I took out 6 of the 8 studs/bolts holding the manifold.
7th was super visible and super accessible that I got cocky and put an impact gun on it.... Stripped the living lights out of it. Put extractors of all sorts on it. Stripped it even more.
8th wasn’t even visible.
Youtube videos suggested welding a nut onto a stripped stud and backing it out. I tried that. Ended up with a big blob of metal welded onto a tip of the stud, but none of it ended up on the nut so I made the nut spin on the stud.
Friday, I gave it more hell. Ended up removing the blob and the nut. Welded more meat onto the stud and tried the extractors again. Finally. Success. #7 is out.
Search is on for Red October #8. Finally located it. Most awkward location - under radiator, over axle, behind the rear wheel, through the steering wheel, through antennae... finally poked my head out from under the car and it was apparently right in front of me but because of the angle, I couldn’t see it. Removed extra universal joints and extensions and wouldn’t you know it, it came out. ALL 8 are out.
Took a little break Sat. Sunday got back at it. Put on the heat shield on the new manifold. Put on 02 sensor. Gaskets all over. Pushed the manifold back in its place.... and ... now I have to trick studs into going into old holes. One hole got its threads stripped partially fairly easily and quickly. UNDO.
Took it all out and tapped all holes with factory threading just to make sure all the studs can go in by hand.
Placed the manifold back in. Ready to screw the studs in place again. One of the studs falls into a small hole between manifold and cover (heat shield). Can’t get it out.
Remove manifold again. Shake the bolt out. Put manifold back in and tape openings where bolts can fall into. Try again.
As of today, I have 3 studs in at the top. One at the bottom. Hole 4 at the top isn’t even visible. Tonight I will try to place more studs in.
I’ve contemplated placing studs on first, but then manifold won’t clear going in.
Wish me luck.