Exhaust bolts, catalytic converter, rear transmission mount

[Bonnewagon]

Yeah, it works good if you don't get carried away trying to get every last pit and depression out. Just hit it a little bit at a time watching the sanding scratches as a guide. You don't want to end up beveling it so it won't seal. Hit it once to see where your high and low spots are,then plan your attack so you don't remove too much metal and it will end up flat as new.

 

[carmangary]

Thanks. Will do.

That broken exhaust manifold bolt just isn't wanting to come out of the head. I've tried heat and wax, pentrating oil, pipe wrench. It just won't budge no matter what. I might be able to fit a right angle drill in there but it would be super tight so I am thinking of removing the head since I want to check out what's in there anyway. Anything I should know before removing the head? Specifically, do I need anything to put it back together that is no longer available?? I don't want to get it apart and then realize I can't put it back together. I've never pulled a head before.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Pulling a head sucks. The intake manifold must come off. Pushrods,rockers too. Then you are obligated to clean up the head and manifold. I know you tried heat on that bolt but did you try an acetylene torch? I find if I get it to the point of melting, it almost falls out on it's own. Another trick is to arc weld a nut onto it, the heat of welding can loosen it, and now you have a nut to turn it out with. I would also try a pipe wrench,and if it breaks,drilling as a last resort before pulling a head.

 

[carmangary]

Thanks for the advice about the head. I don't have an acetylene torch, I just have a Mapp gas torch. I can get it to glow red, though. Still need to go hotter?

I do have a mig welder, though. I think I will try welding a nut to it next and if it snaps, it snaps.

Seems like there is always something stupid like this every time I want to do something on this car. A big can of worms.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Yup. Some hobby,eh?

 

[86cutlassrules]

They're right if you can get a nut welded to that broken bolt most likely it will come out easily. Otherwise you have one other option go to home depot and buy a map gas and oxygen torch, it uses 2 bottles and is really simple to use. Start it up just with the map gas valve open then slowly open the oxygen and keep opening both a little at a time and it will produce a very hot flame, not as hot as acetylene but still pretty damn hot, Ive cut metal with it. Get that bolt glowing red I mean real hot, just don't cut it. Then try a stud remover, vice grips, pipe wrench, etc. Best thing ot do is get it real hot with the torch to where it really glows then weld the nut to it. My exhaust guy does that with manifold studs and header bolts all the time its about 98% successful. Otherwise if you have mild mechanical experience you can pull a cylinder head. You disconnect everything attached to the carburetor, drain the antifreeze, rotate the engine to top dead center (the rotor in the distributor cap will be lined up with the post that the #1 spark plug wire is attached to), then take the distributor out, after that unbolt the intake manifold, it maybe stuck to the block so tap it with a mallet a few times or put a screw driver between where the intake meets the block by the oil fill tube and twist it usually doesn't take much effort. Then take your valve cover off, unbolt the rocker arms making sure you keep them together and in order, then take out the push rods in order, then start taking the head bolts out, then lift the 58lb head off lol. A good shop manual will also help but that should get you going. Good luck man.

 

[carmangary]

Thanks for the advice. I got a fresh tank of gas for my MIG welder this week so I am going to weld a nut onto it tomorrow and see what happens. I also found a local auto machine shop that will resurface the manifold for me. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Another question, though. The pipe sticking out of the replacement catalytic converter has a ball looking flare to it. What kind fitting do you need to match up with that? The existing tailpipe doesn't match up. Good thing I have a welder. Should be a breeze to fix once I find the correct fitting.

 

[Bonnewagon]

That ball is where the cat bolts up,sometimes it's to the head pipe, sometimes it's the tail pipe depending on model. It's kind of a ball/socket flange that bolts together sometimes incorporating a bracket that goes to the transmission mount. You can cut it off and weld it to your system, or have a female flange made at a muffler shop to keep it sevicable. Cost me $25 last time I needed one. A good auto parts store should have it.

 

[carmangary]

No luck with the snapped bolt today. I kept welding nuts on it and the bolt kept snapping and getting shorter and shorter. The head needs resurfacing where there was an exhaust leak anyway so I am going to pull the head and send it to the machine shop. I dropped off the exhaust manifold there this morning. I was hoping to have that bolt out today but looks like I will be learning to pull and reinstall a head instead. Any good books or videos? I figure I might as well rebuild what I can while I am in there.

 

[outsider_27]

Nothing like tearing the whole engine apart for one bolt! Since you need to pull the intake off anyway, may as well pull the other head off and replace the gaskets.