Rusty exh manifold / front pipe
#1
12-14-2014, 11:30 AM
Rusty exh manifold / front pipe
Rusty exhaust
On my 2005 4-cylinder Accord, the front pipe is separating from the exhaust manifold, because the attachments are rusting away. The pipe is held in place by two bolts which thread into the manifold and press upward on springs, but the spring seat on one of the bolts has rusted away so far that the spring is slipping down around it and can no longer hold the pipe in place. The other bolt is not far behind. Both bolts have their heads shrunken and rounded off from the rust. Looking at it from above, neither bolt looks like it could loosen from the manifold even if I could get a socket on them - too rusted for heat or penetrating oil to help. So the problem is how to separate the front pipe from the manifold? I suspect that I'll need to remove them both.
Has anyone been down this road before? Are there other components where I should anticipate that the rust is so bad that it won't come apart: For example, the manifold bracket or the bolts / nuts that attach the manifold to the head? Is there enough clearance to remove the manifold and front pipe together from the top? Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated!
On my 2005 4-cylinder Accord, the front pipe is separating from the exhaust manifold, because the attachments are rusting away. The pipe is held in place by two bolts which thread into the manifold and press upward on springs, but the spring seat on one of the bolts has rusted away so far that the spring is slipping down around it and can no longer hold the pipe in place. The other bolt is not far behind. Both bolts have their heads shrunken and rounded off from the rust. Looking at it from above, neither bolt looks like it could loosen from the manifold even if I could get a socket on them - too rusted for heat or penetrating oil to help. So the problem is how to separate the front pipe from the manifold? I suspect that I'll need to remove them both.
Has anyone been down this road before? Are there other components where I should anticipate that the rust is so bad that it won't come apart: For example, the manifold bracket or the bolts / nuts that attach the manifold to the head? Is there enough clearance to remove the manifold and front pipe together from the top? Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated!
#2
12-14-2014, 11:52 AM
Craftsman rounded bolt/nut sockets can connect to a badly damaged bolt to extract.
Heat (propane or acetylene) applied to the nuts welded to manifold outlet will also help. If no torch, engine heat from full warmup would help loosen bolts.
good luck
Heat (propane or acetylene) applied to the nuts welded to manifold outlet will also help. If no torch, engine heat from full warmup would help loosen bolts.
good luck
#3
12-15-2014, 05:35 AM
I have dealt with this more times then I can remember. Heat is the way to go. What I like to do is get the bolts near glowing red and then quickly with a spray bottle, spray ice cold water on them. What this does is create a thermal shock and will almost always break the rust weld. After that you can spray some penetrating fluid on them and use a bolt extractor as described by TexasHonda or sometimes even vise grips work fine.
#4
12-15-2014, 09:47 PM
TexasHonda and Turtlehead, thanks to you both for advising on this. Sounds like it's premature for me to think that heat won't work. I have propane but not acetylene. I will pick up the extracting sockets, get the bolts as hot as I can, and give this a try.
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