I spent most of the day at my dad's machine shop cutting the heads off of 6 of the 8 bolts that hold the exhaust manifold onto the cylinders. 2 came right out, the others didn't budge even with a torch on them.
I know that a new one costs almost $300, so I wanted to save this one to use on my new motor.
Well, I put it on the milling machine and work all the bolt heads down to the washers. On the last one, I hold on to the manifold thinking it will fall off, and I don't want to break it having it fall to the ground.
Last bolt milled off, and it won't move.
So we heat it again, and tap with a rubber mallet, no go.
Pry bars under the little lips...uh uh!
So we pull out BIG hammers and steel wedges and start to pound the crap out of them. The one with only 2 bolts in it came off after about 45 minutes of pounding, then the bolts come out of the cylinder VERY EASILY by finger :rant:
Apparently, the smooth parts of the bolts under the head are corroded solid to the manifold bolt holes. The threaded parts weren't stuck, and were actually in good shape and went in and out by finger.
So to save the manifold, I take it back to the milling machine and try to drill out the bolts, but the mill is wandering and thinning out the material on the outside of the bolt holes :boxing_smiley:
So I tell dad I am going home (1.5 hours and 70 miles each way!) and going to scrap the whole thing and buy a new manifold.
Get home, pull up e-bay, and one is Buy It Now for $15. YES, FIFTEEN dollars :ack:
Oh, almost forgot, my thumb ended up between one of the steel wedges and a 5 lb sledge on a full arced swing. But only once...
A day in the life of the Scooper...:reddevil:
I know that a new one costs almost $300, so I wanted to save this one to use on my new motor.
Well, I put it on the milling machine and work all the bolt heads down to the washers. On the last one, I hold on to the manifold thinking it will fall off, and I don't want to break it having it fall to the ground.
Last bolt milled off, and it won't move.
So we heat it again, and tap with a rubber mallet, no go.
Pry bars under the little lips...uh uh!
So we pull out BIG hammers and steel wedges and start to pound the crap out of them. The one with only 2 bolts in it came off after about 45 minutes of pounding, then the bolts come out of the cylinder VERY EASILY by finger :rant:
Apparently, the smooth parts of the bolts under the head are corroded solid to the manifold bolt holes. The threaded parts weren't stuck, and were actually in good shape and went in and out by finger.
So to save the manifold, I take it back to the milling machine and try to drill out the bolts, but the mill is wandering and thinning out the material on the outside of the bolt holes :boxing_smiley:
So I tell dad I am going home (1.5 hours and 70 miles each way!) and going to scrap the whole thing and buy a new manifold.
Get home, pull up e-bay, and one is Buy It Now for $15. YES, FIFTEEN dollars :ack:
Oh, almost forgot, my thumb ended up between one of the steel wedges and a 5 lb sledge on a full arced swing. But only once...
A day in the life of the Scooper...:reddevil:
