Removing the intake on a 2.0L FI

[AndrewM]

Greetings All,

I finally have a 124 spider, it's an 81 with the 2.0L FI engine. Non-runner, needing a bit more work than anticipated so I removed the engine and transmission for an overhaul. Once I had the cylinder head off I wanted to remove the intake system (combined plenum and manifold) to fully inspect the head, but I've run into a problem: If I try to slide the system off the studs, the cylindrical portion of the plenum casting hits the cam box.

I'd rather not remove the studs as I'm not so sure about the condition of the threads in the aluminium, one of the smaller bolts that holds the coolant elbow stripped some of it's threads when I removed it. On the other hand, someone reattached the plenum previously with a very strong adhesive sealant (blue, not sure if factory), so even with all the bolts removed, it is going to take a lot of work to separate.

What have other FI owners done; remove the intake studs, or split the plenum?

[redcars]

I have split the intake plenum.