Exhaust Leak

[v2vera]

Ok guys, I have a small exhaust leak on my 83 Regal. It sounds like its coming from the Exhaust flange on the driver side. I just have a few questions.. How difficult is this to change? What steps would I have to take?.. I have the 4.1 V6 engine.
I took of the bolts to get to the flange but I couldnt get it out. The tube goes from the driverside down around the engine to the passenger side but I quit there since I dont know exaclty what to do next. What items do I have to remove to get to the passanger side so I can take it off and change the flange gaskets?

Option 2.. take it to a shop...how much SHOULD this run me? I dont know of any reputable shops and dont want to get jipped.

Thanks again

 

[G-Body_Vet]

Be careful. If you break those manifold studs, your project is going to become a lot bigger. If you're not familiar with what you're getting into I suggest taking it to a muffler shop and letting them mess with it. If they break the studs in the process it becomes their problem. Even if it costs you $100 (which I doubt) to have that donut gasket changed, you're further ahead than facing a potential major pain in the *ss.

 

[v2vera]

Well I the nuts on the stud on the driver side where really easy to take off.. They wernt even on that tight. I thought they would have been seized up a bit but came off with hardly any pressure. but anyways if its only going to cost under $100 Ill just take it to a shop.. shoot Ill pay someone here that lives in Phx or nearby to do it lol. If they are up to it lol. Id rather have someone here make a quick buck..than go to an overpriced muffler shop. :lol:

 

[Bonnewagon]

If the nuts were that easy to take off, that may have been your leak. Run a thread chaser die up and down those studs, get some new nuts, oil the threads, and try retightening the pipe. If that does not do it then the other side pipe needs to come down also to get the whole head pipe loose enough to work on it. If they come off easy you are golden. If they feel like they are going to break, they will.

 

[v2vera]

Yea the thread on the driverside nuts are fine. I tightened them again but still sounds the same, maybe just a little better.. It only does it when the engine is cold, sounds like a motorcycle exhaust. Its not terribly loud but it irrates me as the car should be pretty quiet.. I will see how hard the bolts are to take off on the other side if I feel there going to break Ill just take it in to a shop.. Thanks for the input

 

[Bonnewagon]

Soak them every night with penetrating oil. Give it time to work.

 

[v2vera]

OK guys finally got around to removing the exhaust pipe coming out of the manifolds to what I beleived needed new gaskets but when I took the bolts from the right sidesoff to drop the left side there was no gaskets in either side..I had bought 2 exhaust gasket flanges as I was told by the Autozone people that there should have been one on each side.. Ofcourse the part they gave me didnt work I beleive they are too big... First question is is there supposed to be gaskets there? The ones they gave me they refered too as donut gaskets. im confused now

 

[tc1959]

I believe there is only one on the drivers side,the other side has the flared flange on the pipe.
Rockauto shows one, felpro #60975 but not the diameter.
Check the exhaust manifold bolts too they could get loose also.

 

[Bonnewagon]

http://info.rockauto.com/Walker/910-10200.jpg I found what tc1959 found too. Maybe the pipe flange is rusted or cracked? Or the manifold surface is scuzzy? My 301 head pipes are just a flange with 3 bolts, no gasket, and seals nice all the time if I use new bolts and nuts and loads of anti-seize. If the flange is just leaky, a shmear of exhaust pipe putty may do the trick, or try to find a small thin gasket for it.

 

[v2vera]

here is a pic of the gasket they gave me.. its 2.5 in the center..is that to big? or am I doing something wrong?