Stuck exhaust manifold

[Reg Evans]

Well, I finally got the complete brake job done and working on Pearl ( my low mileage 40 Plymouth) A 2 day job turned into over a month. I drove her around for a couple of days just to enjoy her before I addressed another problem.

The exhaust manifold has a blown out gasket between the intake and exhaust where they bolt together. A very annoying sound. So yesterday I decided nows the time......No big deal.....2 or 3 hours of labor and she'll be all quiet under the hood. NOPE !!! After 4.5 hours I turned from a happy hobbyist to the HULK with a foul mouth. Even my dogs ,who usually like to watch what I'm doing left the garage. The exhaust manifold is still stuck on the stud to the right of the carb in the photo. All 13 bolts were removed and this thing won't budge. I made myself drop this fun little project when I found myself looking for the sledge hammer.

What's next????? A blow torch?

[Merle Coggins]

Are you absolutely, positively sure that you got all nuts and washers removed? It may sound like a stupid question, but I've fallen into that trap before. "I know I got all the bolts removed, why won't it come off." After taking a break, or getting a fresh set of eyes to look, "Hey, what about this one?"... "DOOHH!!!" Remove one more and it magically comes free.

Otherwise it's just rusted to the stud. A little heat around that stud hole may loosen it up, if you can get in there without burning the car down. You don't want to turn her into a car-b que.

Good luck,

Merle

[Norm's Coupe]

Reg,

I feel your pain. Had the same problem with my coupe several years ago when I rebuilt the engine. I played with my manifold for about a week trying to get that thing off with out breaking it.

You can try heat first to get it loose. If that doesn't work, use a dead blow hammer on it to see if you can break it loose. If you tried that and still nothing, it's time to get the screwdriver out. Gently go along the top edge between the manifold and engine block and tap the screw driver down between the two. Then try prying it away. Just keep doing that until you get a good gap between them, then you should be able to get the crowbar behind it and work it off. Mine was stuck on three studs. After getting it loose enough, I just stuck a hacksaw blade between there and cut the studs off. Then got what was left of the studs out after the engine was out of the car. Had to use heat and pipe wrench to get those out.

[Don Coatney]

Well, I finally got the complete brake job done and working on Pearl ( my low mileage 40 Plymouth) A 2 day job turned into over a month. I drove her around for a couple of days just to enjoy her before I addressed another problem.

The exhaust manifold has a blown out gasket between the intake and exhaust where they bolt together. A very annoying sound. So yesterday I decided nows the time......No big deal.....2 or 3 hours of labor and she'll be all quiet under the hood. NOPE !!! After 4.5 hours I turned from a happy hobbyist to the HULK with a foul mouth. Even my dogs ,who usually like to watch what I'm doing left the garage. The exhaust manifold is still stuck on the stud to the right of the carb in the photo. All 13 bolts were removed and this thing won't budge. I made myself drop this fun little project when I found myself looking for the sledge hammer.

What's next????? A blow torch?

Reg;

13 is the magic number. You might try lightly rapping it with a rubber mallet. Or using a small wedge (very skinny screwdriver) driven between the manifold and the block. Good luck!

[bob westphal]

I have come across the same problem before. I found that the two long studs for exhaust manifold on either side of the carb are rusted to the manifold. The last one I did took 2 hrs. to carefully remove. I soaked the studs with loosen all. I tapped the end of the studs with a punch and hammer to help the loosen all work in and gently pryed the manifold by working it back and forth untill I got out far enough to cut the studs with a hacksaw blade. Then drilled the cutoff studs and used an easyout to remove them after I heated them with a torch. I would try to work the manifold off by not cutting the studs or far enough that you can cut them close to the manifold and have enough stud to use a stud remover on them. It's a real pain in the butt!! Just be patient and very careful. You may even learn some new swear words before you're done.

[Reg Evans]

Thanks guys. I have had my entire screwdriver collection in all the spaces between the block and manifolds except for the space under the long forward exhaust stud. It's still tight there so it's that damn stud. There's not even enough room to get a hacksaw blade in there from the under side. I did discover that the exhaust manifold was cracked in half on the bottom center besides the gasket being blown. WOW...dual exhaust !

No wonder it was so noisy. Guess it's time for some more penetrating oil ,some heat and some luck.

[Norm's Coupe]

Reg,

If it were mine and the manifold was cracked anyway, I wouldn't worry about hurting it anymore. It's broke anyway, I'd just look for a new or good used one and call it a day. It's also a good excuse to just change it over to a dual exhaust.

[Plymouthy Adams]

The manifold is cracked already, the carb is removed...so if it were to come loose and fall nothing could get damaged..that is why it is still stuck fast..try installing your carb..now it will fall and break the carb completeing its cycle....

I AM AT A LOSS ON THIS ALSO

[Reg Evans]

Well...I guess my idea about picking up my big sledge hammer wasn't so bad afterall. I've just never had drill and easy out studs before and didn't want to start now. The dirty little sonofabeach!

[DutchEdwin]

Patience it a mans best friend.

I used WD40 on a stuck heat riser, may bolts etc. Let is rest for a day, try again, more WD40, an other day, try again well you get the picture. My heat riser is moving almost like new (but I've never seen a new one) and I didnt break any bolt on my engine when I took it apart. Only took me two weeks of patience to get my exhaust off, without braking anything. Gentile like you treat you wife .

Did ruin a brake drum using the torch. out of round now. So I'm not fond of that. You can also crack cast iron by heating it locally. That's why it should be heated up before it is welded, and cooled down buried a heated up basket of sand

[JIPJOBXX]

Well when you do get oft your manifold and if you do screw up a few studs (Smashing up the treads). If you have any one that has a welder I would weld a nut on the studs that the thread is ruined and back out with a wrench or socket. If you brake oft a stud it is easier just to drill the old stud out. Here is an old machinist trick! Drill the center of the stud with a small drill till it go through and then if you can find one get a reversed fluke drill. This means that when drilling out the old stud the drill will tend to pull out the stud. I used this trick many times when I worked for the navy and believe me I have done my share of broken oft studs. I have not had to much success with easy-outs but that your choice. Last if you have to just drill out the stud very easily till you get close to the treads of the old studs and then use a prick punch to remove whats left of the old stud till it just falls out in pieces. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[claybill]

sorry reg....your message didnt come thru....

its ok. i bet you'll get it off soon..be patient.

claybill@galenalink.com

[Reg Evans]

Bill,

Do you mean my PM to you didn't come through? I did take the nut off of the underneath center intake manifold yesterday. It was the last nut I removed.

I am being patient. I have given the area a drink of PB blaster 3 times today and will do it again tomorrow before I attempt round 2 of the wrestling match on Friday.

Jon,The reverse drill bit sounds hopeful for one of the other studs that did break off flush with the block about 10 minutes into the fun little project.

[grey beard]

I think Bob Westfall is right. I found the same problem wth my 218 when I took it apart. The two long studs freeze into the manifold holes and things sorta' grow together. I had success using a large old screwdriver for a wedge with a dead blow hammer. Once the manifold was away from block enough to see light between the two parts, I began using progressively thicker pounding wedges to get the pieces farther apart. I worked at it till the manifold came off the two studs and I was able to save and reuse all the parts. Neither soaking or heat helped in this case, but I had only one stud stuck in the manifold - the front one as I remember. Before you go back together, ream out the carbon from these two long deep stud holes so it goes back togeher more nicely. JMHO

[JerseyHarold]

What if.....

You got a small piece of dry ice and held it to the stud with tweezers? Stud shrinks, manifold yanks right off. No heat to warp anything.

[1just4don]

Our local welder is an expert at getting out broken off studs,,,even if they are broke off flush. He is good enough with the wire welder he welds a nut on to them. The heat breaks the rust and he screws them right out. I have struggled and tried it many times,,,with not nearly the success he does.

Sounds like IF its broke anyway,take two hammers and finish the job. cast breaks too easy anyway. Then the stud should be long enough you can slip next size bigger nut over the stud and weld on both sides. hammer the head to break loose and carefully turn it out(without breaking off closer in yet). IF not cooprating yet,,,heat to cherry red, then schock it loose with the dry ice trick. But pounding on the head loosens better than anything else.. Tap, try turning,,tap more, try again, repeat till you run out of daytime,then start the night shift,,,keep soaking with PB blaster,,,WD-40 is for starting fluid for your lawn mower when nothing else will,,, and the sqeauky storm door.

[Reg Evans]

Finally !

My simple little 2 hour job that turned to crap.

1 month later I'm ready to install a good exhaust manifold on Pearl,the 40 Plymouth with the cracked and very stuck exhaust manifold. With a friends help I ended up having to drill holes in the top of the manifold over the 2 long studs so the tip of a torch could reach in there and heat up the stuck area. Lots of big crow bars and destroyed studs but it's off now.

What a somabich !!!!

YAHOO...on the road again today!