I did think about that a bit and next time I will probably see if I can just disconnect them and open them a bit by hand I have extra clips now..... just thinking here......
This is the How to by Big Jim that I followed with a variation on the lines:
Cleaning intake manifolds without removing them
[SIZE=-2]Author: Big Jim
Applicable to: All vehicles, especially V6
Added: 11/12/2003
Updated: 11/12/2003
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]
This document is also available in the following formats:
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]None
[/SIZE]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]I would strongly recommed cleaning the intake manifold chemically without taking the mainfold off the engine. It is much easier and there is less chance of having someting else go wrong while you have it apart.
Do it before you change the plugs. Change the oil afterwards.
Get a bottle of liquid pourable injector cleaner. The last time I did mine, I used Berryman's B12, but I have used BG, Red Line, and Techron. The cleaner is fed through the vacuum taps on the top of the intake manifold just behind the throttle body. To remove the vacuum line, hold the retaining collar with a small screwdriver while gently prying on the fitting to pull it out of the intake manifold. Remove one line at a time for cleaning.
Find some vacuum line just the right size to slip into the hole. You need about two or three feet. Slip one end into the vacuum hole and the other end into an open container of injector cleaner. Find a pair of Vice Grip pliers and pinch the hose shut. Start the engine and very gently twist the screw open on the Vice Grip to permit some liquid to flow. This part is tricky since it is really hard to meter the flow and if you get too much the engine will stall. It may help to hold the throttle open a little while feeding the cleaner through. When the bottle is about half gone, switch to the other vacuum port.
Next, clean the throttle body. You can use a little of the same cleaner you ran through the vacuum port if you want, but I usually use a spray aerosol throttle body cleaner. With the engine off, remove the intake hose from the throttle body. Spray the throttle plate and bore with cleaner. Open the throttle plate to make sure you get the whole bore as well as the plate covered. Using a small reasonably soft brush, gently scrub the throttle plate and throttle body. I like to use an old toothbrush. Use a soft cloth or dampened paper towel for the final wipe down if needed. When you start the engine, it will run rough for a moment while it cleans out the cleaner (and junk) from the cleaning. You may need to hold the throttle slightly open to get it started. Once the engine has settled down (usually within a minute or two), shut it down. Make sure the air filter is in good shape and clean or replace if needed. It is my practice to also add an injector cleaner to the fuel tank after doing this to help clean the injectors. If the fuel filter has net been changed in the last 30,000 miles (some people say 15,000 miles, your choice) this is a good time to change it too.
This does not need to have an oil change or spark plug change after doing this, but if you are going to do such services, it is better to do them after so that you don't take a chance in fouling new plugs and you can dump the junk out of the crankcase.
This service will have effectively cleaned your throttle body, the intake manifolds, the valves, and the combustion chambers. The need to actually remove the intake for physical cleaning is greatly reduced.
I do this fairly often, about every 10,000 miles. It ALWAYS makes a very pronounced difference in how the engine runs. I have not had my upper intake off, but I would be willing to bet that if it were take off shortly after such a cleaning that there would be minimal build up on the secondary plates. Every car would benefit from this kind of service at least every 30,000 miles. By the way, you don't need to remove the upper intake to change the rear spark plugs. There is a how to in the FAQ section. It helps to move the coil pack, but some have reported that they don't need to. To remove the coil pack, a 1/4" drive 7mm flex socket is most useful. Make sure that you don't forget to replace the ground strap and the radio noise supressor when finished. There are four bolts holding the coil pack. You really don't need to reinstall the rear two if the two front ones are properly tightened.[/FONT]
