I NEED HELP!!!!!

[Tail_Gunner]

I've started my project to change the AIR INTAKE COVERS like I previously discussed in the 99+ Superduty Forum. The project so far has proven to be more involved than anticipated. I've removed the turbo and pedestal as expected, but I also had to remove the fuel filter housing. But I've run into a (for the moment) dead end.

The driver's side intake cover doesn't look like it'll be a problem. The passenger side is another matter. The lower, forward, corner bolt can't be removed because as you unsrew it, the bolt hits up against the lower rear corner of the front cover(?) that the HPOP and fuel filter housing mounts to.

How can I remove that front lower bolt without removing the entire front of the engine? I know other folks with early 99's have modded to the 99.5 turbo and induction system with the larger intake covers before. How did you get around that pesky bolt issue?

 

[whatabudro]

How much more room do you need to take up? Just a gestimate from the other bolt sizes. How much of the bollt is exposed once it bottoms out on the front cover? I'm just trying to get a visual.-popcorn

 

[Tail_Gunner]

It's out maybe 1/4" when it hits the corner of the front cover. I'd guess I need another 1/4" to 1/2".

 

[whatabudro]

I have no experience with this, and am only trying to help so beer with me. Without being able to see, and only going on my mental picture....

Do you have another bolt or nut with the same thread pitch?

Once the bolt is bottomed out or just before then, how freely is the bolt turning, finger loose, or still needs turning with a wrench?

If it turns pretty freely then I would be contemplating taking my die grinder with a cutoff wheel and removing the head of the bolt, leaving enough to get to after that. If I did go through that then it worked, my options would be installing a stud from a longer bolt back into the hole, with only enough threads exposed to slip a nut onto. I don't think what your dealing with here is really all that torque sensitive, more enough to hold the sheet metal intake firmly in place and the sealant takes care of the rest.

Does any of that have some possiblities?

 

[whatabudro]

Rereading with another thought, you might be able to leave the existing bolt in place as the stud, with a clean cut that is.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

NEVER MIND!!!
I figured it out!!!!

Or should I say my puppy helped me figure it out.

This is what happened in the last hour or so.
My puppy Mattie, needed to go out, so she (as usual) sits at the end of my lazy boy, perches her head on the footstool and stares at me until I let her out. So we go down to the basement and to the back door and I let her out. While I'm waiting for her, I go over to my workbench and look at the new intake covers. As I'm eyeballing the things VERY CLOSELY, I happen to notice that the hole in question, is not a hole, but a slot.

I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT BOLT OUT , I only have to loosen it and remove the rest of the bolts. Then slide the problem bolt out thru the slot as I remove the old intake cover.

Another hour of work, the old covers will be off, the sealing surfaces will be cleaned and I'll be putting things back together.

 

[whatabudro]

Man what the heck, all my redneck engineering ideas for that. Glad you got it handled bud.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Man what the heck, all my redneck engineering ideas for that. Glad you got it handled bud.

Oh well, it could have been a lot worse.

I'd take a pic, but my wife is escorting her elderly parents on a trip to her sister's in LA and took our digital camera with.

I'll try to take a pic when my camera gets home.

Thanks for the well intentioned help Budro.