Tips for Removing Stock Exhaust Manifolds?

[87gtVIC]

I am looking to remove my stock manifolds and would like some tips on how to proceed. I am afraid that the manifold bolts will get stuck in the cylinder heads. Any tips to make this as easy as it possibly can?

[pantera77]

I am looking to remove my stock manifolds and would like some tips on how to proceed. I am afraid that the manifold bolts will get stuck in the cylinder heads. Any tips to make this as easy as it possibly can?

I just sprayed mine down with some PB, and went to town. Not one of mine broke. No heat or anything.

[Lincolnmania]

they come out fairly easilly......for the smog bracket nut and the dipstick tube bracket you are going to need a thin wrench that you can slip over the head of the bolt so you can get the nut free from the head of those two bolts.....soak everything in pb blaster.

[87gtVIC]

That is very good to hear! Should I have the engine warm while doing this or does it not make a difference?

And what size are the bolts?

[gadget73]

9/16" if memory serves.

Never pulled them hot before, probably doesn't make much difference. The double nuts are a pain in the ass but if you have a skinny wrench to jam in there to hold the stud its easy.

[Lincolnmania]

9/16"
warm engine may help, but not easy on the hands and fingers

[87gtVIC]

lol yeah that is true.

What will be in my way? I am guessing that the passengers side will be a pain to access? Is that true? Will any special tools make it easier on me?

[sly]

3 inch extension along with a 6 inch extension... possibly a u-joint between extensions for any stupid angle things. Other than that, just the skinny wrench already mentioned... and of course a breakover bar or impact tool for the collector nuts. I had to use the breakover bar to loosen the nuts on the driver side before the impact tool could spin them off. (electric impact tool)

hose it with PB blaster... it very much helps.

as for in the way stuff... steering shaft, cross-member may be a knuckle banger on both sides, the AC hoses. This is stuff in the way of tools... once the bolts are out, the manifolds should be able to be dropped out the bottom right where the cats were.

of course, remove the spark plugs so you don't accidentally break them and mark the wires for where they came from.

[87gtVIC]

I have a 3 foot 1/2 breaker bar, 1/2 ratchet, 3/8 ratchet, assorted sockets (both shallow and deep in 1/2 and 3/8), flex joint thingy for 3/8in, standard and metric wrench sets, pneumatic impact gun and many sizes of extensions, a torch just in case. Luckily I would be replacing the stock exhaust manifolds with headers so I could just go along and cut things with a sawzall if need be. I would love to get this done during the summer. I just need some space to work in and parts and the existing components to remove easily.

Thanks for all of the tips thus far please add anything that may make it easier.

[sly]

sounds like you got it covered then.

[85crownHPP]

My biggest hurdle was not being able to separate the cat pipes flange from the logs. Both of them broke loose at first but seized up tight after a couple cranks. I had a 18" 1/2" drive ratchet on them...
I wound up pulling the manifolds with cats/pipes still attached out from the engine compartment, lol... i had to pry the heat shields off and it sure was a tight squeeze.

[gadget73]

Long extensions help. Go in through the wheel well, its much easier. If the tire is in the way, jack the car up so it drops. Once thats clear, you can get to most of the stuff fairly easily. Getting the nuts off the downpipes sucks. If you have an oxy-aceteline setup, make the nuts red and they buzz right off with an impact gun.

[87gtVIC]

My biggest hurdle was not being able to separate the cat pipes flange from the logs. Both of them broke loose at first but seized up tight after a couple cranks. I had a 18" 1/2" drive ratchet on them...
I wound up pulling the manifolds with cats/pipes still attached out from the engine compartment, lol... i had to pry the heat shields off and it sure was a tight squeeze.

I looked at your thread earlier seeing everything attached and butchered.

Long extensions help. Go in through the wheel well, its much easier. If the tire is in the way, jack the car up so it drops. Once thats clear, you can get to most of the stuff fairly easily. Getting the nuts off the downpipes sucks. If you have an oxy-aceteline setup, make the nuts red and they buzz right off with an impact gun.

Cool. Drivers side should be no problem. The passengers side may need to do the wheel well trick as there is so much crap all over on that side of the engine. And I have a Mapp gas acetylene torch to heat things up with.

I still have the stock cats on my car at 122k and those bolts have never been touched so if I even get to do this I will have the sawzall handy as well to speed everything up.

I plan to install my stock mustang shorty headers (had 75K on them) a BBK High Flow Catted H-pipe (couple thousand on it) and new longer o2 sensors...we will see what happens.

Thanks again guys this has been very helpful. Keep suggestions coming.

[P72Ford]

If I hadn't used a hot wrench on mine, I'd have broken a few bolts. My car had 115K, and the manifolds had never been removed.

My brother and I worked at it together to get the manifold bolts loose. He heated them with the torch, then I jumped in and loosened them right up.

The collector bolts were a cunt. My brother almost burned the car down with the torch near the fuel lines. After that close call, I put the torch away and broke the collector bolts right off. Its not like I was reusing them.

Make sure you have all new bolts and hardware. Don't try assing aroiund with the old stuff.

[sly]

around 200k on my 93 vic I just changed the cats on. Rust everywhere on the logs. passenger side spun right off. Driver side had no drips from the valve cover gaskets so was even more rusted. PB blaster and the breakover bar. rounded one nut a little, but it went back on no prob with my metwrench wall-grabbers