Eric Viveiros

I was going to take off my oil pan to change the gasket, and when taking the y pipe off I broke the heads of 3 of the 4 bolts holding the y pipe to the exhaust manifolds. I also managed to strip the head of one of the bolts on the exhaust bracket just behind the catalytic converter.

So now i figured I have to take off the exhaust manifold to try and get those bolts out of it. I started to attempt to take the heat shield off the exhaust manifold on the drivers side, but the nuts holding it on are really rusted. One is so bad that its deteriorated and the 3/8 wrench that should be used on it won't work. I tried using a small pair of vise grips but they just eat at it.

So I'm stuck where I can't get the exhaust manifold out or take that exhaust bracket off.

Any advice on what to do?
Here are some pics:

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

You need heat to remove those clean. Glow those things with some heat & they'd come right off. But now your a little beyond that point.

Last resort lots of heat & some turbo sockets.


Working on cars up here in the rust belt quite used to everything being a pain in the ***.

samson_420

iTrader: (1)

I cut everything apart with a Dremmell then ran new bolts after I drilled out the holes.

It's was a biotch.

Eric Viveiros

Well I'm probably gonna dremel that heat shield off so I can get to the exhaust manifold bolts. Then I'll probably use some kind of benzomatic torch to torch the nuts so nothing else breaks.

On the exhaust bracket I'm kind of worried about using a torch down there because there is a lot of oil from leaks under my car, mainly ATF fluid around there though. I also soaked all the exhaust bolts with PB blaster before I tried taking them off, did no good obviously.

I have a few turbo sockets but not one that fits the head of the exhaust bracket bolt. Any ideas where I can get a 15mm turbo socket in town, San Antonio, Texas. I'll probably Google to see if I can find some later tonight.

TheSilverOne

iTrader: (22)

how come you didnt spray any penetrating oil (pb blaster, liquid wrench, etc.) on the nuts and bolts?? Was the socket/wrench 6 or 12 point?

Eric Viveiros

I actually did use PB Blaster before I went to bed one night and worked on the car the next day. Left the garage smelling like gasoline for a day. I used a 6 point socket.

The stuff is just so rusted through that I guess I have to use heat. I bought this car from a guy that drove it all the way from palm beach florida. So I imagine that the area wasnt too good to it.

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

Exhaust bolt can just sieze up like that from all the extreme thermal cycling.
That & they are the most prone to corrode.