33 replies to this topic

[gazza82]

Personally I always use hex. head 5/16" UNF bolts 1.25" long. You do need the big washers for 4 of the bolt/stud positions and normal flat washers at each end bolt/stud.

 

The big advantage of bolts is the ability to remove the head without disturbing any of the engine steadies.

 

Sounds like a clever idea. On my A35 the engine is low down in the bay so making it easier to remove the manifolds is a good move. Anything else special about them? Grade, etc?

[postve]

Long Center Branch manifold. Normally bent tubes welded onto flanges.

yours looks cast? Original? but does not look like it is?

Some of the cheaper LCBs use these cast flanges with tube welded into them:
http://www.minispare...|Back to search

Ahh not seen them.

Mine is like this one;

No idea if original but she sounds sweet!!

http://www.japshop.c...IFOLD-1997.html

[postve]

Personally I always use hex. head 5/16" UNF bolts 1.25" long. You do need the big washers for 4 of the bolt/stud positions and normal flat washers at each end bolt/stud.

The big advantage of bolts is the ability to remove the head without disturbing any of the engine steadies.

So Cooperman, what is the logic on the big bolts as the one issue I run into is room on one side to clear the hif44 intake manifold. As for the engine steady not sure what the big deal is, if ya move em just tighten back up as for most people it's not like you are doing this on a weekly basis and hopefully once a year at most? Furthermore, how is one impacting the engine steady in my situation by simply taking off the head. (Deep breath as maybe another thing I missed - gulp)

Being devils advocate and challenging above for education on
my end sir.

[nicklouse]

 

 

 

Long Center Branch manifold. Normally bent tubes welded onto flanges.

yours looks cast? Original? but does not look like it is?

Some of the cheaper LCBs use these cast flanges with tube welded into them:
http://www.minispare...|Back to search

Ahh not seen them.

Mine is like this one;

No idea if original but she sounds sweet!!

http://www.japshop.c...IFOLD-1997.html

 

certainly would not wrap that.

[postve]

Long Center Branch manifold. Normally bent tubes welded onto flanges.

yours looks cast? Original? but does not look like it is?

Some of the cheaper LCBs use these cast flanges with tube welded into them:
http://www.minispare...|Back to search

Ahh not seen them.

Mine is like this one;

No idea if original but she sounds sweet!!

http://www.japshop.c...IFOLD-1997.html

certainly would not wrap that.

Thx Nick and advise taken and applied, removing it tomorrow!!

[GraemeC]

Being able to remove the head on a competition car easily is a big advantage.  Wrestling with more studs, engine steadies etc is a pain if you’re trying to change a head gasket it a hurry.

 

i use similar to Cooerman, but I use socket head cap screws as I find an extra long ball-ended hex key easier to get in past the carbs.

[postve]

Being able to remove the head on a competition car easily is a big advantage.  Wrestling with more studs, engine steadies etc is a pain if you’re trying to change a head gasket it a hurry.

 

i use similar to Cooperman, but I use socket head cap screws as I find an extra long ball-ended hex key easier to get in past the carbs.

 

That makes sense as a daily Joe like myself who uses for weekend road warrior battles would not be so fussed - unless of course I crack something up:(

 

If not a pain in the arse, and when you have time, could you drop a picture in so I can see for myself?

 

thx

[Cooperman]

Y'know Graeme, I think I'll switch to socket head cap screws when next I take the head off of one of my cars. It does make sense.

To take the head off with studs is a longer job. This is especially true with a 3-branch tubular or an LCB ex. manifold.

To get the head off of my cars, I just undo the 'Ultimate Engine Steady', take out the manifold bolts, undo the head and rocker shaft nuts and lift the head off after gently pushing the carbs and ex.manifold back very slightly.

I started doing it this way many yeas ago after working on Ford engines (Anglia, Cortina GT, etc.) and realising how bolting the manifolds on made everything so easy. Why BMC used studs has always seemed a bit odd, but then, so much of what they did was odd.

Edited by Cooperman, 21 February 2020 - 11:19 PM.

[panky]

I swapped to bolts when I fitted a new LCB. Even with the engine steadies removed I still had to heave the engine forward with a big lump of timber to get the manifold off the studs. Much easier with the bolts but cap heads are the way to go - especially with the ones under the inlet manifold.

 

[OzOAP]

Long Center Branch manifold. Normally bent tubes welded onto flanges.

yours looks cast? Original? but does not look like it is?

Some of the cheaper LCBs use these cast flanges with tube welded into them:
http://www.minispare...|Back to search

Back to back testing they are very good and the choice of many Mini 7 racers.

[GraemeC]

Interesting Oz. I suppose there’s no reason they shouldn’t be as long as there is a good transition from the cast to the tube on the ID

[mini-mad-mark]

Isn't that what the Mini Spares Millennium manifold has? Reported as the latest and greatest.

 

https://www.minispar...|Back to search

[GraemeC]

Yes - that was my link.
Latest & greatest? Who knows!

[mini-mad-mark]

Sorry I missed the link(s) - must have been not quite with it 

[wile e coyote]

Personally I always use hex. head 5/16" UNF bolts 1.25" long. You do need the big washers for 4 of the bolt/stud positions and normal flat washers at each end bolt/stud.

 

The big advantage of bolts is the ability to remove the head without disturbing any of the engine steadies.

So do I now it's bloody brilliant thanks cooperman for the tip some years ago!