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Author Topic: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?  (Read 4687 times)

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Andy B

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #15 on: 21 January 2018, 21:35:32 »

Alternatively, tighten the nut until it shears off, then hammer the bolt out...

Failing this, notch the flange, then knock the bolt out...

Just be mindful that using an angle grinder in a confined space under the car might result in impromptu face removal surgery :-X

The down pipe flange is threaded &  bolts through the exhaust flange are screwed into it ..... there's nothing to hammer out, unless someone has been there before & drilled a clearance hole through both flanges & bolted them together.
« Last Edit: 21 January 2018, 21:38:05 by Andy B »
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ronnyd

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #16 on: 21 January 2018, 22:50:53 »

Cobalt drill bits are the better ones to use, TiN coated if possible. Solid carbide are very brittle and best used on a pillar drill. bit dodgy using with a pistol drill.


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johnnydog

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #17 on: 22 January 2018, 22:47:52 »

When I last renewed the two centre pipes and back box on my 2.6, one had previously been replaced by a VX piece; the other was the original from new. The bolts came out of the original with no problem, but the bolts in the previously replaced section sheared off, leaving about 1/2" protruding.
This was the push I needed to buy a 'dogs 'dangle berries'' Rothenberger blow torch, which have great reviews, and it got the edge of the flange and sheared bolt not far from 'red'. With a bit of effort with some mole grips, and few cycles of heat, the sheared bolts came out.
It appeared that the bolts in the previous replacement may have been over tightened or 'stretched', and then sheared trying to remove them, whereas the original correctly torqued bolts came out without too much of an issue.
I replaced the bolts with original VX bolts - those on the replacement pieces I fitted were tightened sufficiently to support the exhaust and to provide a gas tight seal, but not excessively so; possibly most are probably unnecessarily over tightened on refitting which causes subsequent removal problems.
Just my experience with this particular car, and thoughts - the original fitting bolts don't need to be excessively tight; on other cars, I have drilled the sheared bolts out which is relatively difficult due to problems correctly aligning the drill itself with available space relative to the underside of the car. It was easier using heat.
Every time I am under the car, I usually just give the flange bolts a turn and then re-tighten, one at a time, just to keep them as free as possible to aid future removal.
Time will tell.
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TheBoy

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #18 on: 23 January 2018, 17:38:50 »

Make sure you have a couple of drill bits ready  ;)
Chrisgixer and I got through 23 drill bits changing the exhaust on TBE last year.

Did they come from Poundland?  ???
Nope, reasonable quality. Most went on one bolt, that had turned to something harder than diamond ;D
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TheBoy

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #19 on: 23 January 2018, 17:40:55 »

Alternatively, tighten the nut until it shears off, then hammer the bolt out...
Nope, wont work, unless its been previously drilled out

Failing this, notch the flange, then knock the bolt out...
Due to weakness of flange, you will always struggle to do it up without distorting if you do this.
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grifter

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #20 on: 24 January 2018, 22:32:54 »

What size/length of nuts/bolts we looking at if i need them, and is that 3 per side, 6 in total?
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Nick W

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #21 on: 24 January 2018, 22:50:18 »

They're M8. About 25mm long should be enough to go through both flanges and washers. Plain nuts are good enough.


You need 2 per side.


That's about £1 worth of hardware if you buy it individually.
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grifter

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #22 on: 25 January 2018, 07:54:39 »

They're M8. About 25mm long should be enough to go through both flanges and washers. Plain nuts are good enough.


You need 2 per side.


That's about £1 worth of hardware if you buy it individually.

Thanks, think i've a pile of new ones lying in my garage. what other nut should i be using, nut and washer not suitable?
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grifter

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #23 on: 06 February 2018, 22:44:38 »

So tonight I got under the car with the aid of my trusty drive on ramps (reverse on this time) and without much effort pulled the backbox off and the join was dust so never had to undo the clamps. Might try and salvage the clamps, but if not will try kwik fix for a fix!

Pulled both pipes from the middle section silencer as weakened by rust. Then decided to go for the meat and potatoes bit, the 2 bolts on each middle section to cat. With a little hindsight I think I should not have been so hasty because I just put a 13mm spanner and extended it with the closed end of another and all the nut heads sheared off.

Now got to get the studs out 4 of them boo hoo!

All that is left is the rubbers holding up the middle section, and there is a double clamp thing between the two pipes, the nuts look "weathered" so will be another cut off job I think or hammer a smaller socket on and heat.
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robson

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #24 on: 07 February 2018, 09:28:58 »

When I replaced mine I purchased system from eternal and got my local garage to fit it. Fitting cost was minimal and a lot of agro saved  :y
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Nick W

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #25 on: 07 February 2018, 10:05:33 »

You're making a meal out if it; if you remove the bolts holding it to the cat, and unhook the rubber hangers the entire system will fall to the floor.


You then fit the new parts, starting at the cats, hanging it as you go. If the cat bolts aren't an issue it's a 45 minute job, working solo in the street.
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grifter

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #26 on: 07 February 2018, 10:43:58 »

You're making a meal out if it; if you remove the bolts holding it to the cat, and unhook the rubber hangers the entire system will fall to the floor.


You then fit the new parts, starting at the cats, hanging it as you go. If the cat bolts aren't an issue it's a 45 minute job, working solo in the street.

Yep i usually do that with exhausts but i will put jack on it and undo rubbers and then drop it
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grifter

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Re: Exhaust removal back section what usually gives grief?
« Reply #27 on: 11 February 2018, 17:44:28 »

As I suspected I had to drill out the 2 bolts on both sides. Started out with a pack of silverline cobolt drills and used smallest to start a pilot hole. One of the holes was a bit offset, due to not getting the pilot started exactly in the middle, so the hole was getting bigger towards the pipe to flange section, and it would have worked out that the bolt head would have been resting on the flange to pipe weld join when I started tightening, so, after making a big ding in the remaining bit of thread with a chisel, had to drill the remaining thread with drill pointing up towards floor then grind it away with the side of the drill. Eventually got to a point where the bolt head is sitting flat on the flange face not jammed on to the weld join.

Everything looks like it's about ready to be assembled up; I just need another 54mm clamp for back box, and another 48mm clamp for the long bracket that holds the 2 centre sections in check.

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