Exhaust Manifold Studs are super rusty. How to remove???

[KyngofPop]

Yall, I'm about to do my rod bearings on my 94 MTX and I am wondering how to remove the SUPER rusty exhaust manifold bolts. I took the car to the local exhaust shop where they heated them up and tried to remove them but they couldn't. They said if they were to go any further the bolts would break and I would have to remove the manifolds to get them out! I am not too sure If I know how or even want to remove the manifolds but I NEED to have my rod bearings done ASAP. Any suggestions? BTW the car is formerly a Northeastern car where road salt has had plenty of time to rust all of the exhaust bolts.

TIA
FreddyB

 

[TYSHO]

Hit it with a wire brush, then spray some PB Blaster on it and let it soak in...then remove.

 

[Ishodu]

Best way is to clean them up with a wire wheel on a die grinder. Then heat them up glowing red then turn them out. If one snaps you may not have to remove the manifold. I took all 4 of mine out of the manifolds with out removing them I just heated the manifold up to red in color and twisted out the old studs with vice grip clamped on very tightly.

 

[KyngofPop]

Thanx for the suggestions guys. I'm gonna try the heat thing, but I don't know what type of torch or whatever to buy and where? Do they sell these things at auto parts stores?

 

[TYSHO]

I think so, and I think they have them at like a Home Depot or something in the likes. Mapp torch or something...

 

[Ishodu]

You may need Mapp and O2 torch or a acetylene and O2 torch set to get them red hot.

 

[Snake2715]

Lets also point out something.

When you apply heat you are causing that metal to expand... So if you can direct the heat towards the opening and not the actual bolt itself. This will allow the bolt to turn easier out of the now temporarily larger threaded opening..

Also walmart etc carry the torches and all are not created equal some types of gas get hotter. That is why the types were mentioned above.

 

[Off Road SHO]

I don't think a consumer version of a MAPP torch will get the cast iron of the manifold hot enough. You need to get it cherry red, at the stage right before melting, in order to break the rust bond between cast iron and steel. Oxy Acetylene with a number 1 tip would be best, I think.

Keep in mind that the threaded holes in the manifold usually go all the way through, so you might be able to drip some PB Blaster on top and let it soak down. That stuff is some kind of wonderful.

Tom

 

[Yamaha V6]

MAPP will not work on manifold studs. Confirmed last weekend.

I already had the manifold off & was trying to remove an already-broken off stud (hex base style), and with the thing in the vise it wasn't hot enough.

 

[DVJ38]

Hit it with a wire brush, then spray some PB Blaster on it and let it soak in...then remove.

No way, I wire brushed mine and socked them in PB Blaster a few times, broke right away. I'm just going to drill them out and tap a new thread. I read somewhere on the forums to use a 5/16 drill bit and a 3/8 tap with a cutoff wheel and dremel. That's what I'm going out to do right now. I will let you know how it works.

 

[Yamaha V6]

FYI, it's a metric stud, not SAE.

 

[Ishodu]

MAPP combined with O2 will indeed get it hot enough. I have a little torch set that uses 1 pound cylinder's of both MAPP and Oxygen. I donno If you can get them in the USA though I would think so. There around 50-70 dollars here. They come in very handy.

 

[SHO SPD]

If you do break them, the manifolds are actually pretty easy to remove. I removed both manifolds in about 30 min. The front you can get from the top, just getting it out is the tricky part. the rear you can get from under the car. I used a 1/2" drive ratchet on all of the bolts. Good luck.

 

[KyngofPop]

If you do break them, the manifolds are actually pretty easy to remove. I removed both manifolds in about 30 min. The front you can get from the top, just getting it out is the tricky part. the rear you can get from under the car. I used a 1/2" drive ratchet on all of the bolts. Good luck.

That's good to know because everyone made it seem like removing manifolds was an all day affair. I'm pretty handy when it comes to SHO's, but there's still lots I have to learn. I'm gonna go at this on a hope :O . Thanks for all of the advice guys.

 

[Yamaha V6]

The front you can get from the top, just getting it out is the tricky part. the rear you can get from under the car.

Rear (from bottom) is pretty tricky on an ATX man.

 

[SHO SPD]

Rear (from bottom) is pretty tricky on an ATX man.

I didnt do them on my ATX.. It was my 91+ I had

 

[pjtoledo]

If you do end up breaking the studs off, it is possible to drill out the broken parts without removing the manifolds. It won't be fun, nor will it be fast, but the original threads can be saved. It is also possible to drill thru the nuts to weaken them and then remove just the nuts. Then with the Y pipe removed you may have a better shot at getting the rusted studs out.

Perry

 

[TYSHO]

Why don't you take the SHO to a muffler shop and have them heat all of the nuts/studs up and remove the nuts for you, then place them back on so you can remove them at home?

If you end up snapping them, you can remove the manifolds and take them to a shop....have them heat the stud until orange and twist out with some vise grips, while the manifold is being held by a vise.

I don't know what to say, I guess yall rust up like if you dipped the stud in mud!

 

[Off Road SHO]

If you end up snapping them, you can remove the manifolds and take them to a shop....have them heat the stud until orange and twist out with some vise grips, while the manifold is being held by a vise.

QUOTE]

No, you have it backwards. If they heat the stud until orange, the stud will twist off flush with the manifold, where the stud is the coolest and strongest. If you take it to a muffler shop, they will know what to do, they've probably done a thousand of them. Always heat up the female to remove the male. That doesn't good does it?

Tom

 

[TYSHO]

Ahh...my mistake...yes, all of the times I have been there for this, they have heated the manifold, then removed the stud!

Thanks for the catch!