1987 exhaust manifold bolts and cat ?

[azhrei]

since the great NH roads / frost heaves have cracked the drivers side manifold completely off I am replacing with a set of headers the problem is the heads of the bolts are rusted so bad that I'm down to a 10 or a 9mm socket and even they don't fit well. so I'm thinking taking the grinder to them and pulling the manifolds and soaking with pb or some such oil and then using vice grips... and I was also thinking that I want to have dual exhaust and go with the cat on one side or just remove all together

any feedback is welcome

 

[azhrei]

any one? just wondering if it is the best way to remove them the bolts or is there another way and I don't know it

thanks

 

[roadranger]

I just pulled the exhaust manifolds off my 87 as part of the rebuild. I broke two bolts on the driver's side and five on the passenger side.

From what I read after doing the damage, using an impact wrench is helpful. If you don't have access to one, hammering on the bolts a bit may jar the bolts enough to make them removable without breaking. Soaking in penetrating oil is a must. You might be able to spray some oil into the bolt holes on the engine side of the exhaust flanges. The holes go all the way through. They're hard to get to with the engine in though.

good luck

 

[azhrei]

been soaking them

I have been spraying the bolts at least once a week for a while.
the problem I have is that the heads have been rusted to the point nothing I put on is solid enough to turn or fit right!

 

[ragajungle]

Everything on my truck is a rusty mess... (Wisconsin loves SALT LOL) You can try using MAP gas available at any Home Depot or Menards. Propane not hot enough.

Heat the bolts (or rusty nubs) up with MAP and then spritz with water from a spray bottle, repeat repeat repeat. the heat expansion and cold contraction might be enough to break em loose.

 

[cocoasranger]

Since the bolts are shot anyways you could grind off the bolt heads and use a stud extractor rather than a vice grips to remove them since it gets a much better bite and you can get much more force on it. You could try to grind a big flat on each side of the bolt head and use a wrench; if it does not work just grind the rest off and use the extractor. Not an easy job whichever way you do it.

 

[azhrei]

stud extractor! sounds so wrong on many different levels another reason to buy a new tool! I like it... thanks