After putting in the new motor, we can't get the exhaust tight enough on one side and it's loud as hell...... i cant get a socket or wrench on the buggers good enough to get them tighter... anyone have any tricks or suggestions?

 

Tip/Warning: Drive the car as LITLLE as possible!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

yeah i know, i need to get them tight, but what will happen to the motor if it is driven?
it wont be going over 2 miles anyways, but still

 

Both sides: 15mm DEEP socket, unless the studs/nuts have been replaced, then you need a whatever size DEEP socket.
Pass side: Lower bolt needs a LONG extension (at least 18", I think my total was 24") and the upper one needs the same length extension with a universal joint on the end, so the socket can get around the top of the pipe to reach the nut. Put a length of electrical tape around the u-joint first so it is easier to put the socket on the nut rather than having the socket flop around on you.

 

so you did both from underneath the car? i was tightening the top on form the top, i have one side tight, doing passanger side tomorrow, hopefully i can find my right sockets, cracked off my deep 15

 

Yes, I did both sides under the car. I had to because I was both adjusting the starter gap and installing the catalytic convertor at the same time, not to mention I had to drill out one of the studs anyways after it broke on me.
5/8" deep may work, don't know.
May be a little tougher depending on the size of your forearms on the passenger side.

 

5/8" wont work, i need 15mm on one and 9/16" on the top one, i should have the 9/16' tho, but if i tighten one side right down it'll pop the other side up won't it.. if teh other side isnt totally tight

 

Try to get them equal. You don't have the catalytic convertor and y-pipe hanging six inches below the body line of the car, do you? If you do, support it with a floor jack while tightening the nuts. This makes the job a lot easier as you don't have to fight as much to get the pipe in place and hold it there while everything gets snugged up.

 

they are both at the point now that they ar3e both snug, but not tight, did you put washers or anythign on too? cause it sounds way too loud.. ill get a sound clip tomorrow

 

Are you using studs or bolts? If you are using studs, there is no way that if the donuts and everything are in where they should be that the pipe don't tighten up the way it should. Bolts are another matter. The only bolt I have had luck with is in the top hole on the passenger side, and I have a nut on that one too. The other bolt I have on the pipe needs a nut on it as well, because it is too long and the hole is not drilled all the way through (the broken stud on the driver's top attachment point).
DON'T USE THE CAST IRON DONUTS! I can almost guarantee a leak with these!

 

i have studs, one nut on each of them, and the donuts are steel or somethign, they arent cast iron

 

Same thing. They are big, fat, ugly, and weigh a ton. I have the cheaper, lighter, compressible donuts on right now. If you go to the parts store, they have two part numbers. You don't want the FelPro one, and the 31550 is the same as you have now. I had to fight with them about it so I could get the right ones. The one you are looking for is a lot smaller in diameter, fits inside the manifold, and weighs less than half of what the cast iron one does, plus you know it is the right thing if you can easily scratch a piece off with your fingernail.

 

TRhe donut gasket material he's talking about is what you get w/teh 3.4 & 3800 f-bodies. What could happen if the exhaust isn't tight? It could lead to an [suspenseful music] engine fire [/suspenseful music]

 

OH NO!, haha, i just wont move the car until i have to put it on the car carrier in 10 days

 

It happened to me. Pass side wasn't fully seated, exhaust leaked out, turned the manifold orange, some items caught fire, lots of burnt vacuum lines, & the harness got toasted.

But that was just me

 

exactly how loose did you have that sucker?

you must have went a fair distance too?

 

Not loose at all, guess I just didn't tighten it sequincially enough. It was an easy fix (retightening), but just one of those things you don't expect. Cardomain down, I have some pics on it.

 

thats weird, was it very loud before you fixed it?

you can upload them here..

http://upload.apotheosis.tv/

 

I was running the open cat , so couldn't hear it. I drove to the auto hobbyshop to hang the Dynomax cat-back, & it decided to mess w/me. Couldn''t hear the leak ove rhte engine/exhaust though.

(pics on some cd somewhere, maybe later though)

 

oh, well my leak must be baaaad then , cause its way too loud, oh well , have a good look at it tomorrow

 

That can happen with ANY exhaust leak, BTW. I still have to fix the one at the back of the cat, but since it points towards the ground and has a heat shield there anyways, I guess I can leave it until I can get access to welding equipment (thats the only way to fix this leak... to weld the cat to the intermediate pipe).

BTW, exactly which kind are you running now, Project? Is there some kind of torque spec I don't know about there? I originally had those 1 lb. suckers and they leaked like heck. I still have them if I really need them, or if they are really better than the ones I have now...

 

Sounds like the tubular manifolds I have now use the same material as what you have. It has like a wire msh type material that will comform better to imperfections from teh y-pipe flange.

 

i was just trying to take OFF my t-pipe. thing is a PITA all right. bloddyd some nuckles, gave up, threw abox end wrench (aka therapy) and called my sisters boyfriends dad ('s cousins former roomates uncle) who runs a shop. he is only charging my 40$ to weld in my cat.

 

I reached all my y-pipe nuts from under the car, too. Be sure you're using the 1/2 inch drive extensions, and not the thin 3/8th inch drive extensions. The 3/8th stuff twists up... the 1/2 inch won't twist, and that means every bit of power you apply to the ratchet goes right to the nut. Use 6 point sockets!! 12 point sockets can ruin those already-rusting-away nuts. Not only are the nuts rusted to the studs, but the outside of the nuts have rusted away so far by now that they're not a true 15 mm nut anymore. If you use a 12 point socket, you may strip the nuts out.

 

Not exactly true here. I personally used el-cheapo extensions (a 6" and a 3", one of which later broke on me I twisted a bolt so hard) plus a no-name 12" plus my Craftsman 6" 3/8" drive extensions. The result? I put so much force on one of the studs I broke it off inside the driver's side manifold, and twisted the two passenger side ones out after bending them first. This goes to show that as long as you aren't using 1/4" drive extensions you should be okay.

 

Try that next time with a 1/2 inch drive extension. You won't spend as much time fighting them. The thin 3/8th stuff does twist up!

When I dropped my trans out, all I had was that 3/8th extension. I spent hours on the bolts and only broke 2 free. I thought Lee Myles put them on there with 3000 ft/lbs of torque. Next morning, dad gave me a ride to Sears, and I bought a long 1/2 inch drive extension. It took me no time at all to bust the other 6 bolts free.

Plus, case in point with the "bending" of the studs- you were inducing a side load on the fastener.

To see all this, next time you use a long extension that's 3/8th drive and fight a stuck bolt, watch the ratchet. As you put force on it, the ratchet will move, but the bolt won't. When you let up on the ratchet, it will go back to it's original position. A 1/2inch drive extension won't let that happen- if the bolt doesn't move, the ratchet won't move.

Of course I'm not saying you can't do this with a 3/8th drive extension, since that was all I used to have, but the 1/2 inch stuff is sure less frustrating for me.

 

Yep, you gotta have good tools. Sears has sets on sale all the time. $1-150 dollars well spent. Its nice to have more then you need also by picking up used sets at fle markets or the pawn shop. a local pawn shop can be a good place. Ive seen $1500 stack sets go for $3-500

 

I couldn't even figure out what part of the exhaust we were talking about until Maverick H1L mentioned the donut. I've now done both manifolds with new studs for the Y-pipe. The HELP brand sells a set of 3 (don't ask me why 3) studs with brass nuts and lock washers. I used these and some anti-seize and after 2-3 years the nuts still came off easy enough. Although the original stud busted off and I needed a bench vice to grip and a lot of lube to crank it out.

 

CJ, they do?? Do you still have the package? What's the part number?? I thought I'd have to try to find studs "somehow", but if Help sells a package with the correct threads, that's great!! I'll buy a few!

 

It was either help or motormite #03112... had to pull out the receipt to find the number.

edit: oh yeah, if anyone does use these, a great way to install the stud (even with the manifold still on the car) is to put two nuts on and counter-tighten them (loosen the bottom one and tighten the top one) so that you can tighten it into the manifold, then counter-loosen them and install the Y-pipe.

 

I'm glad someone could find them in 3-packs. I was conned into buying two single packs...

 

Mav, got the part # for the single packs?

Thanks CJ! Now I can fix those manifolds I've got in the basement!! (And I also don't have to be worried about ever removing that Y-pipe again!)

 

Nope, sorry. I threw out the packages and can't find the receipts. I do know they were bought at Advance Auto though...