I'm sure I got a short.

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

So I was able to try to take my y-pipe out of my truck today.

And just like I thought would happen,
I broke 3 of the exhaust manifold to y-pipe bolts.
The last 1 came out however.

The 3 bolts holding the y-pipe to the catalytic converters ( my truck has 2 catalytic converters)
Are so rusted and corroded I'm going to have to cut them.

The two bolts with the springs on them that go from the second catalytic converter to the extension pipe was also rusted and corroded I've already cut them.

The other end of the bolts with the nuts was so corroded I couldn't even get a wrench on them.

I was hoping I could pull the two catalytic converters and the y-pipe out still connected together but that's not going to happen.

I really had a fun time unhooking both the O2 sensors. My hand between the firewall and bell housing was a job in itself.

So I will most likely go ahead and take my exhaust manifolds off.
I don't have a torch or anything and I don't even think I have a good enough set of drill bits to drill out the bolts and clean the holes they go through.
However if I take the exhaust manifolds off I can then take them to a exhaust shop and see if they will take the bolts out for me.
I don't mind paying a specialist to do something that they do everyday.

If I do take the exhaust manifolds off the heads, can I reuse the exhaust manifold bolts that go to the heads?
I'm sure exhaust manifold gaskets are not that expensive so I won't even try reusing the ones that are on my truck.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I have reused exhaust manifold bolts before, but not sure about your motor. I don't see why not tho.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

Thank you very much @alwaysFlOoReD

 

[SenorNoob]

Manifold to head bolts may not be any better than the ones you've already broken, but I understand the predicament. I did change the manifolds on my replacement engine with good results. At least the 4.0 isn't an aluminum head. I can't imagine that going very well...

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

@SenorNoob thanks for the warning that my manifold to head bolts may break as well.
It would really suck.
I've never had that happen however.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

I was able to do a little more work on my truck today.

Taking the exhaust manifolds off is not going to happen.
I tried three different exhaust manifold bolts on each manifold.
The bolt heads on all six bolts wanted to strip.
So I'm going to have to deal with the busted bolts that are in the exhaust manifolds from the Y-pipe connection.

I did get my speedometer cable unhooked. And the wire connection next to it unhooked as well.
I got two other wire connections on hooked.
Got my shifter cable unhooked.
And another cable next to the shifter cable unhooked as well.
The starters out.

I had fun with the torque converter nuts.
At first I thought they were a 13 mm and I was using a half inch drive deep well 13 mm socket.
I couldn't get it to go onto the nut however.
I thought it was the space between the flex plate where the teeth are welded to it and the head of the nuts.
Because as I was feeling around with my fingers it felt like there was very little space there.

So I decided to get my 1/4 inch drive deep well socket set and try the 13mm in it. Because the wall of the socket is thinner.
That's when I figured out I needed a 14 mm instead of a 13 mm.
After I switch to the 14 mm still using my 1/4 inch drive I was able to get all four nuts off.
The 1/4 inch drive socket wall thickness did make a difference.
Along with it being the right size socket.

I got 1 of the transmission lines disconnected right in front of the motor.
Because it had some kind of splice thing in the line and it was easy to take apart.
I don't know what the splice thing is called.

Once I tilt the transmission down I'm hoping to be able to get to the actual transmission line hookups on the transmission and disconnect them both there.
If not I will cut the other line close to where the first line is cut but for sure at a different distance between the radiator and the motor that way there's no mistaking one line for the other and put a splice in the second line as well.

That'll definitely make it easier for the next person or the next time I need to do something with the lines.

I do believe I have all but the top 2 bellhousing bolts loosened.
Because I can't get the top 2 to loosen with a wrench.
And I can't get nothing else in between the firewall and the bell housing to try and loosen them.

I figure once I take out the crossmember and whatever that other thing is in front of the crossmember is, and lower the nose of the transmission down, while it tilts the motor backwards I might be able to get to the top two bellhousing bolts from underneath the truck with a socket and some extensions and a ratchet.

The camera on my new phone sucks.

Sorry about the bad pictures.
I don't know what the bracket in these 4 pictures is called.
It's underneath the transmission.
I do believe that the name of the 2 arms things that go into it are the radius arms.
It has 2 rivets on each side along with 2 bolts as well, I do believe on each side holding it in place.
It's two separate pieces that are bolted together in the middle.

From what I can see I believe I need to remove this bracket along with the crossmember and the transmission mount to get my transmission out.

Am I right in thinking this?

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

Sorry about the book folks.

 

[SenorNoob]

No need to take mess with the radius arm brackets/crossmember. I usually have better luck reaching the top 2 bolts by raising the rear of the transmission after loosening the mount (Watch the fan, it can hit the shroud/radiator.) With the engine & transmission tilted forward I lay across the intake and pull those bolts with a ratchet wrench.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

Thank you for the input @SenorNoob .

This new phone plan I got sucks.
I had to come to my brother's house to use his wi-fi to get online.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

Thanks once again for verifying that I didn't need to mess with the radius arm brackets to get my transmission out @SenorNoob .
Also the advice on jacking the transmission up to get to the top 2 bell housing bolts was spot on as well.
Thanks very much.

I got the transmission out the rest of the way today.
Pulled the torque converter out of the bell housing and could not tell if the transmission's torque converter seal was bad or not
( But there was transmission fluid pouring out at the joint between the block and the bell housing. So I'm sure that it's that seal that's bad. )
I fought with the seal for about 20 minutes to get it out.
Called one of my older brothers for advice on how to get it out easier.
So he came by and looked things over and said,
" Well I see what's wrong you ain't got a seal puller. "
So we went to AutoZone and bought a seal puller. While I was at AutoZone I put my seal on hold.
Once we got back to my brother Andy's house where I work on my truck it only took about 10 seconds to pull the seal out of the transmission.
So we took the old seal with us to match it with the new seal and we went back to AutoZone and I bought a new seal.

It took us about 15 minutes once we got back to the house to find something that was the right size to use to put the new seal in place.
Once we found something it only took about 2 minutes to get the seal in place, working very carefully.

At that point with me being so much out of shape I was done working on my truck for today.

So at this point I got to drill out 3 of the Y-pipe exhaust manifold bolt holes.
Then I need to drill out three bolt holes in the catalytic converter where it mates up to the Y-pipe.
Once I have all 6 of those bolt holes drilled out, I can then buy some new bolts, nuts and washers.
And both the gaskets, 1 for each end of the Cadillac converters.

I can then put everything back together.

Thanks the help and the encouragement everyone.

Once again, Sorry about the book everyone.

 

[Curious Hound]

You can do it. One step at a time.

 

[Jazzer]

Ford catalytic converters will fit better than those Cadillac ones.



Sorry, been a smart ass today. Keep plugging at it, it’ll feel real good when it’s finished!

 

[SenorNoob]

You'll be driving it again by this evening.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

I'm in Ohio and working outside, so I got to work around the weather.
And on top of that I can only work on my truck here and there.
I got to try my best to make some money so I can pay bills and have some money for my truck's needs as well.

So I've not been able to do anything else with My truck yet.

However I now got some money that I can use to buy some drill bits, so I can drill out the bolt holes in the exhaust manifolds and on the catalytic converter.

From what I understand it's not supposed to rain the next couple days.
So I'm hoping one of those days I'll be able to work on my truck.

We well see. I'll give another update when I can.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

Well I bought 4 Cobalt drill bits in 3 sizes.
2 in 7/16, 1 in 3/8 and 1 in 1/4.
I've already dolled 1 of each size and have only gotten about a quarter of an inch into one bolt.
I started with the 1/4 bit then stepped up to the 3/8 bit then up to the 7/16.

So once again I'm at a stand still.
I feel like I'm doing something the wrong way.

At this point I know I need to raise the truck up higher so I can get under it and be more comfortable as I'm using the drill.

My older brother that helped me with removing and replacing the torque converter to transmission seal told me today about a tool called a:
Heat induction tool.
Looks like the picture below.

Does everyone know anything about using 1 of these heat induction tools to do the job I'm doing.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy an oxygen & acetylene torch so I can get the actual bolt studs hot enough to be able to drill through them.

Any and all advice is welcome.
And thank you in advance.

With My new cell phone plan, I have to use my brother Andy's wi-fi to get online.
So I will only be checking for new updates once a day.

Thanks once again for all the help and encouragement.
And once again sorry about writing another book.