removing headers

midgetchaser

Registered User
i need some advice what is the best way to get the bolts off(headers to cat.bolts). I have the two easy ones off but whats a good way to get the other two off.
 
try a impact wrench ,,,,,,lots of penatrent ,,,,or a dremal...." small cutting tool" and cut the bolt head ....thats what i did ,,,
 
Which side? You trying to do this with everything else still bolted up? I don't recall it being too big of a pain. Decent deep well sockets, proper extension where necessary, and then I have a length of pipe I can slip over the socket wrench handle. I had the intercooler tubes pulled off and got at the drivers side by laying across the front of the car and reaching the wrench along the side of the manifold. Can't recall the details of the passenger side so I probably got most from the bottom.

no penetrant or impact necessary.
 
Which side? You trying to do this with everything else still bolted up? I don't recall it being too big of a pain. Decent deep well sockets, proper extension where necessary, and then I have a length of pipe I can slip over the socket wrench handle. I had the intercooler tubes pulled off and got at the drivers side by laying across the front of the car and reaching the wrench along the side of the manifold. Can't recall the details of the passenger side so I probably got most from the bottom.

no penetrant or impact necessary.

pretty much the same i did.try this and are you talkin the manfolds to the heads ,or the manfolds to the downtubes.
 
i need some advice what is the best way to get the bolts off(headers to cat.bolts). I have the two easy ones off but whats a good way to get the other two off.

If they are headers (not stock manifolds)....loosening one of the bolts will allow you to rotate the clamp around to where you can get a wrench on it easier (Righty=tighty Lefty =loosey).

David
 
pretty much the same i did.try this and are you talkin the manfolds to the heads ,or the manfolds to the downtubes.

Manifolds to the heads. Downtubes can be tricky and are very much going to need penetrating fluid, especially if they have never been off or if the person that put the stuff back together didn't coat the heck out of things with anti-sieze.

Passenger bolts aren't too tough if you have a good long extension, a deep well 6 point impact wobble socket, or impact wobble for your socket. Then you can get a 1/2" impact on there and get them loose.

Driver's side is different. When I did my head gaskets on my 90, never could get that side off the exhaust system. So putting it back together required lots of pry bars and moving the motor around a bit on a jack to pull the exhaust manifold back onto the head.
 
yea that sucked i broke em trying to get them off. i think that was from when i did the headgaskets. i was hoping someone had a little trick or something.
 
I use a small propane torch and lots of PB Blaster. Even then I usually plan on snapping off one or two of the manifold studs if the nuts haven't been worked in a while. You can get new replacement manifold studs in the "Help" section at an auto parts store. I believe they are 3/8 - 16 threads. The hardest part is usually trying to remove the old snapped off stud, but I haven't come across one that I haven't been able to get out without some elbow grease and persistence.
 
when my tranny went at 120k on my 94 sc I had to remove the exhaust from the stock manifolds. I was at a shop with air tools and a lift and they wouldn't budge at all. I used a torch to get the bolts hot and a long extension with the air gun and they popped right off and didn't break or anything on all four
 
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Soak the hell out of them with PB blaster for a couple days before you try and get them off. Also, use an impact gun! If you do it by hand, there is a darn good chance that you will twist the bolt to the side etc when removing it and snap it.
 
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