Compression Nightmare.

[DarnPB]

Good luck with the work you have set yourself. Even if you end up junking the engine, the experience you will gain from ripping the unit apart will be invaluable and hopefully give you an understanding of what other people on this forum are on about when it comes to motor tech talk.
Keep the questions coming. You may get differing opinions, but you will get the idea. 

[Bjork]

Good luck with the work you have set yourself. Even if you end up junking the engine, the experience you will gain from ripping the unit apart will be invaluable and hopefully give you an understanding of what other people on this forum are on about when it comes to motor tech talk.
Keep the questions coming. You may get differing opinions, but you will get the idea. 

Yeah cheers. Gonna be one steep learning curve!!!

I am looking forward to it in a way for the experience. It's just daunting but I guess you've gotta start somewhere. 

[mattkh]

... Good advice on the wd-40, I'll do it everyday leading up to stripping it off.

Hi
Instead of wd40, use a penetrating oil like 'Plus-gas'
 or '3-in-one Penetrant spray'.
 

[Bjork]

... Good advice on the wd-40, I'll do it everyday leading up to stripping it off.

Hi
Instead of wd40, use a penetrating oil like 'Plus-gas'
 or '3-in-one Penetrant spray'.
 

Brilliant......I'll get some. 

[Ben Lessani]

3 of my manifold studs sheared, and two were completely round and inaccesible - they had to be dremeled off.

I had to resort to a pack of stud extractors to get the snapped studs out!

Might be worth investing in those Irwin nut extrators if things go wrong

[Bjork]

3 of my manifold studs sheared, and two were completely round and inaccesible - they had to be dremeled off.

I had to resort to a pack of stud extractors to get the snapped studs out!

Might be worth investing in those Irwin nut extrators if things go wrong

I'll look into that, cheers for pointing it out.

[danny_p]

6 sided sockers are very usefull,   but a couple are spanner only     if the nuts are really bad leave them and  undo the downpipe and lift the head off with mani attached

[Village Idiots]

Would definately drop the exhaust and take the manifold off with the head. No need to remove it unless you are changing it.

[Bjork]

Would definately drop the exhaust and take the manifold off with the head. No need to remove it unless you are changing it.

Think I might change the head. Got a spare one so might see which looks in better nick.

[Conker]

Would definately drop the exhaust and take the manifold off with the head. No need to remove it unless you are changing it.

I tried to do that but there wasn't just enough room to slide the exhaust out, and I didn't want to start taking the sub frame to bits.  In of terms of undoing the downpipe at the flexi-joint thingy, those bolts look even worse than the manifold one's!  (On mine anyway).
Still a good alternative though!