i just got a z31 for cheap and the exhaust manifold is cracked. i have the entire manifold and downpipe unbolted from the car, but it is held in by the steering shaft. so i went about unbolting the downpipe from the manifold and i have 2 of the 3 bolts out. the 2 i removed were regular bolts that went in threaded holes. the final one is a stud in the manifold that goes through a hole in the downpipe.

there is a nut on the downpipe that is stuck like glue. somone in the past tried and failed to remove it it looks like. so far i have tried using liberal amounts of liquid wrench, hammering the ratchet head on but it still eventually brakes loose and just rounds it off more. what are my options? i have no idea how to remove this and it is terribly frustrating.

 

angle grinder or cut off saw, cut off the nut/stud flush with the flange or whatever or remove your piece. Then heat the stud up with a torch til its like glowing (no joke) and work it with a pipe wrench or vise grips til it comes out

 

gator grip mit work

 

man i threw out my friend's gator grip socket. that thing was a piece. he bitched me out for it too, i told him go buy some real tools then ill help you work on your car!


but yeah, zizz wheel(cutoff wheel) it flush with the manifold, and if the torching thing doesnt work at first try using an ez-out in conjunction with the torch method, just dont directly heat the ez-out.

 

go to auto zone and buy a nut spliter and tighten it ont he head when it starts cutting into the head use the shaft of the spliter to wrench it loose. or cut off wheel, quickest.