Guys,

I'm trying to remove my manifold and front pipes. The three cat nuts came off quite easily, as did the manifold-head nuts and the sensor. Two of the three manifold-front pipe nuts came off, but the third is locked, and the nut is now damaged. There are also two nuts holding the manifold lower flange to the block via some brackets. These nuts are also solid.

What do I do? Can I saw off the front pipes and lift the manifold clear? Where would I have to cut the front pipes in order to do this? With the front pipes sawn off - are the manifold lower flange nuts easier to get to - perhaps the nuts holding the brackets onto the block are a better bet with some access?

Its a 2.2 VTEC by the way.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Garth.

 

Buy a can of some penetrating oil from your local auto parts store, works wonders on exhaust and suspension bolts.

The bolts holding the down pipe to the rear of the motor...are a pain. I use a combination/hand wrench to get those. Use vice-grips for the locked/stripped bolt holding the downpipe to the catpipe.

 

Take your car to a muffler shop and have them heat the nuts up with a torch then they should come off easily. That's what I always do.

 

Guys,

Thanks for the advice. I was using Plus Gas releasing fluid before, but this one nut was solid. I ended up buying a cheap socket, and making an insert out of litho aluminium (thin sheet). I hammered this onto the nut, put a long extension on it and then put the weight of the car on the end of the extension. Then I turned the bar using a jack handle as an extension and eventually the nut threads mashed themselves into oblivion. It was then just a case af smashing the flange down with a chisel.

Cheers,

Garth.