Just used a big honkin' screwdriver. I would have gone to a prybar if necessary but it came out with a bit of encouragement. I do recall that it was surprisingly tight for just an o-ring.

 

We actually sell a lot of those pipes on eBay. I remember wondering why they always sold until the last HG job I did. Same experience, pipe would not release from the manifold. I ended up prying on it so much that the flange broke off of the pipe. There is no circlip or attachment for the flange, it is tack welded onto the pipe.

Also, that's some mean sludge on those rocket assemblies!!!!

 

...I know, I started prying it from the bottom and the lip lifted so much that it might brake off if kept doing it from there; on my way home back from work I'll stop by Home Depot and buy a pry bar and give it another try this night, I sprayed some more PB Blaster into the area before leaving, we'll see how it goes then.

As per the sludge, pretty much ain't it? it is a very thick coating, I guess from many years of bad maintenance. Will tackle each side with patience, won't touch that rockers though, just changing the gaskets, but I'm cleaning the covers; if it was nasty taking the sludge out of the covers, can't imagine how hard it must be for those rockers to rock under that sludge. I guess the cleaning agent in Rotella isn't doing much! ...getting the bolts out was fairly easy, they weren't tight at all, would had probably unscrewed them with my fingers, go figure! ...no wonder it was so wet all around it.

...where do you sell them in eBay? the pipes I meant... and thanks for the feedback!

 

...thanks mollusc, I think I'm at the "get a frikin' pry bar" stage, plus whole lot of encouragement! ;-]#

 

On the buildup under the covers, you'll probably find that there's some coke and debris buildup around the rockers too. I would try carefully removing some of that while you've got the rocker covers off. You'll probably end up with at least some sludge coming loose and swirling through the oilways, so an oil and filter change soon afterwards would be advisable.
And when reinstalling the rocker cover bolts, Loctite is your friend! Those things come loose for no reason at all.

 

...I actually started to clean just the covers up -external and internally- and was gonna leave it at that, but not confident or sure if cleaning the exposed parts; or should I attempt to remove any sludge from it? I wouldn't want to complicate my life any further, unless is just a "wipe-off" cleaning that may be done without risk... (just between us two, as soon as I saw it, my inner "Monk" kicked in and wanted to throw whole jug of degreaser all over it! ;-]# ...as, per the oil change, yup! it was my plan long before getting into this predicament of the heater pipe fix!

 

Wow. That's a sludgy head. Wow! You're having so much fun already get some studs and take them off!

On the heater pipe I've had trouble with mine, too. I ended up taking the rubber hoses off and twisting it out. But if abran has broken them, then some are truly difficult to get out so that may not work. The part that seals is farther in the intake so you probably can't harm it by levering against the flange, unless you break it.

 

...nahhh, not that much fun really! and not much of a savvy DIYer to get some "studs" and get it off; I would need to start by asking, what are the "studs" you're referring to. ;-]#

...as per the pipe, twisting was an option too -rubber hose was third thing out- but attempts only got the pipe to bend a bit insteadof twisting, so unsure, decided yo abort the twist, shout, and kept with the banging! ;-]#

...in any case, all these feedbacks I'll be putting to use when back at home after work, gotta thank wifey for lending me her wheels, for now! ;-]#

 

The studs would be replacements for head bolts. My only concern about your sludge is that it could clog other things if disturbed because it is so...awesome. So I was suggesting removing, cleaning and replacing the heads.

That pipe is incredible. I'd probably beat on the lower intake with a hammer, and I'm sure that would be the wrong thing to do.

 

...as per the sludge situation, I understand where you're going, but without much knowledge of what I might be getting myself into, not sure I want to venture into unbolting the thing and attempt a thorough cleaning of it, I'm amfraid getting things even further south than how they are now! ...encouragement might come in handy at this point! ;-]#