I never did have this manifold apart, no, and the reason is the nuts and bolts looked pretty rusty and I didn't really want to mess with twisted off bolts. However, after heating them up with an acetylene torch, they may come loose after all.
This may sound like an insanely crazy "farmer fix" idea, but would it be a viable option to carefully use a belt sander to gradually touch up the ports until all made contact? Just a thought I brainstormed right now. Also, if the manifold must be surfaced professionally, would that not make the rings in the intake ports stick out too much so the rings themselves prevent the manifold from snugging down on the head? Thanks!
