This week's dumb questions

[PanamaZ34]

OK, this week's dumb questions from the mechanically inept:

 

1. How do the throttle pulleys disconnect from the plenum?

 

2. There is a plastic gasket/seal between the plenum and the top of the engine (6 staggered rectangles) - see photo below - what's it called, since I'm going to have to order a new one?

 

 

3. The bits of broken plastic in my hand (below) came out of the hole shown (at the end of a short length of (I think) heater pipe - connected just above the brake fluid reservoir). Again, I need to know what it is so I can try to get a replacement.

 

[jman093]

1. I don't think you can get it off. It's a part of the throttle body. For what reason would you need to take it off anyway?

 

2. Upper intake manifold gasket

 

3. I can't tell what that is. It looks like the quick connect? Which probably comes with the heater line.

[PanamaZ34]

1. I don't think you can get it off. It's a part of the throttle body. For what reason would you need to take it off anyway?

 

2. Upper intake manifold gasket

 

3. I can't tell what that is. It looks like the quick connect? Which probably comes with the heater line.

 

2 and 3, thanks a lot, very helpful.

 

1 - because it is now the only thing keeping the plenum attached to the rest of the car, and I'd like to remove it completely to clean it up (and because of where the (immobile) car is in relation to the car-port pillars (and Panamanian sun), removing the throttle cable from the pedal is not something I wanted to have to do - door only opens a few inches and the interior is like a sauna!). I can work round it though if I need to.

[Octavarium454]

1. Disconnect the throttle linkage by holding the throttle body all the way back to allow slack on the line and get the end off. Once that is done there is a tab that you need to pop with a screwdriver and the throttle linkage should slide right off. Do the same for the cruise control linkage.

 

2. Upper Intake Manifold Gasket. Honestly, I would just get the Lower Intake Manifold gasket set and replace them while your down there and that will give you every gasket to put it back together. Should run you about 25 dolllars at Advance Auto Parts

 

3. That is a quick disconnect. You have to buy the whole deal, but it is only 12 dollars the last time I checked. Just bring in the silver piece the plastic pieces came in and they should know what your talking about.

[PanamaZ34]

Since the plenum is already off, there's no tension on the throttle cables, just a question of removing them so I can get the plenum out of the way and give myself a bit of room to work.

 

I'd planned on doing all the top-end gaskets - if I can ever get down to them, I've already got the head gaskets, the distributor O ring was already on my shopping list and now the intake manifold gaskets.

 

Wish it was as easy as popping down to a major US parts chain, but here, I have to shop around (and pay crazy and inconsistent prices - $24 for an ignition (spark-plug cable) set, but $104 for a fan/serpentine belt tensioner!).

 

Need to get myself legal in Panama and open a bank account - at least then I could then buy mail order from the US. At the moment, everything is cash (though I'm hoping to get some money into my Paypal account soon).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PanamaZ34]

just went to take another look, and the cruise control cable had already dropped off the pulley, bit of waggling and the throttle cable came out too.

 

Guess its time to bite the bullet and remove the timing belt so I can tackle the cam shafts! I just know that when I put everything back together, even if I can get the timing set up right, I'm going to have a pile of spare bolts and at least a couple of hoses and wires that I have no idea where to connect LOL

[xtremerevolution]

when taking off the bolts, use ziploc bags or an equivalent to label them, and mark labels around all hoses and wires on both ends so you know where to put them back.