I installed a 5.3 Vortec in my '71 C10. The previous owner cut off the power brake vacuum hose flush with the red locking insert located at the rear of the intake manifold. So far I have not been able to remove it. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Victor Wrench?

 

What's a Victor Wrench?

 

Just joking around a bit here. A good friend of mine, who is an expert welder with anything calls the cutting torch a "Victor Wrench", Dont know if he came up with that name himself, but my piont was really that applying some heat (not the cutting torch) to the area MIGHT help to extract this plug. Probably only need a propane torch to do so, not an Oxy/Acetylene torch.

However I have seen him get things like what you have out, usually plugs and other threaded automotive retainers, like the pinion gear retention ring out of a vehicle, using one of these, but as I said, the man is an expert. I wouldn't even try to do so, as my skills in that area are quite poor. Of course, you could not use this on plastics, magnesium or other parts materials that cannot take that kind of heat or would burn or melt. That said I have seen him use it near gasoline, like near a carburetor and gasoline tanks.

 

Since the connector and manifold is all plastic, I would hesitate use any heat. I'm going to try threading a lag screw into the cut off tube and pull it out while depressing the red collar. Hope it will work. Thanks for the suggestion though.