Exhaust manifold nuts! any tips on getting these things off?

[audiquattrot]

thanks for the advice guys. I picked up an extractor socket set from Harbor Freight and got the nut off the one under cylinder #5. The #4 one, still wont come out, but that's due to the fact that the backside of the manifold won't allow the socket wrench to fit even w/ a swivel knuckle. Might try dremeling. Did you guys use a cutting disk bit or just slowly shaved the nut off by grinding it?

[101]

#9901 or #9903 carbide cutter.

And that ish will throw metal shavings everywhere so protect your eyes and body parts.

[Swendog]

I feel your pain my bruthuh. Of all the fixes I've done to date on my E30, removal of the exhaust mani was the biggest beotch. While you have your exhaust system out, if you haven't done a short shifter/carrier rebuild and Guibo, along with the trans seals...may as well while you have all that stuff out of the way. I did multiple nights of PB blasting. Leverage is key- which is tough if you're like most of us (no high lift and lying on your back). I bought every conceivable swivel, wobble extension, 6 point shallow, deep, in 1/4" and 3/8" if I didn't already have. In many cases the stud loosened up before the nut did. Good news is, I eventually got all of them out. Bad news is that the manifold to down pipe nuts would not budge. I gave up after 3 days of heating, drilling, and F-Bombing! Brought it to my local guy and paid him $100 to get the damn thing off. Good luck with the nut extractors. When doing my brakes a few weeks ago I could not get the rotor set screw to budge. The PO stripped the Allen head. I drilled and put a screw extractor in and SNAPPED the hardened screw extractor! Then when I drilled it out to remove it, I drilled too far and trashed my hub! Cha-Ching... Add another $150 for a new bearing assembly! But it's all good now and riding sweet. Good luck man. Stay cool. And know when to quit😄

[audiquattrot]

Awesome thanks.

I guess I should've asked this before, but the upper studs came out w the nut, but a couple of the lower harder to get to nuts came out wo the stud. I have all new studs and nuts ready to go in, but my question is how do u remove the studs off the block? I guess I could just reuse the ones that never came out of the block itself but I'd like to replace w new ones if I can

[Ether-D]

Once the manifold is off, put two nuts on the stud you want to remove and tighten them toward one another hard. Then you can just stick your socket on the outer nut and it should draw out the stud.

[jeffnhiscars]

I just stripped the studs off a head and even double nutted w PB Blaster I still had to apply gentle heat to,get A couple of them out.

[5Toes]

the studs on the head are trash, so I would recommend a pair of channellock pliers and whatever it takes :)