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Y Pipe Removal

phouse

Active Member
Joined
March 8, 2001
Messages
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City, State
Phila PA
Year, Model & Trim Level
1991 Explorer
Hello, Question. what route would you take to remove the Y pipe from the manifold.. Mine has bolts,, should I try and heat them up before trying to turn them or just soak them in WD-40. I put the air gun on it and it did not budge. I wanted to try and use a breaker bar to try and turn them....

If I break the heads of,,, I don't even want to think about. I took it to a shop they wanted $100 to do it after a heated argument about whether the truck had bolts or studs... (Side comment,, why do some of these mechanics think they know it all before they even look at it,, like I'm stupid and can't tell a bolt from a stud with a nut.. ) any enough ranting and raving..

Any ideas..
 



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I found this great stuff PB pentrating spray. I'm sure you can find an equivalent. It reallly ate the rust up (not like wd40)
I was patient as hell and just kept spraying the crap out of them.... over a day and a half period. If you want to be really **** retentive get tin foil and try to wrap it around to "capture" as much of the stuff around the bolt.

Mind came off pretty easy. Used a six sided socket making sure I was squarely on the bolt. I think after I got em broking I gave em another shot of the stuff and let them sit for a short while.
Over kill? yeah I just did something else.
The last thing I wanted was to snap those bad boys..... but those bolts (al least on my 94) are pretty tuff.

I did get new ones when it went back together. Why jerk around? Don't forget anit seize.
That anti sieze smokes alot when you first start it up. It did take me back at first hahaha
 






whats anti-seize?
 






Thanks for the info

Hello, I got the y-pipe off, I had been soaking the manifold bolts with wd-40 all week, That didn't do much good though.. I had to heat up the manifold bolts with a propane torch and then spray them with wd-40... One good trick, I'm not sure wherer I read it at but... the candle wax and the wd-40 really did the trick, once the bolts were heated I put a little candle wax on the theads and the little stub coming out the top of the manifold, then I put the breaker bar on it and then i heard a loud pop and then they began to turn little by llittle... The connecting bolts that attach the cat where all stripped,, so I uses the air chisel to crush the nuts... One of the bolts got damaged so I had to use the cut off tool to remove the welded head, then punch the stud through... It took about 10hrs and a sore back...


WEAR YOU GOGGLES,,, my air chisel popped out and hit me right in the face,, If it wasn't for the goggles I would probably be still in the hospital.....
 






Anti seize is grey/silver stuff. once it gets on you it's hard to get off/out... Your supposed to put it on the threads of bolts that are hard to get out,, so the next time they aren't so hard to get out
 






I'm glad it worked out but too bad it took so long.

re: wd40
wd40 is OK but the stuff i used and sugessted had more of a chemical reaction with the rust (God knows I'm no chemist) It had a much different effect that WD. Almost dissolved the the rust. for what its worth.

But you seemed to have had a lot more going on.
You still did good... skinned knuckles and all hahaha.

A nut crakcer is not expensive and is sometimes a little more controlled on nasty nuts (that is if you have the room and can get at the the nut).... again, for what its worth.

I was buying anti sieze in those little tubes and it was getting expense till I saw the larger size (bottle size) at manny, moe and jack's (pep boys) ...go for the big guy.. it a lot lot cheaper in the long run!

Thanks for the wax trick... i gotta try it
 






Yeah, I went to Sears to get the nutcracker but couldn't find it there.. That would have saved the bolts I guess.. Yeah my knuckles were scraped up, itried to keep the gloves on for the most part.... I saved myself $100.00 dollars.. Well lesson learned
 






I think I have mentioned this before:
I go to cars shows and swap meets every once and a while.
I always keep a list of stuff I need... think i need... and probably don't need handy ....because you can always get great deals on tools and all the junk for "inventory" if you fix cars.
and enjoy checking out neat cars.

I have gotten some fabulous deals on tools....speciality ones too
In fact, phouse, I think you are in the philly area?

You just missed a great one in COWTOWN, NJ (I heard that guy laughing in the back!) You might want to put it on your schedule for next year, It is one of the best.....I missed it this year.... and got ribbed by my friends who went.

The ones in the boonies have the best buys!

Why did I even mention Cowtown!!!! Here we go ....get ready for the NJ jokes !!!
 






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