Exhaust manifold making my life a misery

[Sonicriot13 0]

Am trying to get the cylinder head off the 9A at the moment. Everything is drained, disconnected and unplugged and it's ready for the head bolts to be undone. Except for one piddly little 17mm nut holding the exhaust manifold to the down pipe. It's bl**dy welded on. It took me the best part of two days work to get the other five off and I left the most awkward one until last. I've spent hours on it and it just won't budge. I don't want to try and unbolt the manifold from the head because the first bolt i tried to undo just rounded off so I thought it best to leave that idea. I even had one of my mates round who is a proper mechanic and doesn't just make it up as they go along like I do, his pearl of wisdom was, and I quote: "I'm glad this isn't my problem mate". I don't think he likes being a mechanic. He thinks I'm mad for doing it in my spare time. Anyone got any tips?

[Toad 0]

Try to borrow a a ratchet with a long handle to get more purchase, but make sure it's got lots of teethso it rachets on a small angle. Use 6 sided sockets too, and put wd on it...

 

Is it one on the back or the front of the joint? The ones on the front can be accessed from below by taking the driveshaft off the box, and the driveshaft heatshield.

[Sonicriot13 0]

Cheers for responding Tom. It's the one in the center on the side nearest the head. So right underneath the manifold. Got the drive shaft heat shield off and we can get good purchase on it. My entire family are round at the moment as we are clearing out the house ready for sale as my grandma very sadly passed away recently and my uncle had a go at it. He's built like a brick sh*t house (I'm a nine stone weakling) and even he couldn't move it. It's a nightmare. Could I try heating it do you think? I don't own a heat gun or anything but I could soon lay my hands on one.

[Toad 0]

Hmmm. That's a bummer. Have you tried doing it up a bit? just to try to break the rust...

 

If not, oxy-acetylene sounds like the way forward. Imagine it'll be awkward to do though as it's a bit tight and you'll be lying under it...

 

In the meantime, get a decent punch or drift and a hammer and give the nut a few wacks, bearing in mind the manifold is brittle, but the shock could help free it up. Try Wurth Rost Off freezing spray too....

[Sonicriot13 0]

Cheers, gonna have another go at it tomorrow. Am gonna give it a rest before I start to get frustrated with it. Frustration and hammers aren't a good combo.... :lol:. Plus I'm moving ever closer to the nut splitters. Got some rust dissolving stuff I can try as well. It's not really surprising it's such a pain when you consider what those nuts have to put up with. Stupidly high temperatures when the engine is running and then freezing cold over winter. And no doubt they've been there since the car was first built 14 years ago.

[flusted 0]

the five sided socket idea is the best and get some good leverage on the bar with an extra tube

[trevor 0]

heat is the way mate but its going to be well hard to get it hot . sorry its not much help but i will be watching the thread to see how you get on . . good luck

[Sonicriot13 0]

heat is the way mate but its going to be well hard to get it hot . sorry its not much help but i will be watching the thread to see how you get on . . good luck

 

Cheers mate, I also keep my members gallery thread updated as well if you wanna keep an eye on that. This project has been a tough one for me but the car is looking so sweet now. Spent so much time on the interior. Just needs a new gear stick gaitor when I get round to it. It's forever taking me out of my comfort zone as well which has been really good because I have learned loads. I can't wait to drive it for the first time. It's a shame I couldn't have got it done in time for the scorcher. Never mind, always next year. Hopefully the G60 will be resprayed by then but I won't have the money for that until the valver is gone.

[Toad 0]

Have you got a good breaker bar? They're a handy addition to your tool box, and you can put 'unauthorised' extensions, such as bits of pipe, as flusted mentioned, over them.

[dubcharger 0]

...m8 try whacking a smaller socket onto the nut like a 16mm or an imperial size one, it will take some hammering on but if you have enough room underneath the car to swing the hammer you should be able to do it with two long extension bars connected to the socket..failing that iv managed to get exhaust manifold nuts off before with a decent set of small mole grips with grinded down jaws to get access to the nuts on the underside of the mani ... good luck

[Sonicriot13 0]

A breaker bar is definately starting to appeal to me as a wise investment. I can't believe I've been working on the same nut for more than a day. Madness. Thanks for all your suggestions guys. Certainly gives me lots of things to try. My car is fitted with a catalyst. If worse comes to the worst and I round the bolt off or something stupid will it be wise to just disconnect the front pipe from the catalyst?

[steveo29 0]

get a big bar on it...it might snap the stud but at least you deal with it on the bench once its off

 

if the nut rounds off badly , get some irwin bolt grippers from machine mart

 

if youre really stuck maybe i'll come round and bust it off ...i got plenty of heavy duty stuff and a impact gun

[Sonicriot13 0]

get a big bar on it...it might snap the stud but at least you deal with it on the bench once its off

 

if the nut rounds off badly , get some irwin bolt grippers from machine mart

 

if youre really stuck maybe i'll come round and bust it off ...i got plenty of heavy duty stuff and a impact gun

 

Cheers for the offer buddy. Will let you know how I get on. Think the thing that's gonna get it off is perseverance and I'm sure I will get it off by hook or by crook. Am gonna have a go tomorrow. It's monsoon season in Ipswich again this evening. Not raining at the moment but it looks like it's gonna. An impact gun is another thing on my wish list... along with a garage.

[Sonicriot13 0]

It's off! Finally I can get on with the rest of my life. All it took was a nut splitter, an Irwin Bolt Grip (thought I might as well but some, they are actually awesome), a hammer, a ratchet, some sweat, some tears, and some bad language. Not necessarily in that order. :D Will update my members gallery soon. Thanks again for all you help guys!

[trevor 0]

job done . . did you cut the back of your hand . . i always manage to spank my hand doing things like that . fu888n hertz too

[Sonicriot13 0]

job done . . did you cut the back of your hand . . i always manage to spank my hand doing things like that . fu888n hertz too

 

Funnily enough I slipped with a spanner and bashed my finger against the block and it came out in a big lump. I thought I'd broken it at first. Oh well, it's pain that confirms you are truly alive. There's no way I could do a job like this without injuring myself. :lol: I remember seeing on a forum some guy had slipped with an angle grinder and buried it into his arm :shock:!

[Toad 0]

I was at another forum members house changing the rear wheel bearing when I slipped with my angle grinder and caught the side of my palm with it... luckily it just took a little bit of skin off, I sat there for a little bit waiting for the blood to start, luckily I was ok...

[andy 0]

It's off! Finally I can get on with the rest of my life. All it took was a nut splitter, an Irwin Bolt Grip (thought I might as well but some, they are actually awesome)

Irwin Bolt grippers are amazing things, I can't believe some of the bolts I've taken out with them. Not cheap but in my case they paid for themselves the first time I used them.

[Sonicriot13 0]

It's off! Finally I can get on with the rest of my life. All it took was a nut splitter, an Irwin Bolt Grip (thought I might as well but some, they are actually awesome)

Irwin Bolt grippers are amazing things, I can't believe some of the bolts I've taken out with them. Not cheap but in my case they paid for themselves the first time I used them.

 

The thing with tools is as long as you buy quality and you look after them you normally only have to pay for them once. I still use some of my grandpa's socket set that he had from before I was born and it's still going strong.

 

I know what you mean Tom. There's always those few seconds after you clout/cut/gouge yourself when you're just waiting for the pain/blood/swelling to start. Thank goodness it was only a bit of skin mate.

[CTWG60 0]

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[Sonicriot13 0]

Haha "Finally I can get on with rest of my life" I feel like that every day when I leave work! I fix computers for a living though :?

 

Your job sounds more fulfilling than mine does. I'm still stuck in the insurance industry. :(

[CTWG60 0]

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[Sonicriot13 0]

Your job sounds more fulfilling than mine does. I'm still stuck in the insurance industry.

 

Oh dear never mind. An office job would kill me or make me kill myself one or the other.

 

So let me get this straight you got the nut off of your exhaust and thought now I can get on with the rest of my life. :D Working in insurance. :(

 

Well I got the nut off and now I can get on with the rest of my life fixing the valver and then selling and putting the money towards doing up the G60. :D I like to pretend the insurance part doesn't exist. Office jobs are the worst.