exhaust downpipes seized on!!!

[neilb10000]

Hey folks,how are you all?it`s probably been covered before but i can`t seem to find it.
I`ve just aquired an akra system but the original is seized solid....whats the best way of getting the downpipes off without damaging the bolts that stick out of the motor?Thanks

[phuk72]

take your pick! wd40, heat, hammer, jemmy, anngle grinder or none of the above.

[trixynut]

Yep, been covered a lot: search harder!

No miracle cure, and any of Phuks suggestions are as good as each other. Bolts and collar can react somehow and almost weld together. Mine were a bitch!

My method ended up being soaking in penetrating oil or WD40, then hit with a hammer (and cold chizel is you're brave enuff!) to loosen, then undo the retaining bolt on the headers under the engine and try to use the headers as a lever to put pressure behind the collars to wiggle/pull them off. Heat helps too, to get the oil to go in and to 'soften' things up a bit.

Good luck buddy!!

[brockzila]

its not easy
mine were so corroded i had to cut the bolts. salt gets in betweeen the bolt and the flange and rusts the bolts and locks them solid. my engine guy tried every night with a big f&$k off presss and wd40 forr a week, but could not get the left over stud out.

i ended up cutting a slot in the side of the flange and using a wire wheel on a drill to remove as much of the rust as possable then a hammer and a punch to lossen them and remove.

you may just have to use a grinder to cut the old flanges off or risk damaging the studs.

[burty]

Angle grinder worked for me

But made lots of aluminium dust in the Garage.

I also still managed to break a stud, which I eventually managed to drill out.

[neilb10000]

and they`re off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
attacked the little bastids with a Dremel flexible attachment thingie and cut them off.
Now just got to nicely ask the engineers at work to make me a bracket for the Akra as only one of the brackets i got with it fit.The other one is too small.

[Trixz]

and they`re off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
attacked the little bastids with a Dremel flexible attachment thingie and cut them off.
Now just got to nicely ask the engineers at work to make me a bracket for the Akra as only one of the brackets i got with it fit.The other one is too small.

It did cost me some hours of drenching it in some penetrating oil, then one hour for both sides and with some perseverance of a wrench tool the job was done.

Not that my information will help now, you've got them loose already! A job well done

Greetz
Gerben

[neilb10000]

Thanks!!i did spend about 4 hours the other night with wd40,a hammer,screwdrivers etc....
Then thought....sod it!!!!cut a big v slot at each end of the brackets....brackets off,bolts intact.....you Beauty.

[Red Rex]

... which I suppose leads on to the next question.
If you've finally managed to remove the standard flanges witout resorting to butchery, and the studs are still untact, what mods or precautions should you take when re-assembling the exhaust pipes into the head to avoid problems in the future?
In my experience "Copper" grease or similar sets like glue, hi-temp grease melts and runs out anyway, so should we
a) open out the holes a tad
b) apply a squirt of WD40 on a weekly basis
c) remove the pipes more often
d) forget it and winge & moan in a couple of years when we have to go through it all again.

[slow codger]

Use different ends, could use bolts, put threaded studs in and decent nuts, silicon spray?

Dave E

[brockzila]

if you saw mine you would undertand how screwed up these things can get. even after cutting a slot bigger than yhe stud i still had to use a chisel to chip the build up away and then smack the bit out with a hammer and a punch.

if i did not already have the slots i would oversize the hole and maybe fit stainless studs to stop the rust,
i also agree with putting it in to our services to just simply remove the flanges and descale the studs and clean out the holes. it will take only like 10 min and like all those that have had the problem know its a bastd and can take many many hours of frustration and pain and then you still just end up cutting them up.

[neilb10000]

Red Rex.....i`ve done step a....but think step d is more likely....

[haggisbash]

Has anyone ever tried loosening the nuts and then running the engine till its hot. Alternate this with the WD40 soak.

[Trixz]

... which I suppose leads on to the next question.
If you've finally managed to remove the standard flanges witout resorting to butchery, and the studs are still untact, what mods or precautions should you take when re-assembling the exhaust pipes into the head to avoid problems in the future?
In my experience "Copper" grease or similar sets like glue, hi-temp grease melts and runs out anyway, so should we
a) open out the holes a tad
b) apply a squirt of WD40 on a weekly basis
c) remove the pipes more often
d) forget it and winge & moan in a couple of years when we have to go through it all again.

I would go for option a, but now with my new exhaust the downpipes are grinded a bit down for better clearance and for an easy switch back to original

Greetz
Gerben

[neilb10000]

haggisbash ...i tried running the engine with nuts off and i didnt work.i tried everything i could think of and the last resort was to cut them off.