Swapping out the exhaust on my car later this week as it's leaking from a couple of places and my MOT is due.

The bits I've looked at are pretty rusty - as you'd expect, given that it's leaking - to the point that the nuts and bolts holding it all together are no longer identifiable.

I've not seen the ends of the manifolds though.

Is it common for those to be too rusty to separate properly and re-use? I'm a bit concerned about getting it apart and finding the flanges on the manifolds crumbling away :(

Quite often they will unthread from the downpipes on the manifold - best thing to do is buy some new studs and M10 nuts just in case. Of the two exhaust removal/replacements I've done, the first needed a couple of studs, the second required all six to be replaced.

They may also break off, which becomes a pain in the arse.

Ok, so the manifold and cat pipes join together using studs embedded in the manifold and nuts? I was hoping it would be a simple bolt going through both flanges.

Thanks for that, I'll get some studs ready just in case!

Yes, the studs thread into the manifolds.

I'd suggest the usual soaking in plusgas etc before attempting to undo them. Hopefully they will just unthread and the whole lot will come out of the manifold for shiny new ones to thread in.

I'll start soaking them a couple of days before I do the work.

Is supporting the gearbox and removing the chassis cross member an essential part of the process is RAVE going a bit overboard?

RutlandRover wrote:

I'll start soaking them a couple of days before I do the work.

Is supporting the gearbox and removing the chassis cross member an essential part of the process is RAVE going a bit overboard?
Unfortunately not.

I replaced my fronts (did mid and rear before) with stainless and sport cats. Despite the fact they came in two halves, the X-member still needs to be dropped.

I borrowed a ramp at my local tyre place, cost me two quid plus the same again for a guy to hold the heavy bits!

One good thing, everything came apart with no issue.

Sorry, this probably isn't helping! :-)

The hardest thing is cracking the bolts on the gearbox crossmember, I think the hulk did mine up,, as said , studs will most probably come out as well with nuts attached at manifold end, if it wasn’t for the crossmember in the way, would be an easy job..

RutlandRover wrote:

Is supporting the gearbox and removing the chassis cross member an essential part of the process is RAVE going a bit overboard?

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You might be able to wibble it in around the x member if you've got a 2/4 post or something. I've only ever done one (not on a lift) and had to drop x member for that

GeorgeB wrote:

Sorry, this probably isn't helping! :-)

it's not so bad, I'll be in a workshop with it up on a lift and with access to some very large air guns if anything wants to be stubborn :P

I'm asking so I can be prepared and not find myself caught out/stuck and missing parts I need.

I've never taken the crossmember off, it just needs a bit of wiggling, should be no problem with it up on a lift. For the nuts on the manifold studs, you might need Irwin extractors (https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/5-piece-bolt-grip-set-expansion-set/) as the nuts corrode so no longer have a decent hex on them for a socket.

Just ordered a set from Amazon.

I think I'll replace any studs that come out with bolts - those are readily available cheaply through my parts guys.

I use griptite now to get rounded / worn bolts off, I’ve still got a set of Irwin but if you get a dodgy head bolt, there to big,, the griptite are expensive, but they’ve earnt there money back many times over, they do 3/8 and 1/2.
Actually saw a set in B&Q, obviously not griptite make, were reasonably priced as well.
Not found a bolt yet they don’t grip 👍

According to the Grip-Tite website B&Q actually are the UK distributors for them. So the ones you saw could have been genuine. Something to look for next time I'm in Tunbridge Wells. I have an unused set of Irwins but "cam to grab" sounds a better way of doing things than "sharp to dig in".

Don't appear on B&Q website tho'.

Clive

The ones I saw in there weren’t Chicago brand griptite, more performance pro I think,,, but looked exactly the same in design,,

Bah! Started off on the wrong foot assuming the nuts on the studs would be metric. Started rounding the damn things with a 15mm. 14mm wouldn't go on. Turns out they were 9/16 or something equally daft. Then two studs snapped. Managed to get one out by welding a nut to it but the other is stuck fast. Even cut a slot in the side of the manifold flange to release the thread but it's going nowhere. The stub is too short to get an extractor on.

Had to call it a day as they were closing the workshop and tackle it again on Monday.

RutlandRover wrote:

Bah! Started off on the wrong foot assuming the nuts on the studs would be metric.

Remember, body; fancy, poncy, electronic and metric. Chassis and engine; pure LAND ROVER and a right mish-mash! :-)

I was lucky. I've got Imperial sockets which have travelled around Asia with me, but couldn't buy spanners to save my life, only metric. Then I got offered a load of tools that a guy was getting rid of, only to find that the whole lot was Imperial. Snap-on, Craftsman and Proto stuff as well, as a bonus!

Think I’ve still got a few ( manifolds) in the garage if you get stuck. I’d be tempted to drill it out, the fact you’ve cut the side means that stud will have to be welded in.. I’m betting it was rh manifold, the stud furthest right,, or at least that’s the bugger I’ve had grief with before,,

All sorted now. It was the driver's side manifold, stud nearest the gearbox.

Drilled it out this morning.Got all the way up to a 9mm drill bit before anything started giving. Knocked out the last mm or so with a screwdriver and a hammer. I reckon I did a pretty good job - drilled centrally enough that the threads were still useable :)

Last one I had wouldn’t undo or do up, just spun, had to weld a new stud in, or get helicoil put in, as the mig was handy you can guess what option it got,,