Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[NinjaTech]

I just fixed mine yesterday using GD's instructions. spent about $10 total for one tap from napa, threaded rod and some nuts from tacoma screw. I got a few torques back from fixing it.

[The Dude Abides]

Yea another weekend goes by, cold rainy. Snow still all over the place. My wife laughs at me because i half to open the door to let the exhaust fumes out of the car before i get in. Probally next weekend. I think im going the all thread route because dumba** sales peple dont know when im talking about 7/16 exhaust stud.

[mudduck]

Why don't you try to chase the threads with a 10x1.25 tap and see if it will hold the studs. If you have a tap, and the right size studs its worth a shot. If worse comes to worse, cut the heads off some bolts to make new studs.

[The Dude Abides]

Not so easy GD. 1st off the hole was already helicoiled so it busted up the drill bit. I had to remove the skitplate to even thread the hole. While that was going on the exhaust fell off the hanger and ripped off the midpipe which stripped out another hole. Bolt was too long and there was nothing left of the gasket. So yea now i have no car.:-\ which is exactly what i didnt want to happen.

[Frank B]

Can you weld? Since the stud holes are useless, you could cut threads in the remaining two holes on each exhaust port, then weld some ears on the exhaust flages to bolt it up. You would need to make the ears, drill the holes in them, hold up the exhaust, fasten the ears to the engine using the studs in the new holes, then tack them on the flanges. lower the exhaust and finish the weld.

[The Dude Abides]

Car might be going to the scrapyard after this one.

[mcbrat]

take it in to Terry's Auto on 75th and University. primo exhaust work.

[The Dude Abides]

I like terry to mick but no money. If i ever get some bucks i will see what he says. Oh and anyone local, i have had terry do a few exhaust systems on my cars and he does do awsome work. I need someone to cut the why pipe. Reconfigure it to the other 4 studs. Then reweld it to the y pipe. Then cut the mid pipe off and put a solid pipe there. Simple but probally 100 bucks.

Edited January 31, 2010 by The Dude Abides

[GeneralDisorder]

It already had a heli-coil in it? So did that strip out?!?! Holy Cow dude!

 

Sorry for your trouble - I mean..... I would totally help you out if you were close. There's always unexpected problems that crop up but it sounds like someone has been down there messing around before you got the car. No telling what they did then.

 

Try to get some pictures and I'll think up a way out for you. I can cobble stuff together with the best of them if there's a need. Field expediency we called it in the Army. Bubble gum and bailing wire. Get me some pics so I can clearly see what you are dealing with here.

 

GD

[bheinen74]

Ben

I hope it is fixaeble.

Is the other head exhaust stiil okay?

I hope it is not both sides.

 

I have not had to deal with this, but after pulling quite a few motors, have witnessed how the head bolts are fragile.

 

Well, hopefully we can get you fixed back up somehow.

if you think it can be fixed, I am willing to drive up and give a hand, and provide tools bits etc. I hope another stud can thread them maybe pics would help. Is it all MIA in the head for the stud? chunked out? or just stripped.

 

this is the downfall of aluminum. kinda like those darn plastic fasteners, one time use only and this is not cool

Edited January 31, 2010 by bheinen74

[GeneralDisorder]

Time for a trip to the hardware store - Even a severely oversized hole *can* be fixed. If that means going to a large set-screw or hex drive plug and then drilling/tapping the set screw for the stud then so be it.

 

You may need carbide to remove the heli-coil now that it's been chewed up by a drill bit.

 

I would even consider making adaptor flanges at this point. Basically a flange that bolts to the head in the unused holes and has studs in it for the stock pipe. Some 3/8" or 1/2" plate would do the job. A band-saw and a drill press and a simple layout would produce a couple plates in an hour or so...... don't know if you know anyone with skills like that or not - better than making a one-off exhaust manifold in my opinion though.

 

GD

[Twitch de la Brat]

Don't vilify me, but I just use JB weld.

It's held great for me so far.

When I bashed my exhaust the JB held and the aluminum stripped.

I mix it a little heavy on the hardener, so that I know its nice and strong.

Just a thought...

 

Twitch

[The Dude Abides]

Ok it will be a while before i can get pics but let me explain what happened in more detail.

 

My father in law was kind enough to let me use his warehouse to work on my car. 1 definately need to find that oil and coolant leek but i digress.

 

Get the car up on the ramps and go check out the exhaust. I can see im in a pickle already because im going to need to remove the skid plate and the y pipe to get at this thing. I remove all the studs being carefull and let the y pipe hang off the bracket attached to the subframe buy the mid pipe. I move the pipe out of the way and position my drill. I drill and it stops, im like WTF so i back off and drill again. Stops, so after this now im getting wet because the snow is dripping off the underside of my car because its 60 degrees in the shop which buy the way was the only amazing thing about the whole situation. Now i had all my hand tools with me but some things i didnt have. Another thing about being in my fathers inlaws warehouse is he has a ton of tools. So im like ok im doing this wrong ill get a smaller drill bit and work my way up. Put the smaller one in and it digs in and stopps. So im like WTH. I take a look and a bit of metal is sticking out so im like, this friggin thing has been helicoiled before. So i slowly turn out whats left of the helicoil out and look at it. The previous owner did a friggin number on this thing so i drill it, and im stupid and i start drilling past the threads into the bottom of the head. I dont know how far i got but dont ask. So i start thredding, during this im bumping the y pipe out of the way. So then it slips off the hanger buy the y pipe which didnt have a bolt in it and twists off smashing the exhaust down on my face. Now i have a severly fu**ed hole and my car is still going to be loud with the busted pipe. So i take a step back and look things over. Thats when i noticed that the gasket that was on there there is only the wire mesh left and there isnt much of that left. So i have a car with a busted hole, broken exhaust and no gasket to repair it. I feel like kicking the dam thing but i dont. I fire it up and reposition it in the shop where its dry since most of the snow has stopped melting. I raid my inlaws tools. Grab Jackstands, and a few other things. I finish tapping the hole which looked like poo. I run my bolt i picked up and boy did i overestimate the size. I raid yet again my inlaws bolt supply and find the shortest 7/16 bolt i can find. Its still to long so i grab a hand full of washers, I WILL LEAVE THIS SHOP UNDER ITS OWN POWER. I have no money for replacement things so i take my wifes words of advice. She says, you can cobble it together. I position the jackstands up under the y pipe to hold it up and work on putting the one good gasket but now i cant find it. It was just there for crine out loud. 20 MINUTES latter i find it slit up under the engine where i couldnt find it Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Ok so i put my neverseze on the bolts because i know ill be doing this again. Slide it on it fights me slide it on agian and fights me. So i bodyslam the g darn thing and then it rests where it should be. Tighten up one bolt then the other size then the other size then the oversize hole with 8 washers on it. Its holding woohoo but its still hanging because i didnt position it back on the hanger buy whats left of my exhaust. I try banging pulling moving nothing nada so i unbolt the y pipe yet again re position it on the hanger then move it bolt it which takes several several several several several times. Run the bolts back up tighten them just tight enough, then fire the engine up. It runs ok and is sealed somewhat but definately worse then before. I limp it home trying to think of my next plan. Heres what im going to do. I posted something in the Wanted for someone to cut up a y pipe and send me the flanges with 4 to 5 inches of pipe. Buy the way one of my pipes has been worked on and way oversized and unreusable. Im going to use the 4 other studs that arent used and get some new gaskets and attach them to the new studs. Get over to a muffler shop and have them reattach the new pipe to the old y pipe and maybe have them weld in a pipe to replace the mid pipe. I might replace the pipe myself then ask them to weld it up to save some bucks. But then again terrys is really reasonable and dont overcharge for simple stuff.

[GeneralDisorder]

I'm almost positive I have a nice, rust free NW EA82 y-pipe in my shed. If you cover shipping I'll spin the flanges and reweld them and it's yours. I don't have any use for it anyhow.

 

GD

[The Dude Abides]

That would be great and i appreciate it but shipping would be expensive on that with the cat converter on it. Its pretty heavy isnt it. And thats the delema on which one would cost more money. Honestly this is the 1st time ive really looked at these pipes and theyve had soem exhaust trouble before in the past. Which is why i think it would be best to start with the other 4 holes and be done with it. But if you have it and your not useing it you could just hack off the pipe pieces i need and i can have them fab up something here with the stock y pipe i have.

Edited January 31, 2010 by The Dude Abides

[GeneralDisorder]

I don't think shipping would be as expensive as you think. Not as expensive as having it rewelded anyway. They are bulky but not really that heavy. I sent an EJ22 short block on a pallet to the east coast for like $86. That was heavier and had an extra charge for the pallet.

 

I guess it comes down to how rusty your's is and if you can find someone to do the flange welding cheaply. If you can then I can find some flanges - the junk yards here cut the cat out but leave the runners to the heads.

 

*edit* - did a quick check on UPS and I estimated 40 lbs for the pipe (it's probably less) - ground shipping would be about $45 it looks like.

 

GD

Edited January 31, 2010 by GeneralDisorder

[The Dude Abides]

I would think the sheer bulk of the thing would make it expensive. Its quite large.

[GeneralDisorder]

It's not that bad - you wrap the sharp bits in cardboard and ship it bare. Don't need a box. But if your's is not rusted and you can get a good deal on having the flanges done then I don't see any problem with that either - just depends on what you want.

 

GD

[The Dude Abides]

Mine isnt rusted but i think there was something wrong with this one before. The pipes look like theyve been welded on before. There are welded marks and bigger pipes so it might of been rusty at one point and was fixed. I dont know.

[The Dude Abides]

Ok update. Took it to a professional exhause shop where they fixed the problem buy turning the flanges and rewelding and bolted them back to the engine. Also fixed the rusted out resoner. Car is too quiet now but the problem is fixed. Thank you all for your help.

[Twitch de la Brat]

Good for you man!

I hope this is the last problem you have for a loooong time.

 

Twitch

[GeneralDisorder]

Glad you got it fixed - sometimes, when it's not possible to do it the "right" way with the tools you have - it's best to pay a pro. Hope it wasn't too expensive.

 

GD

[The Dude Abides]

Unfortunately twitch this is one of many problems ive had but chalk that up into the fixed category

 

And yea gd. I got both flanges turned rewelded, bolted with new gaskets, and the rusty resonator replaced with a pipe for 112 bucks. Not to bad i say.