Thread: Inlet Manifold DIY Replacement

Originally Posted by DaveKelly

Just took picture of the fitting with boro-scope camera and threads are right hand high = RH thread.

I'm reminded of my older brother undoing the nuts on a left wheel of his recently-acquired AP6 Valiant in our teens - this one's tight - oh dear, the stud broke, this next one's also tight - oh dear, that stud broke too! Hmm, the thread's going the wrong way and there's an L stamped on the stud. Not for long though as he replaced all the left studs with RH thread versions.

Originally Posted by Graeme

I'm reminded of my older brother undoing the nuts on a left wheel of his recently-acquired AP6 Valiant in our teens - this one's tight - oh dear, the stud broke, this next one's also tight - oh dear, that stud broke too! Hmm, the thread's going the wrong way and there's an L stamped on the stud. Not for long though as he replaced all the left studs with RH thread versions.

Nice One

What a mission, but successful in the end.
Gaining access into the Right Hand HP fuel line is a little cramped. Positioning the spanner so that it can rotate without contacting fuel pipes and mounting brackets is difficult.
I bent up a 17mm open ended spanner and attempted to break the HP pipe union. I don’t know who did this union up – supper human I’d suggest as there was no way I could shift it. And being an OE spanner I was fearful of it twisting off and causing all sorts of damage elsewhere.
I had a brand new 17mm flare nut spanner and decided to sacrifice it. Heated to red heat and bent it to shape. At least with a Flare spanner it was not likely to twist off and I could be a little more confident in the pressure I applied.
Relief when it cracked and I got the smallest smidgen of movement.
The flare spanner being single hex means I could not rotate to the next flat. But I had an old open-ended / ring spanner that I then sacrificed. Heated it up and bent to shape. Took an angle grinder to the ring and cut a slot. As it wasn’t being used to crack the union it didn’t need the side wall strength of the flare spanner but gave me a double hex and I could begin to loosen up the nut until I could undo with fingers.
Others may have another method, but this proved to be an easy method for decoupling that HP line and I was confident that I wasn’t going to cause any damage in the back of the engine – which would have been a disaster. Photo gives view of modified spanners. Hope this may assist others.
Now I have two ‘specialist spanners’ that are no use on anything but a Range Rover.

Good thinking! I wasn't that convinced that replacing the pipe was mandatory and like you I didn't want to round-off the flats, so didn't loosen that fitting but sprang the other end out of the rail enough to allow the rail to me removed.

At last the view I needed to see before the weekend.

Medical event has delayed reassembly but have managed to install the new intake, fan, throttle body and connect up all the front connectors.
If you ever do this inlet manifold task, then for goodness sake take lots of photo's before you start and as you proceed to remove 'stuff'.
I took heaps but you can never take too many! It sure helps when laying back the cables and reinstalling the connectors. Wish I had taken a few more.
And those photo's remind one of things that you took off a couple of days ago and had forgotten about (old age!)
Now waiting on parts from UK to do up the back end and then install fuel rail and injectors.

Just to add...

*When you get to the point of tightening the bolts that hold the new manifold in place, go round each of the bolts after you have tightened them up, dont miss one! it will leak if you do.

*I know this (well derr it aint rocket science) as I just had a job in that the owner had done the job himself, missed one of the bolts, the one at the very back lower corner and it promptly leaked oil all over the exhaust.
*I had planned for the worst (replace the gasket) but hoped for the best (something simple).

Well to close off this Inlet Manifold chapter.
New fuel injector pipes arrived from UK this week so with a little apprehension decided that I should finish this job.
The vehicle is now back on the road under her own steam.
Road Test went well and at this stage there are no fuel, air or oil leaks. Ran my computer tests and no errors reported.

Would I do it again? No is the simple answer.
I was unlucky in that the closest Land Rover workshop would involve transporting the vehicle half way down the island and cost a wee dime.
I was lucky in having another RR for transport, a tool box to die for, the ability to fabricate or modify tools and a heap of spare time.
I am sure if you had done three or four of these you would have built up a sequence and whilst not quiet a walk in the park, easily achievable.
So if this is a one off repair for you, I'd get a LR workshop to do it for you.
If you are likely to do more - then go for it. It's not impossible.
Just my opinion........ Others may disagree.

Thanks to all those who contributed to this thread. Appreciated.