[reese600]

Hi All,
I am anticipting a big problem. My passenger side exhaust manifold gasket blew out at the #8 cylinder. So now I have to change it. And of course it's the side with the x-over pipe, turbo, and down pipe. My problem is the 8 bolts that hold it to the head are all but rusted away. I cant get a socket on them, even banging one on w/ a hammer doesnt work. There isn't enough of the bolt head left to get ahold of it. I am condidering just cutting them off with a torch. I already bought new bolts. But what I am afraid of is that even with the heads of the bolts gone, the manifold probably wont move because it's so rusted to the 8 bolts. I dont want to break it cuz I know it's expensive. I was hoping to cut the heads off the bolts and slide it off and the remove the bolts with vice grips. It's just soooooo rusted, it looks so fragile that I have put this job off for months. Any good ideas? All I have are hand tools and a torch. No air tools. And a collection of dulled drill bits from drilling out the x-over pipe studs that twisted off. Those damn bolt sure get hardened.

 

[guybb3]

I did what you described with a buddy's small block and it slid right off over the remaining studs. The heads were totally rusted away but the bolt studs inside the manifold were fine and came right out after the manifold was slid off over them.:grd:

 

[Pa1dFor]

craftsman "easy outs" take almost all my rusted bolts that won't budge out. I heat with torch then normally come out... have done what your talking about to except they still were in tight, i welded a nut to the end of the stud and then used a socket!