I have a new found respect for anyone who has ever accomplished this sort of project. After a couple of hours bashing my fat knuckles apart, I still havenÆt managed to separate the lower intake manifold from the head. I think that IÆm going to break down and pull that pesky harness out of the way. That way I can put everything on a bench to work on rather than inside the engine compartment.

Couple of questions:
1) do the studs that run through the lower intake manifold into the head need to come out before those two pieces will separate? I canÆt tell if the flange on the manifold is threaded.
2) What are my odds of finding damage to the pistons or other parts of the short block?

Thanks,
Curran