than the head.

[SpecM]

-Installing the breather tube is a bit of a pain with the manifold on, but very possable and honestly the olny way I've ever done it.

[Aptyp]

take manifold off, press the tube in with the spring, have a friend put back the manifold as you hold tube down and aligning it.

[nando]

take manifold off, press the tube in with the spring, have a friend put back the manifold as you hold tube down and aligning it.

I had my friend do that for me, his name was Zip Ties.

[jamiholzbach]

Thank you!

Thanks for the responeses guys! I really didn't want to take the head back off. I've actually had the spring compressed as far as it would go, and I got the manifold started on to the long stud in the middle, but I couldn't get it close to lining up with the short studs. Thinking about it, I'm going to try again after I clean all the oil sludge thats in the hole in the block, I just have to replace the O-ring I destroyed.

[E30_fiend]

Yeah man, get a few long zip ties and get that spring compressed as for as possible with the zip ties. Then when you have it possitioned correctly, cut the zip ties with some snips or some dikes. Pull the cut zip ties out, make sure you got all of it and you're done. Its not that hard once your know the procedure and you are correct about the manuals, none of them say anything about the spring in the install.

Good luck

[thereisnoyun]

you dont need to take the head back off... you need to take the manifold off, make sure you ahve the gasket and washer on both sides. Press it in place and then drop the intake in place.... it is a bitch..

[Mitch M]

re

Remove the 1 long stud from the head, leave the rest. Gives u a little more freedom to clear the breather tube. Clean the block and tube of all sludge to make sure u are getting full compression.

[jamiholzbach]

Thanks Again!

It turned out that all that sludge would not let the tube go down in the hole, at least not any farther than it had been for the past twenty years.
And thank you for telling me that I need an O-ring and washer at the top as well as the bottom. I was wondering about that, as it didn't seem to fit tight enough to keep from leaking air. Again, Thanks guys, once again R3Vlimited comes through!

[thereisnoyun]

It turned out that all that sludge would not let the tube go down in the hole, at least not any farther than it had been for the past twenty years.
And thank you for telling me that I need an O-ring and washer at the top as well as the bottom. I was wondering about that, as it didn't seem to fit tight enough to keep from leaking air. Again, Thanks guys, once again R3Vlimited comes through!

make sure the original o ring isnt the thing that is stuck in the hole... or else you would have some seriously problems.

[SpecM]

-Installing the breather tube is a bit of a pain with the manifold on, but very possable and honestly the olny way I've ever done it.

-Wow sorry all this time I thought we were talking about the PCV line from the valve cover...