'Ol Bess's Exhaust Manifold Adventure

Mick

Mick

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When I picked her up in York, Nebraska, she was quiet as a church mouse. The pre-purchase inspection revealed an exhaust leak around the heat riser, so I asked the shop in town there to just cut it off. For reasons unknown to me, they decided to take both exhaust manifolds off and put gaskets on. Half way home, guess what? Exhaust leak, this time on the driver's side. Finally got to work on it and have managed all but one of the nuts. Yep, the last one. The one I am sure I am getting ready to break off. The tightest one of the bunch. Oh, yeah, and the studs in the water jackets decided to come out, too. Good times.
 
The studs often back out of the head - not a big deal. drain your coolant down until they stop leaking fluid, clean them up and run them back in with double nuts to the shoulder, and use some thread sealer (teflon tape). Pull the nuts off and reinstall your manifold. Don't forget to refill the coolant!

Take it easy with the last remaining stud... yes they can be nasty.
 
live4theking said:
That really stinks. I hope the one giving you grief isn't one of the end ones.
Click to expand...
Oh, yeah. Driver side rear. Cautiously optimistic though. I put the nut back on the other end and snugged it up, hoping to take a little pressure off the other end. I've been hosing it down with penetrating oil off and on all evening and getting a couple clicks at a time out of the ratchet. Try again in the morning.
 
Ross Wooldridge said:
The studs often back out of the head - not a big deal. drain your coolant down until they stop leaking fluid, clean them up and run them back in with double nuts to the shoulder, and use some thread sealer (teflon tape). Pull the nuts off and reinstall your manifold. Don't forget to refill the coolant!

Take it easy with the last remaining stud... yes they can be nasty.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, Ross. Good idea on the double nuts and tape. Already goofed on the antifreeze, though. Luckily I have been working from the top...
 
Ripinator said:
Do not use a screw extractor! It will break off and then you will be truly screwed. Keep using PB Blaster on it, and then heat it up with a torch or benzamatic.
Click to expand...
Yup. Been there. And it's a complete ball buster to deal with when the engine is out of the car, the head is off the engine....
 
Well, I am declaring a qualified, partial, with several asterisks, victorious victory over that last stud. It took hours- lots of hours- penetrating oil and beer, to get that d*mn thing out. The nut even came off! Ended up with only two (the water jacket ones-one is in the picture) that came out nut welded to stud. Incidentally, that's where my leak is. I am wondering if those two weren't bottomed out at the nut and simply couldn't be tightened anymore?
Area auto parts stores do not carry the studs, but a local hardware store has exactly what I need: 3/8 coarse, 3/8 fine, 1.5 inches long. No bueno on the brass nuts, for now. Autozone has the gasket.

IMG_20170512_212831699.jpg
 
I am pleased to hear of your success.

Regarding putting it back together - if your car has AC, the exhaust studs at the front of the motor (driver's side) is a bit longer due to compressor bracket being fastened there. The fine thread end is what needs to be longer.

Brass and steel don't usually go well together - I wonder who did that? That can explain a lot of things.

When you reinstall the studs, (and make sure they're the proper grade or they'll just snap off), use teflon tape in the threads to the head, and anti-sieze on the threads for the nuts. I used stainless nuts and lock washers for show (so they won't rust). Using brass may make them hard to get off, as dissimilar metals aren't supposed to go together...
 
Ross Wooldridge said:
I am pleased to hear of your success.

Regarding putting it back together - if your car has AC, the exhaust studs at the front of the motor (driver's side) is a bit longer due to compressor bracket being fastened there. The fine thread end is what needs to be longer.

Brass and steel don't usually go well together - I wonder who did that? That can explain a lot of things.

When you reinstall the studs, (and make sure they're the proper grade or they'll just snap off), use teflon tape in the threads to the head, and anti-sieze on the threads for the nuts. I used stainless nuts and lock washers for show (so they won't rust). Using brass may make them hard to get off, as dissimilar metals aren't supposed to go together...
Click to expand...
Great advice, Ross. Thanks.
 
Mick said:
Well, I am declaring a qualified, partial, with several asterisks, victorious victory over that last stud. It took hours- lots of hours- penetrating oil and beer, to get that d*mn thing out. The nut even came off! Ended up with only two (the water jacket ones-one is in the picture) that came out nut welded to stud. Incidentally, that's where my leak is. I am wondering if those two weren't bottomed out at the nut and simply couldn't be tightened anymore?
Area auto parts stores do not carry the studs, but a local hardware store has exactly what I need: 3/8 coarse, 3/8 fine, 1.5 inches long. No bueno on the brass nuts, for now. Autozone has the gasket.
Click to expand...
It is amazing how important enough beer can be to a project like this...
 
73Coupe said:
You had better luck than I did on that stud...

We had to drop the GD column down too just to get to it.


View attachment 124513
View attachment 124514
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Click to expand...
Well, if I had just a little more brains and alot more patience I would have gone in like you did, but noooo, I didn't wait for my floor jack to come back (borrowed 11 years ago by the ex-in-law) I just thought, "How hard could it be?" and went in from the top. Now I'm trying to figure out the one nut I can't get back on (second to rear). Could have saved a day just doing it right!
 
Mick said:
Well, if I had just a little more brains and alot more patience I would have gone in like you did, but noooo, I didn't wait for my floor jack to come back (borrowed 11 years ago by the ex-in-law) I just thought, "How hard could it be?" and went in from the top. Now I'm trying to figure out the one nut I can't get back on (second to rear). Could have saved a day just doing it right!
Click to expand...
Gee by year 10 I think I would have had to bite the bullet and replace it... but I understand, I get optimistic when I deal with idiots too.:elmer:I hate tool borrower's who show no respect for the lender.
 
cantflip said:
Gee by year 10 I think I would have had to bite the bullet and replace it... but I understand, I get optimistic when I deal with idiots too.:elmer:I hate tool borrower's who show no respect for the lender.
Click to expand...
Well, to be honest, in the intervening years I had little use for it, but now... No problem, really, I can still put my hands on it.
 
Man, and I knock on wood as I'm typing, I had to drop the Y pipe on my 67 as I'm pulling the oil pan and forgot to soak the bolts. For some glorious reason, a 15 minute soak did the trick. I wouldn't dare guess that I'd have the same luck with the manifold studs!
It was then that I realized that at some point in the last 13 years, I lent my suspension tools to a gent that lives in Washington state. Mission aborted until a 'save me' set can be afforded.
Stoked for your success, man! Love it when a plan comes together!
 
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