You don't need to buy O rings because you don't have to remove the injectors to do the plenum gasket...

 

I followed the snapped bolt thread with great interest (and pain) been there, done that......

I have my abs issue and the passenger side axle seal to do first but the plenum fix is happening for me soon as well. I'll be leery of that damn bolt haha.

 

yup, great summary, just finished mine as well...my broken bolt was the very rear drivers side one....vise grips got it out thank god.

 

very rear drivers side bolt.....did you take out the cap and rotor, all the plug wires, and the wire harnesses to gain access to the bolt with vice grips? Back there it was pretty tight working quarters and a 6" socket extention was needed, but I didn't take the cap and rotor out.

 

Any recomendation so I don't break a bolt off when I do this fix???

 

Soak 'em in chemicals for a few days before you start. Tap 'em all with a hammer a bit before attempting to take them out. If you can get at the bottoms of the four corner bolts, hit those with chemicals as well. (the front two are easy, the back two might be impossible.)

 

Also to throw in as a note; on my 97 318, didn't have to pull the fuel rails. Just popped off the fuel line where it goes into the fuel rails. No special tool needed. Mine looked like 4 yellow tabs, regular pliers and one side at a time got it off. Just saves the time of messing with injectors and the wonderful O-ring bs that we all hate.

 

No I didnt have to take the cap and rotor or any plug wires off, the bolt was sticking out about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch once I lifted the manifold off, so there was enough room to turn the vise grips about 1/4 turn at a time.
I didn't take my fuel rails off either, just a fuel line disconnect tool on the supply line took care of it.
On the broken bolt I had, the head and a bit of the thread was still there so it was still in the intake, I just lifted it out, and where it was broken was all rusty so it was an old break.