Hey guys, i was trying to install my DC CC headers this morning on my 97 SH... I soaked all the bolts in WD40 overnight so the bolts on the head came off pretty smoothly.... i didnt have any problems until i started to work on the bolts connected to the cat.

Turns out theres so much rust on them that i cant even feel/see the threads anymore, i tried using a box wrench and a rubber mallet with no results. If i take it to a shop... am i safe to assume that they will cut the studs off? and if they do, will i have problems mounting the flex pipe later? Anyone have any idea how much it will cost me?

I also need some tips with removing the bolts to the mounting bracket, the one thats between the 4 and the 2. There is little space under the car, is working with an extension the only way? Almost all the bolts seem to be seized... its a 8 year old car.....

Thanks!

 

Hey man, I had an issue with mine too...but mine is a 1992 Prelude...so you cna imagine how bad they were.

I got mine off using the Craftsman socket set that is specifically used for stripped bolts. Trust me...this socket set is worth EVERY PENNY!!

I then disconnected the downpipe from the upper portion of the header. I then pulled the entire exhaust system with cat and downpipe down. Then I soaked the bolts on the cat....waited a few minutes and then used the socket wrench with a breaker bar. All came off with a little persuation.

Hope this helps

 

Well my bolt isnt stripped, the problem is that there doesnt seem to be any thread on the stud... so a socket set wont really help...

How did you get into the tight space to remove the "down pipe" portion?

 

yes. just keep trying. its a pain. a shop will do it for you, maybe $50 to change out headers and no i doubt they will cut the studs off.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Daboi630 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
yes. just keep trying. its a pain. a shop will do it for you, maybe $50 to change out headers and no i doubt they will cut the studs off.</TD></TR></TABLE>

$50??? I was quoted $130

 

They had to slice the studs on mine. The exhuast place were I took it had a huge assortment of bolts and stuff so they just slapped in some new ones.

 

Maybe you could buy a high flow cat, it will come with new bolts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AndyD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

$50??? I was quoted $130</TD></TR></TABLE>



local shop in houston did a header swap in a GSR for $60. so i guess around $50, but $130?!?!

 

I used this stuff called PB Blaster. You can buy at almost any autoparts store. Let it soak in for 20 min, try it, spray some more on it and try again. This should work.

 

PB blaster? I'll give it a shot if i can find it..... if it doesnt work out.. i figure i'll torch it out myself... even though i dont have any experience... i guess its a good time to learn.... i got quoted "about $60 a bolt... but i gotta look at it first" from a local shop... so you figure it wont be much different if its a siezed bolt or a mushed up molten one....

 

Installed a Kamakazi Header on a friends Prelude SH today. Same problem with the stripped front cat bolts. I used these to remove the stripped nuts after I heated them up with a torch and it worked wonderfully.

Craftsman Bolt-Out Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set

 

hey, thanks for the suggestion, but problem isnt that the bolt is stripped, but the stud that has so much rust that there doesnt seem to be any thread on it....

the bolt is basically seized, not stripped.... would the craftsman work on something like this?

 

hack it off and drill it out, it just takes time

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lenn &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the bolt is basically seized, not stripped.... would the craftsman work on something like this?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes. Go to Sears buy the small propane torch and that kit. You need the #7 -12mm socket. I found it best to take the cat and header off in one peice so you can get a big breaker bar on it by taking the 3 bolts of the rear of the cat - exhaust side (much easier than the front 3). Heat up the nut and get a big breaker bar, 18". Have a friend stand on the header so it doesnt flip over and pry the focker off with #7. Came off for me like butter when I had spent hours soaking it in PB blaster, heating it, and stripping it from repeated attempts with the breaker bar and a 6 pnt 12mm socket.

 

those bolts on the cat have a habbit of doing that, I ended up braking 2 of them in half when I was trying to take them off. I just ended up getting a new Heigh-Flow cat. Good luck getting them off, and let us know what "trick" if any works for you.

 

Get that car a little higher in the air and get a pry bar on there... And screw the rubber mallet and use a BIG steel hammer. Those bolts are ON there. And that PB power Blaster stuff is great!
It could not hurt to heat the bolts up with a Propane torche...

 

yea... the next plan of action is to take it to a friend's shop.. see if they'll do it for free... if not.. then i'll MAP torch it... then wack it a coupl eof times... sooo.... as for things i've tried already.....

WD-40 for 3 days... didnt do anything
PB blaster for 2 days.... ditto...
hammer and wrench.... ditto....
250 ft lb electric impact wrench.... broke the wrench after 1.5 hours... but it DID work for the mounting bracket bolts that connects to the head.... well one of them...

gonna go out and buy a larrge breaker bar.... would 2ft be considered large? hmm....

 

i used an angle grinder to notch the nut, then used a chisel to break it free while a friend held the bolt with a set of vice grips.

 

You could just get a test pipe, slap it onto the DC header, and bolt the whole unit up to the head and exhaust. by pass the cat all together.