I might as well add a few tid bits.
The battle to get "onslaught" ready for the parade in December was just that, A BATTLE.
The exhaust manifold was a train wreck and had been let go to the point that any real hope of salvage was just not there.
We did manage to get the pair (int/exh) re-machined to the point that the intake would seal good and the beast runs pretty good, but sadly the two center exh ports were so badly burned that they really needed another 1/16 or more cut off to clean up, and such still leaked badly.
Parade was a success though.
Now for the best part.
During the mid part of December after a buttload of phone calls and net surfing I finally scored a very nice manifold set.
They were dirty, but NO cracks and in really good shape.
Looks as though the engine they came off had been submerged in a river or ??? as they were full of dried mud.
The pair needed to be separated and LOVED a bunch.
I wanted this to be under the Christmas tree for Thumper and things just got too intense to get it all done.
Finally after several long work sessions the exhaust was off the intake and a trip to the bead blaster made it look almost new.
Even the heat riser loosened right up and it's little adjustment bolt unscrewed.
The intake to exhaust bolts that hold the pair together broke off (expected) but the long studs were still good.
Cutting the nuts off the studs and chasing the threads proved to be a good course of action.
Time ran out, so I bolted the good exhaust to a NOS intake and got it ready for Christmas.
Sadly the intake and exhaust flanges are a different height, and machining is not the choice here.
Will clean up the intake and coax the broken bolts out, then the pair will match and be sweet.
Likely the only solution on those bolts will be to set the manifold up in the mill and drill them out, then re-tap the threads.
Worse case scenario will be to install Helicoils in the holes.
Either way a good manifold set has been found for the project.
Looking forward to getting back after the air brake conversion on the "Crew cab project"
With Thumper getting ready to build a house, I'm looking at a re-roof on part of the ranch house come summer, so $$$$$ to spend on the toys will no doubt suffer some.
Well troops, hope Y'all had a great holiday season and you and yours are in good health.
Will be around from time to time, but until good weather it will be sketchy.
Snowy