Remove back air rail union

[iCruiser]

I have read every thread I can find regarding removal of the air rail. Blasted each rail union with PB for several days. The top bolt on the union for the first 5 easily turn. Getting a 17mm wrench on the back firewall union has been the challenge. Really want to get this off without damaging the tubing which I hear is common. Want to keep the rail in good working order should I have to reinstall at some point in the future.

Here are the solutions I have read:

• Shear off the tube with a chisel and remove both bolts with socket. Don't want to trash the rail if possible.
• Remove temporarily the rear engine suspension hook by extracting block bolts. First open radiator cap to relieve any built up pressure.
• Remove anti-freeze bearing hoses back there to get better wrench access. Prefer not to drain fluid and burp if possible.

Any other suggestions to get a wrench on those bolts? Anyone have luck using a socket wrench, extension, universal joint, another extension to a crow's foot wrench? Trying to avoid taking stuff off to remove other stuff as Murphy lives in my garage. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Crows foot would be my first go to, following failure there, I’d pull the hook and plumbing...

 

[Spike Strip]

I used a crowfoot wrench and Kroil and heat and patience and I've removed 5 and never broken one.

 

[iCruiser]

Thanks guys. Will stay the course with your advice to avoid damaging the rail. Have recently learned Kroil is the real deal. Will be picking up a can.

 

[OSS]

I've twisted off the back nozzle before. Wrecking it. Try carefully tapping the hex with a hammer a lot and a lot and a lot to get the vibration to create microscopic cracks in the rust so the PB blaster can penetrate deeper. Take your time. Tap a lot, let soak a day,,repeat. repeat.

Try to get it to budge just the tinniest fraction, then crank it back the other way a tiny fraction. Then again the other way, then again back. Back & forth slowly. Tiny bit at a time. Let the PB weep into the newly created openings and let it soak a while. Then try a tiny bit more.

I use this thing

 

[iCruiser]

Thanks OSS. Did read one of your previous posts of tapping on the bolt and then rocking it once wrench is connected. Like that Snap-on crow's foot. Unfortunately I'm rolling with a crow's feet set from Harbor Freight.

 

[Spike Strip]

A stubby or cut-down box wrench comes in handy, too.

 

[CenTXFJ60]

Hey Will, have you thought about removing the valve cover? I can’t recall on the 2F, but on other motors I’ve done this to improve wrench angles etc.

 

[iCruiser]

Success on the back union bolt. Crow's foot on two extensions separated by an universal joint. Crazy angle and very small turns but got the union bolt off. First three tubes puled from the nozzle with some PB and tapping. The back three tubes are locked in tight on the nozzles. Same protocol I assume. PB (ordered Kroil) and tapping followed by pulling. Repeat. Not wanting to destroy the air rail.

 

[SteveH]

Why not heat with a torch, at least during the Kroil phase. If you have an oxy-acet. torch, then heat up the outer nut, and remove it while hot. It will expand considerably when heated (if heated quickly) and might come off a lot faster. Be careful around fuel lines and the carburetor, and keep a fire extinguisher handy.

 

[gregnash]

Yup this is pretty much how mine went.. just took time to finally get it off however mine ended up snapping as there was a section rusted through that I could not see. GL with getting it off in one piece, it can be a bear but worth it if you can salvage.

 

[OSS]

And for those of us who will have to keep the emissions equipment installed and working forever, my advice is to remove the air injection manifold (if you can) and have it replated. Metal plating is a coating, kinda like a super duper paint. It doesn't last forever and eventually corrodes off, exposing bare steel underneath that rusts. Toyota plated them with cadmium (yellow cad) but cadmium plating doesn't stand up to high temperatures very well and eventually burns off -- exposing the steel underneath... as most of us have witnessed.

The air injection manifold is NLA from Toyota and the only option to find another one to replace a thrashed one is to find a good used one.

Mine had rusted out to hell (living near the beach) and I damaged the rear injection pipe trying to remove it. I found a good quality used one somewhere and had it replated with nickel (better for the high temps). I'll be keeping my eye on it over the years, and if IT starts showing signs of the plating breaking down and rust beginning to show in spots, I'll remove it and have it replated again.
Without a functional air injection manifold, a car can not pass a smog test. No passy = no registration tags = no more drivey

 

[iCruiser]

That plated air rail looks like a piece of art. I have no plans to reinstall the rail as I will Be plugging the nozzle ports. Objective is to get it off in one piece so that it can go to someone who need a working air rail. It’s in great shape as this is coming off a 130k mile FJ60 with minimal rust........except for these bolts.

 

[iCruiser]

Finally got the air rail off and in one piece. Thanks for the suggestions. Patience, repeated Kroil and tapping did the trick to finally disengage the back two tubes. Even after getting the back nut off, the back two tubes were locked in tight as well. Now turning attention to the nozzles left behind in the head. A wrench will not budge them. Taking same approach of Kroil and tapping. Concerned about jumping in too soon with a breaker bar for fear of breaking a nozzle off as I have read a few examples.

Brings me to another question. I currently do not own an impact wrench but have been considering a battery operated unit. Is using an impact wrench on these rusted in bolts a safer play than using a breaker bar? Which technique is less likely to snap a bolt?

 

[OSS]

My nozzles I'm sure we're in worse condition than yours are, so I'll share the method that worked for me successfully. I got them all out without breaking anything. A few of mine had rusted badly because the freeze plug in the top of the head was weeping - always keeping them wet.

The nozzles are pretty burly chunks of steel. They are not fragile, but you want to be sure not to mess up when extracting them.

Of course soak them in Pb blaster for several days, but hit the nozzles straight on with a hammer a few times a day to unload the threads a tiny bit and create micro cracks in the rust. These microscopic cracks created by the hammer can then allow the PB Blaster to penetrate farther in.

After a few days of that it's time to start on the worst one. Use a 1/2" (or larger) swivel head breaker bar with a 3 ft cheater pipe on the end. The long lever of the cheater pipe will allow you to control the wrench better when you need to apply a lot of force. Make sure the swivel is at 90° when pulling and carefully give it a pull.

My worst one wouldn't come off even with a hard pull - it was rusted on there- so after a hard pull (and no go) I wailed on it again with the hammer and said screw it, attached the wrench and pulled HARD - and it came loose. No problem. As I mentioned, these are very burly. Thick steel. Just make sure you don't cam the socket off the hex of the nozzle when applying a lot of force. Keep the breaker swivel at 90°

 

[CenTXFJ60]

My nozzles I'm sure we're in worse condition than yours are, so I'll share the method that worked for me successfully. I got them all out without breaking anything. A few of mine had rusted badly because the freeze plug in the top of the head was weeping - always keeping them wet.

The nozzles are pretty burly chunks of steel. They are not fragile, but you want to be sure not to mess up when extracting them.

Of course soak them in Pb blaster for several days, but hit the nozzles straight on with a hammer a few times a day to unload the threads a tiny bit and create micro cracks in the rust. These microscopic cracks created by the hammer can then allow the PB Blaster to penetrate farther in.

After a few days of that it's time to start on the worst one. Use a 1/2" (or larger) swivel head breaker bar with a 3 ft cheater pipe on the end. The long lever of the cheater pipe will allow you to control the wrench better when you need to apply a lot of force. Make sure the swivel is at 90° when pulling and carefully give it a pull.

My worst one wouldn't come off even with a hard pull - it was rusted on there- so after a hard pull (and no go) I wailed on it again with the hammer and said screw it, attached the wrench and pulled HARD - and it came loose. No problem. As I mentioned, these are very burly. Thick steel. Just make sure you don't cam the socket off the hex of the nozzle when applying a lot of force. Keep the breaker swivel at 90°

View attachment 1570128 View attachment 1570129 View attachment 1570130 View attachment 1570131

Wow...that one nozzle looks like it’s completely integrated into the head

 

[unklwedy]

Eddie Haskel modification to air rail. OEM fitting uses metal to metal 'cup' seal to prevent leakage. A 28 penny nail inserted into fitting plugs passageway. Some assembly required. straight metric fine thread. 14mm nominal OD X 1.5 mm per thread. Thread engagement is poor.

Air rail and all 4000 hoses are installed along with 400 10 penny nails and 10ft of #6 rebar. Air pump is gutted. From 10ft away it looks stock. Air rail should last forever.

 

[micruz60]

lol, eddie haskell!

 

[Ian Crawford]

I was not so lucky...

 

[OSS]

I was not so lucky

What steps (in all honesty now) did you take to try to unscrew it before it broke in two?