Inlet manifolds off, couple of questions

[lovema75]

Well, as indicated yesterday I managed to remove the thermostat which gave me enough room to get my hand in and remove the remaining manifold bolts without a wobbly thingy.:)

This is what I found, clearly significant leakage from the front bank into the V, and presumably as much into the cylinders, hence rough running.
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s485/lovema75/Snapbucket/EB0DA17A.jpg

The thermostat appeared leak free, and nothing broke when I removed it - do I get a gold star for this?:D (I fitting a new one anyway, madness not to.)

So daft questions for re-assembly::o

The elastomer seal appears very thin - is it a good idea to use additional sealant?

I removed the manifolds as one unit, as I couldnt work out how to separate the metal pipe joining the 2 - any reason why I cant just replace it the same way?

What are the plastic clips that go around the straight pipe for? As the pipe is rigid they cant exert any clamping force, so are they just to stop the end being pushed in too far?

Should I use anything like Vaseline on the O-rings to aid re-assembly?

Sorry for all the questions - oh, and so far I've managed to remove everything without breaking anything, even the breather pipes!

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

[kaiser]

Well, as indicated yesterday I managed to remove the thermostat which gave me enough room to get my hand in and remove the remaining manifold bolts without a wobbly thingy.:)

This is what I found, clearly significant leakage from the front bank into the V, and presumably as much into the cylinders, hence rough running.
http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s485/lovema75/Snapbucket/EB0DA17A.jpg

The thermostat appeared leak free, and nothing broke when I removed it - do I get a gold star for this?:D (I fitting a new one anyway, madness not to.)

So daft questions for re-assembly::o

The elastomer seal appears very thin - is it a good idea to use additional sealant?

I removed the manifolds as one unit, as I couldnt work out how to separate the metal pipe joining the 2 - any reason why I cant just replace it the same way?

What are the plastic clips that go around the straight pipe for? As the pipe is rigid they cant exert any clamping force, so are they just to stop the end being pushed in too far?

Should I use anything like Vaseline on the O-rings to aid re-assembly?

Sorry for all the questions - oh, and so far I've managed to remove everything without breaking anything, even the breather pipes!

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:
I used an additional sealant, but don't overdo it. Victor Reinz Rinzosil is about the best I have ever seen.
If you can remove in one piece, you should be able to replace the same way.
The clips is to stop movement fore and aft. After a while the pipe will sit solid by itself.
Yes, lubricate and press and turn when fitting.
Don't congratulate yourself too soon. You still have to put the stuff together.:getmecoat: