Crash Dummy

I've got a couple of exhaust manifold bolts on the drivers side of the engine that over the last 18 years have downsized themselves on the head to somewhere between a 9/16 & a metric and neither seems to do the trick to break them loose. Now that they are semi-rounded and no way to beat them loose I decided to go to the ultimate solution.

You've seen it on TV!!!!!

An Ingersol Rand 3/8" impact with a Gator-Grip socket! That's the socket with the little round rods inside that supposedly can break anything loose if you all missed the commercials. A little Gunk Liquid Thread on the bolt and we'll see what happens. Yep... I'm grabbing for straws & open for any suggestions. :lol:

mapman

bgrice,

Local Sears has a set of stud removal tools by Lisle (sp?). They look like a regular hexagonal nut but instead of threads they have sharp splines. You find the size appropriate to the stud, and drive it onto the stud with a hammer. The splines cut into the stud and anchor the tool. You then use a regular wrench on the tool to twist the stud out.

I don't have these tools, but they looked like they should work.

Always ready to spend someone else's money. :lol:

Crash Dummy

mapman,

Thanks for the info, but there is no such thing as driving anything on with the steering column right in front of those two pesky bolts. It was just a shot in the dark.

So... after trying the Gator-Grip? Might be good on swing sets, but not on 18 year old baked on bolts. They claim up to 150lbs of ft torque. I give this contraption a rating of

:skep: :skep: :skep: :skep: (4 - You got my 13 bucks... don't let me find you)

Wasn't a big deal... I have the engine loose with one head off. I'll just pull it with the other one on this weekend. A couple of extra chains, but not a stopper. :cheers:

Vette Named Danielle

Try a Metrinch socket, they're universal for metric & sae., if you can get a hold of a set. Worked okay for me so far.

J75

If you have a angle grinder you can buzz the heads off the bolts,pull the manifold and remove the stud section with a pipe wrench.

mapman

bgrice,

Sorry, I thought the heads were broken off. Sears sells (no I do not own stock) a Craftsman bolt remover set. These are sockets with a "grooves" that lock the socket on to the bolt as you twist it out. I have a set of these and they work pretty well on rusted bolts.

Crash Dummy

J75....

I thought about just cutting them off, but unforetunately I do not have an angle grinder. My air cut-off tool is too big and it's not worth the time it might take with a dremel cut-off tools. I was just attempting to get all the weight I can off the motor since I'm doing this engine change when I feel like it and not depending on anyone else. Thanks for your answer.

mapman....

My total last resort was to go to Sears. They do have a *Bolt-Out* spiral fluted socket set like you said, but I cut Sears off so many years ago with their Die-Hard batteries & tire shenanegans that it's just the principle of the thing these days to not deal with them. With the engine pulled I can impact the bolts enough that they will come loose. I read a thread talking about Ecklers and their downturn in service. They have a long way to go to catch up to those that have had horrible reputations for years. I don't think much of Ecklers either, but I will buy GM restoration parts from them.

Love My 72 and 77

What about welding a larger grade 8 bole on the head of the rounded one?