# Removing Lower Intake Manifold on W8



## FredWA0GMH (Feb 5, 2017)

I'm replacing the thermostat in my W8 and can't get the lower intake manifold to budge. When you look into the holes that the ten manifold bolts came out of, you can see some of the gasket material along the sides of the holes. It looks like VW either used some silicone sealer or the gasket material was pressed into the holes over the past 13 years. The manifold has never been off, so it must have come this way from VW.

So does anyone who has removed the lower intake manifold from the W8 has any suggestions as to how to take it off? Since it's aluminum I don't want to pry on it very much. I've considered heating it a little with a hot air gun to see if that will soften the gasket enough for it to come off. Unlike a regular manifold, you can't tap it sideways a little to loosen the gasket due to the alignment pins.

I found the torque specs that I requested in a previous post. I was looking in the wrong place in the service manual. 

Thanks,

Fred


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## FredWA0GMH (Feb 5, 2017)

FredWA0GMH said:


> I'm replacing the thermostat in my W8 and can't get the lower intake manifold to budge. When you look into the holes that the ten manifold bolts came out of, you can see some of the gasket material along the sides of the holes. It looks like VW either used some silicone sealer or the gasket material was pressed into the holes over the past 13 years. The manifold has never been off, so it must have come this way from VW.
> 
> So does anyone who has removed the lower intake manifold from the W8 has any suggestions as to how to take it off? Since it's aluminum I don't want to pry on it very much. I've considered heating it a little with a hot air gun to see if that will soften the gasket enough for it to come off. Unlike a regular manifold, you can't tap it sideways a little to loosen the gasket due to the alignment pins.
> 
> ...


*UPDATE*

The heat gun worked.


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## seawall90 (Nov 27, 2021)

FredWA0GMH said:


> *UPDATE*
> 
> The heat gun worked.


Encountering similar issue. Did you remove your injector rails before applying the heat? or did you just blow down the holes where you'd removed the bolts? I know it was 5 years ago...


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