How have people gone about getting the bolts from underneath the BBM off when changing a head / intake gasket?

well first off you need some good tools, a large stock of alchoholic consumables and a big bag full of profanities. lol. alot of people take the head out with it still attatched for this reason.

it's easier without the starter motor there but then this makes it a pain to get the starter motor in hehe. it's possible, you need a good 1/4' drive wrench with flex drives and extensions. do you have bolts or socket headed cap screws ?

A 10mm Ratchet ring spanner also is useful, and it is possible to reach the back bottom bolt by reaching in under the BBM.

Have fun!!!!!

BenJ

ringy would be useless in my stainless shcs's.which i replaced from the standard ones but the standard ones were still the same, just not shiny.6mm hex drive needed.

i do my EB manifold with just a ratchet with a good selection of extensions, an angled socket (dunno what theyre called) and a spanner

why not be a lazy bum and take the manifold off with the head =P, I would suggest an array of sockets and extenstions.... 3/8 would be ideal for the tight space.

10mm spanner did mine, some can be done from underneath some from above, not that hard just a touch fiddly

I use an 'S' spanner, works on Log or BBM.

Yeh ratchet spanners are awesome for the last couple at the rear of the bbm. 1/4" sockets also do the trick.

Dad is a mechanic and he always take the top off the BBM... He says its the easiest way he's found...

so apparently i'm the only owner of an e series with hex drive bolts (shcs) fitted as standard to the inlet manifold ?

They are what bolts the top to the bottom, ten mm bolts for the manifold to head, it is easier with the top half off(can get big hands in then) and with ten mm ratchet spanner for the last couple of back bolts

I have HEX DRIVE BOLTS holding my inlet manifold on too mate. Originally it was on by 10mm headed bolts, as per factory, but is now all hex drive to suit the BBM and throttle style.

If you are going to remove the BBM with the head you will need a good ring spanner (10mm) or a lot patience to get at the rear BBM support which resides slightly in front of and on the engine side of the fuel regulator. This 10mm head bolt goes through a tab that hold some heater pipe in position if I remember correctly and into the bottom of the BBM.

It is actually faster to remove a head in this manner, although you should be able to undo a BBM from head in about half an hour - YOU MUST HAVE TAKEN THE AIR BOX AND ALL PIPING OFF (stating obvious, but better safe than sorry.

Removing the top half of the BBM is a fairly decent idea as will allow you to get in with smaller drive sockets and angles to most of the 10mm head bolts into the head. You're always going to risk skinning a knuckle or three getting some of the underside ones moving, but you'll get there.
Try getting a long allen key or hex wrench to suit the bolts in the throttle and joining the BBM halves together and making an attachment for a drill out of it. Once you get them moving slightly you can just stick the drill on and reverse them all out quick smart.

I wouldn't think removing the starter motor just to make the BBM removal easier is all that much help. If you're operating on an EF with the coil packs also in the way I'd say that removing the BBM would be a bonus to making the starter easier to get at!!!!

Go to repco and for 20 something bucks buy one of their nice 10 mm small rachet ringy.. I got all of my bolts with no probs from the top.. no reaching underneath for me...

also had a cheapie tiny socket set with long thin extension which sped up doing some of the front lower bots (I took out the air box)

annoying to do, but easier than pulling the intake out with the head which was my first idea.

regards

Frank

10mm RATCHET RING SPANNER (sorry - missed that from my message, above...) can be bought as part of a cheap set and will speed up a couple of bits, although once you get the bolts moving slightly you are sometimes better off just to shove your fingers in there and twist manually....