Hey all,
Getting ready to install my coupe mid-pipe and new muffler this weekend. My question is - what's the easiest way to deal with the nuts and bolts where the mid-pipe bolts to the Y-pipe? I am pretty sure the nuts will be frozen with rust, since the car has 101K miles up here in the Northeast. Can I just remove them with a cutoff wheel, then pound the studs out with a 5lb. sledge and install new hardware? I already bought new nuts, bolts, and lockwashers just in case.

FWIW, I am already planning to cut off the muffler, since I think I will get tetanus just looking at the flanges . They are completely rotted, and there's an exhaust leak already because the flange is broken away from the pipe.

Thanx in advance for any advice!

 

If you have access to a small torch it will make removing these quite easy. Heat is quite the motivator. If not your method will suffice. GL.

 

The Fixer, this sounds like a fun weekend project! Begin a few days prior by saturating those rusted nuts/bolts with WD40 then do it several time again. Make sure you have all the tools needed (torch) along with a sizeable breaker bar. Don't cut anything off if it can be removed with a socket which brings us to the muffler hangers, a long screwdriver should get 'er done without hurting yourself. Remember...saturate with WD40!
Gary

 

I just tackled this yesterday and I just used a breaker bar and it was easy peasy

 

Thanks for the tips! I don't have a torch, but I do have a nice 1/2" breaker bar, and a section of fence post that I can put over it for extra leverage. I put the car up on the ramps today and sprayed the bolts with WD40. I'll do the same tomorrow and Friday too, so hopefully between the WD40 and a few heat cycles with the car running they may free up. If not, I will resort to Plan B as mentioned in my first post LOL.

 

WD40 isn't a real good penetrating oil; I'd go with PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench and heard of people using ATF and Acetone mixed 50/50 that is better than them all. I'd go to Home Depot and spend 30 bucks on this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bernzomat...6626/203368720

It has helped me remove bolts countless times on my G and I just removed 10+ year old suspension bolts on my Audi. Buy some Silicone Spray as well and spray the rubber hangars it will make removing/installing a lot easier!

Replaced my Y-Pipe and mid-pipe last year.

 

My experience with exhaust work up here in the northeast...

prepare for broken studs and stubborn bolts. The exhaust on my car has taken a beaten and is the worst part of anything under the car. I've already had to have a new muffler flange welded on due to rust, and looking at my Y-pipe bolts, there is no way those would come off my car without snapping at least one. A lot of times the bolts thread into a flange, so if the stud snaps, you then have to get some vice grips and try to remove it from the flange as well. In the end, an Oxy torch is needed to burn the bolt out so that you can install a new SS or Zinc bolt through the flange and bolt it up with that.

I really hate exhaust work on older cars after 100K+ through the salt and slush of the northeast. You southern guys have it easy. 100K on a southern car and everything looks new.

 

I will definitely pick up some silicone spray, and after looking at your link, I remembered I have a torch like that in the garage! Not sure how much propane is left in it, but hopefully enough to do the job. Not even going to bother with the rear ones, because I have a replacement muffler. I will remove via Sawzall, and a cutoff wheel for the original hangers so I don't have to fool with removing the hooks. Then I can silicone spray and just install the new parts.

Agreed, the exhaust looks horrible on my car as well. I saw your old thread with the muffler flange issue you had - my car looks the same (maybe worse) and the ground wire that was there is long gone too. I know the propane torch won't get as hot as an oxy torch, but hopefully it's enough. I'm not sure if those studs through the y-pipe into the mid-pipe are splined or threaded through - if it's just splines, I might be able to whack them out with the sledge if it snaps.

 

You could be right. It's been some time since I've been under my car and looked closely at the exhaust, but from my experience with most ball-and-socket type exhausts is that the studs thread into one flange and then pass through the other where a nut tightens it up. I'd def check this out beforehand though.

 

Well, I'm planning to start early tomorrow. My wife is leaving early for work, and my assistants (the kids) are usually up early, so I can hopefully start getting the car up in the air before 9AM. If I really run into an issue, I could just cut everything off and drive it a few blocks to the local muffler shop to let them deal with the rusty bolts on the Y-pipe flange. It would be worth a few bucks to save my sanity, and then I'd just drive it home and install the new parts.

 

I have been busting rusty nuts in the oil field for over 38 years and the best penetrant oil I have found is Kroil. It literally works wonders. Spray it on and let it sit over night.

http://www.kanolabs.com/google/

It's not as cheap as PB blaster or Nutbuster, but it works way better.

 

They just got +1 business cause of you.

 

Im convinced cause it melps foam cups.

 

i just did this last weekend.
chop the heads off to remove the y pipe. i then added heat and a hammer and no go. i had to cut down flush the bolt that still stuck out. drilled through the center of it. then i used a punch and a hammer. and all 4 came out pretty easily. then just use an adjustable wrench after to get the flanges back where you want.

you can use pb blast ect if you want before you do the job, but if they are rust frozen in there. it wont help. i pb blasted mine 3 days before and i dont daily the car so it just got to sit and soak.

good luck.

 

I didn't have much trouble at all removing my Y-pipe. First I went to the Nissan dealer and purchased new 14 millimeter screws (4 of them) then I sprayed the area good with PB Blaster and let it sit for about 5 minutes then sprayed it again and let sit for 5 minutes. Next I used my 14 millimeter socket designed for broken, damaged, and or rusted bolts along with my breaker bar. Gave it some elbow grease and once I heard the rusted bolt break loose the rest was history. I took off the four bolts from the Y-pipe, removed the rest of the exhaust from the hangers, removed the two braces (they look U shaped) and pulled the entire exhaust out from under the car in one complete piece. Took me about 30 maybe 45 minutes once the bolts were loose.