Thread: Intake manifold help...

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I am trying to swap intake manifolds on my 318 to a 340 manifold so I can go 4-barrel. However, now that I have taken most of the bolts off I have come to the conclusion that the water pump is in the way which is bolted to everything in its general visinity.

Can anyone tell me the quickest and easiest way to swap manifolds as well as what all I need to think about replacing as I go?

I am also swapping ignitions but I got a guy helping me with that in a few days. Just thought I'd go ahead and get the intake swapped out before he plays with the ignition that way we don't have to worry with it.

I dont mean to offend you if Im wrong, but are you sure your not thinking of the AC compressor. Its been a few years since Ive worked on a SB Chrysler, but I dont recall it being in the way of the intake.

Could be.... but I was told it was the water pump that sits right in front of the intake manifold. I don't know for sure. Either way, it is in my way and it is attached to like.... the intake manifold, the heads, and the alternator. I was told there are like 3 bolts that hold it on but that is absolutely not true.

Does anyone know how to tell me how to quickly get all of the intake manifold bolts out without having to use the jaws of life to cut everything off of the intake manifold?

Does yours look anything like this?

Not the tidiest bay in the world, it's a daily driver and what's up front is the A/C compressor and it's just about attached to everything. The manifold is a Weiand and it was more trouble than it was worth.

sorry, I dont mean to sound like a jerk, just seems odd that you have a 72 Charger...& you dont know where the water pump is.
The water pump is on the front of the engine...follow the lower radiator hose to it.
I think the part your talking about is the AC unit, & the AC unit really is a pain on most cars. John

Okay so I have officially made it obvious that I am new to this... LOL.

Ok so I guess it is the AC compressor after all. Look guys, here is the case. I am 18, I just bought this car about 4 months ago and have been slowly but surely scraping up the money to fix and replace stuff in this thing. I have also been doing my best to learn as much about Mopar engines and what not so that I can know the best way to go with this thing. Especially considering the limited budget I have. I need to get her running asap so rather than setting her aside and saving up for a 440 Magnum, I figured I would swap carburators(since the 2 barrel is junked), which lead to swapping the intake manifold. I was told that swapping the intakes was a piece of cake but after my dad and I both spent an hour trying to figure stuff out, I realized that AC compressor was definitly in the way and wasn't going to be easy to remove.

Also, when you are swapping distributors, does the old one just pop right out or what? It seems to be in there nice and tight.

I SAY SCRAP THE ENTIRE A/C UNIT ALL TOGETHER AND GIVE YOURSELF A LITTLE EXTRA HP. PLUS, IT WILL AVOID FUTURE PROBLEMS SUCH AS WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH NOW. RUNNING THE A/C ROBS YOUR ENGINE OF PRECIOUS HP BY REQUIRING THE EXTRA PULL FROM THE ENGINE.

GRANTED, IF YOU'RE USING THIS AS YOUR EVERYDAY CAR THEN I GUESS YOU WOULD WANT YOUR A/C.

I'D SCRAP IT, THAT'S MY OPINION.

CarFreak, don't feel bad. I'm in the same boat and I'm 36 (New to fixing up cars but not alot of expierience). Glad to see you and your Dad are working on it together. My father passed away not to long ago so enjoy the time you are spending with him. Sorry I'm not much help but your post is about the same thing I'm planning on doing with my project car. Good Luck!

Guys, I enjoy talking to you all, but no one has yet to tell me how to get it out of my way so I can swap manifolds. Can anyone tell me this? I'd like to get it done today if possible.

Oh and by the way, it will be a daily driver. Also I was told that A/C was a bit rare on a '72 Charger. Thirdly I live in the Panhandle of Florida, the other day it was so friggan humid that it felt like it was about 100-110 Degrees outside.

So if I can keep the A/C that would be a good thing. Atleast long enough to move way North of Florida. Like Alaska or something.

Basically unscrew every darn bolt it takes to get the darn thing out. Sounds simple minded but in reality that's about it. If you need to dismantel the entire A/C unit, then do so. If you need to take out the fan shroud, water pump, distribtor, etc. then that's what it will take.

Trust me i've had to practically remove my front grill, hood lock assembly, remove a trans cooling unit, etc . to rotate my darn headlights.

take your time and pay close attention to what you are doing and what goes where. So you won't have such a headache peicing it back together.

The best advice I can give you on this, especially if you are learning and plan to do other things with this car, is to go to the local bookstore, or to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com and get a Chiltons or Motors manual. You can find them specific to your car or more general for many models. This will cost you $15-60 but it will save you so much time and will help you learn how things work. You might even find them at a used book store or on EBay.

As the say goes: RTFB! If after Reading The Flippin' Book, you are still not sure how to procede, then ask questions. Heck once you have read the book and done things a few times, then you can even answer some questions from other newbies!

Good luck with your project

Pat

Gettng a Chilton type manual is good advice. If you have a digital camera it can also be helpful, Also use masking tape and mark things if necessary. You will probably be surprised at how easy the job is once you get at it. Try not to disconnect any of the hoses if possible. Just take your time, look at what each part is used for and than go for it. If you do have any trouble your local parts store is often a good source for advice.
Good luck

CarFreak
If the a/c system is still charged DON'T break into it. Unless it's been converted ( a tag, usually on the compressor) to r -134a, you're dealing with r-12 commonly refered to as Freon. R-12 is very expensive and if the system still has some charge you don't want to loose it. Once you have the compressor loose there should be enough slack in the hoses to allow you to move it out of your way towards the passenger side of the car. Use bungy cords to keep it out of your way. That's what I did when I pulled the engine out of my Duster and you should have at least as much room as I had in your Charger.
Let us know how you make out and good luck.