LeoDioxide

Anybody have experience cutting off the exhaust bolts going from the manifold to the rest of the exhaust? My shifter ball-cup finally let go and the bolts are so rusted I can't get a wrench on them. A dremel has all the wrong angles and has failed me, should I just take it to a muffler shop?

Hilton

I used a dremel to remove one on my '87, after discovering my nut splitters wouldn't fit there due to the slight lip.

You can get the dremel cutting wheel perpendicular to the nut and cut through the nut on one side, rather than through the bolt. This releases all tension and you can then remove the nut by hand.

I left a slight groove in the rear of the exhaust flange where I cut a bit through the nut to make sure I'd broken through it completely, but its not a sealing surface so I was fine with that.

Mrmerlin

use good steel bolts ( not stainless) and put anti seize on the new bolt threads

LT Texan

I found a chisel and a 5 lb sledge worked best for me on the manifold to y-pipe bolts.

LP928

I did the same with my shifter ball cup. I used an impact wrench. It either busted the nut loose or broke the bolt. Either way it worked, also i just tapped out the rusted in bolts with a chipping hammer. Oh, I didn't see the cant get a wrench on. xlot sounds like he has a good idea.

soontobered84

I used one of those universal female easy-out thingies that jams on the nut (or bolt) and the tighter the nut the more it grabs. That either broke the tough ones off or broke it loose.

MrMerlin, I always wondered about using antiseize on exhaust stuff. Nobody ever talks about it, and I didn't know if the heat would make it have some sort of chemical reaction that would make the anti-size become like loctite or something.

heinrich

just grip and twist. they will either come loose or break.

a4sfed928

I prefer they break on the OB it's quicker and they are easy to replace 8mm X 35mm

GlenL

I was going to say "break 'em" and then I recalled that I believe that's how I cracked the exhaust manifold.

Cut with a cheap oxygen and MAPP gas setup. Or a sawzall.