I'd reckon to say I don't think we're as lucky as the people who snap them are unlucky lol.

I've never snapped one on 9 360s thus far (and I'm in Wisconsin!) I've reused all of them, once in a while if I was bored I'd clean them up on the wire wheel and reinstall. Its an intake bolt after all, not much torque needed. But I have seen one thermostat bolt break off (damn steel bolt into aluminum!), a guy I did his plenum gasket for had his son doing the thermostat and he installed the neck on backwards and it didn't seat properly all the way down and allowed the neck to leak so he kept tightning & tightning it till it snapped, I was supposed to fix that but I figured to get a decent view at the bolt I'd need to take the AC & Alternator off anyway so I mine as well take a few more bolts off and do his plenum gasket and have easier access for extracting the bolt.

I've even reused the stock intake bolts on my 1952 331 hemi when I put a 4bbl manifold on it. All luck of the draw I guess on where you live and what conditions the engine itself sat in. Up in Wisconsin we've got salt & snow and all 4 seasons so it takes its toll on vehicles. I recently pulled a motor out of a Neon I bought for parts and I think that car must have been in a swamp or something because everything on the right side of the engine was a living B*tch to get off and I had to heat some of the bolts up with my torches and others I snapped off. The dipstick tube was even almost rusted through as was a few spots in the oil pan. It was the most abnormal rusty engine I ever took stuff off of, ran like a champ though regardless so I'm keeping it as a backup!.

 

Alright all parts are ordered and on their way. im so happy to get this done, and im looking forward to drive it once im done. Btw, i dont mean to use this topic for something else but i have a very slow tranny fluid leak from my rear seal by the rear driveshaft ujoint. Is that fairly easy to change? i was looking around onlne and people said it wasnt too bad. Anybody done it? any pointers? i want to keep the tranny in tip top shape lol.

 

Actually because i just got my federal refund back i might just have the dealership do it and change the fluid and filter. I just dont like messing with the tranny. I will go anywhere in my truck but for some reason the transmission scares the Sh** out of me.

 

you realize dealers charge about $100/hour to work on your vehicle? your tax refund would be gone in no time if you got them to do any work on your truck.

 

alright well then how hard is it to do the things i just said?

 

change the transmission fluid and filter? that job is fairly easy

 

The rear seal is easy as well. Block rear wheels, drop driveshaft, pop out old seal, grease inside of new seal and install it. Driveshaft back in and bingo. Done.

For fluid and filter, you need a torque wrenc to do it right. Pan bolts to 13 ft lbs only. Remove pan, wash fluid off face (keep mouth closed... ) two torx screws to remove filter, reinstall, and bolt pan back together. Work bolts across from each other to tighten. Use ATF+4 only.

 

Install a drain plug too! zman told me several times to do so and I never listened. My upcoming project will be I think the 4th or 5th time I've had to drop my pan...

 

One of these days some of you young 'uns will learn,,,,,,,one of these days

 

I could not help myself.