Agent 7

Well I ended up replacing all my exhaust gaskets.... and what should have been a 1 hour job turned into a day and a 1/2.

It all started as I started taking it apart section by section working from the back to the front. All the old rusty bolts I cut off using the Dremel so it came apart really fast. As I got upto the collector pipe bolts they all came off fairly easy except one. So as I was loosening the last bolt it started to get tight , so I eased off, and sprayed some lube on it. So as I began to try some more... without warning "snap"! I broke the bolt and stud in one motion! F@*$! Now I don't know how many people have accually been up in this area of the bay... but there is little room to work. Anyways I resorted to heating it with a torch and trying to get it off with locking pliers... and "snap"! I break the locking pliers! Awe s*@$! So I run to the store to get a new set of vise grips, and when I get back I tried like hell to get it out... but to no avail. It's just too tight of an area to get at it. Anyways my next idea was to use a stud puller, but it wasn't going to happen cause of the angle the drill had to sit on to pull it out. So I had to resort to drilling it out. So I grab some titanium bits and go at it... all is going well until "snap" the bit breaks inside the stud! You have to be kidding me! Now I don't know if you've ever tried drilling out another titanium bit out of something... but it's damn near impossible without desroying the other bit your using. I basically had enough for the day and thought I should just relax for the rest of the night, cause at this point I was seeing red!!! So I wake up feeling refreshed I try to plan out my next method of attack. I had a few griding stone bits for the dremel and decided "what the hell" and started griding away. Slowly but surely it was starting to wear down... the only problem was it took three bits to finally get through to the other side of the stud. Then I used the drill to drill out the rest of the left over stud. The only down side to drilling out the stud was I had to use a Exhaust bolt and nut to secure back to the collector pipe. (not a big deal) So all in all it took a day and a half running back and forth to the store and taking time out to cuss, but finally it was done!

Thats the end of my rant.... I just needed to get it off my chest!

Ironmike4x4

Welcome to the machanic's worst enemy of the world, RUST.

Agent 7

yeah... thats for sure. I should say though, that the collector pipe studs weren't rusted at all..... they were just stuck worse than I've seen in awhile!

Ironmike4x4

Oh ok... thanks for making me feel stupid. Just kidding. Yeah the whole exhaust system can be a major pain. It takes so much heat and is exposed to the elements. The bolts and studs expand and contract so much causing some major problems getting them out.

Bob_98SR5

agent7,

im curious: why did you end up replacing all the exhaust gaskets and not just a select few? also after the replacement, did whatever you were trying to fix...get fixed?

bob

LOCKnGO

Next time use this stuff... I swear it works

My truck is from the Salty North and every bolt I touch is rusted. this ish works wonders.

My .02

Tiger Paw

I second the PB Blaster. I sprayed my exhaust studs and nuts with it before I replaced my exhaust gaskets and the nuts came right off. I couldn't believe my luck. I just knew I was going to break something off and end up in your state of mind
I use that stuff on everything now no matter whether it looks like it's going to be a pain or not. Makes things alot easier and better safe than sorry.

Agent 7

Well it started off as a small exhaust leak that was coming from the joint by the cat. After changing that gasket I still hear a minute leak which I found coming from the O2 sensor gasket. So since I was going to have the majority of the exhaust apart, I felt I would just do them all. Just about all the gaskets were due for replacement except for the collector pipe (go figure!). So yes after it all got button'd back up I was exhaust leak free! Now I just have to deal with the fact that these motors are notoriously loud (from what I've read anyways).....

Agent 7

I'll have to try out the PB Blaster sometime... although I used about a can of Liquid Wrench on the stud, but it didn't seem to help much. For the majority of the lower exhaust nuts and bolts they were almost completely rusted away to the point that you couldn't even get a wrench or ratchet on it! I replaced them all with grade 8 bolts and grade 8 locking nuts, so will will never have this problem again!

LOCKnGO

I hope you used Permatex Copper gasket sealer on the new gaskets? I don't care what anyone says that stuff works period.

farmerj

So how many put stuff back together with Never-Seize to not have to worry about this in the future?

Agent 7

Anti-seize will "gum up" when it gets too hot, so I wouldn't suggest putting it on exhaust bolts. Using the grade 8 bolts will prevent the problems I had... I just happend to buy the truck a little late before I could get too it in time. Also it wouldn't hurt to check them out while your doing other maintenence to your truck, so that you can catch it before it gets too bad.

farmerj

Was the original designed purpose for anit-sieze. It actually comes with the O2 sensors on GM's or at least the ones I have put in.

Agent 7

Hmmm... news to me, I've never been supplied with anit-seize with any exhaust gaskets or parts from any dealer before. Is it a specific kind of anti-seize for exhaust components? I was speaking out of personal experience anyways.....

Ironmike4x4

Are you sure about that? That's news to me and I work for GM.

farmerj

I have been using the stuff since I took auto in high school back in the 80's. Something I just keep in the tool box along with lock-tite, thread tape and RTV.

Some of the aftermarket parts houses have stuff in the parts that a dealer won't.

High temp Anti-sieze is one of those things I learned along time ago is a requirement for my own vehicles as well as returning customer vehicles.

Permatex Anti-Sieze is the one I keep in the tool box all the time.

The other place I use it all the time is on the wheel studs. I will run my torques at the high end or add a couple of pounds to it to make up for the lubricating properties of it.

farmerj

Just going from what was given to us from instructors in high school and 3 years of tech school for automotive. Guess I never guestioned them because I found it to work for the purpose.

getitdone

PB works like magic.

CynicX

I found that PB Blaster stuff to work great. I usually spray a butt load on and let it soak over night. The next day when I remove the bolt you can see how the PB Blaster worked its way down the threads to the tip of the bolt, because the entire thing will be wet.

LOCKnGO

Yeah we just started to carry the gallon jug w/ spray bottle. it is so much better having the non-aerosol..... Backsplash in the eyes is teh suck!