Matt Saunoras Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I'm joining the club. The few that have actually replaced a branch tube, I feel your pain. Earlier this week I diaged a hot no start with a blown out branch tube to fitting o-ring. Now I have done a lot of STCs over the years as we all have and none have ever returned with a blown out o-ring.Pull the bolts out of the tube and its apparent the pass side bolt is crossthreaded. It's tight all the way out. The pump connector is not on straight as verified with an old STC metal bracket. Someone actually ground a flat spot on the bolt threads to make it into a self tapper and ran it in. I was pretty surprised to see this honestly. This is advanced hackery.So onto the repair. Seems straight forward until you really look at the WSM and start working then you realize how screwed up it actually is. You are to pull off 5 rockers and pushrods. Easy because we've done lots of headgaskets right? Nah not as easy as it looks especially when the fulcrum ball defies gravity and stays attached to the pedestal. The rockers are out and the tips are destroyed which I hadn't anticipated.Oh well still work to do. So I grab my 10" extension and T27 and start on down. This seems a little fishy to me. Then I realize what I have is definitely too wide to work. Now what? Well in the back of my mind I can remember Jim saying one time to take your T27 and weld it to the extension. Excellent advice. I pressed the bit from my socket, fired up the TIG and proceeded to make a tool I only hope to need this one time.Sure enough it worked, the tube is out, new one in, new fitting lined up correctly and an undeserved sense of accomplishment rains down. Somehow I was actually able to stick my big head up into the tunnel, reach up around both sides of the engine to position the socket into the bolt heads. You do need to go through the pushrod holes on a pretty decent angle. Scary yes but what's scarier is that it actually works. And since its Saturday I snapped some pics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Advanced hackery lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanik Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 You've joined the club, so now you can enter into the secret society that bends branch tubes back into position to avoid ever replacing branch tubes again. I'm just kidding. If it was hacked like that I'd probably replace it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm not going to lie, the thought of a branch tube repair was always one that made me scratch my head Likewise I love a challenge. Now that I've done one if there is a next time I certainly won't be caught off guard. Positioning those rockers about had me pulling my hair out in clumps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Just helicoil the next one. And bend the tube. Good as new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanik Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm not going to lie, the thought of a branch tube repair was always one that made me scratch my head Likewise I love a challenge. Now that I've done one if there is a next time I certainly won't be caught off guard. Positioning those rockers about had me pulling my hair out in clumps I can relate. I just got done replacing all rocker arms in a 6.0L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Bruene Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I've done one branch tube in the WSM method. Now, I remove the heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I've done one branch tube in the WSM method. Now, I remove the heads.8/10 of them probably could use head gaskets anyhow. The other two already had head gaskets done. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I recommend scrapping the truck before I do a branch tube! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Now if you remove the heads does that in any way change the rear cover removal part? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Now if you remove the heads does that in any way change the rear cover removal part? Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 You know, Heli-coiling that bolt hole does not look all that bad of an idea considering all of the work and aggravation involved in replacing an otherwise good branch tube. Of course the utmost care in preventing debris from getting into the engine must be taken... Call me crazy if you want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Clayton Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 OK you're........ CRAZY Does that work for ya? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hey! I resemble that remark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Reman branch tubes? Hell if I get any broken ones maybe I can just weld them up in the engine.... OR wrap it in muffler tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I wouldn't even hesitate to helicoil it in my own truck if I needed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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