Thread: Exhaust leak
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Old 08-07-2022, 01:48 PM
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edwardc edwardc is offline
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Because of the aforementioned family situation, I've only been able to get down to the boat once about once a week, so progress has been slow. Here's a somewhat scattered update:

Got a second person to help by applying heat with the MAAP torch on the upper bolt while I simultaneously applied torque with a wrench. No joy.

I tried Dave's suggestion of alternating the impact wrench's direction fwd and backward on the lower bolt while soaking it in Kroil. Did this until the battery was exhausted. Never budged.

Using a Dremel with a 1/8" diamond bit, I carefully drilled a small hole in the flange near the upper bolt. I could feel it when the bit broke through the flange into the region between the flange and the bolt. Put copious amounts of Kroil on the hole and retried the whole gamut of wrench, hammer-tapping, and heat. No progress.

Since the first hole was pretty close to the bolt head, and the flange is wide, I tried to drill a second hole, closer to the manifold. I reasoned that this would make it easier for the Kroil to get to the manifold threads. I was careful to brace the drill well so I didn't tilt it and snap the expensive diamond bit. The hole drilled straight and true, and as soon as it broke through, it seized up and snapped the bit off below the surface! At least I had a hole through that would let the Kroil in. More wrenching, tapping, and heat, and no progress.

At this point, I returned my attention to the lower bolt, Trying the breaker bar again, with no results. The little 1/4" drive battery impact driver I had been using only has 150 lbs of torque, so I got hold of a 1/2" drive one that has 300 lbs of torque. And it appeared to work with only a half dozen impacts and then spinning free!

Alas, I quickly discovered that the bolt had sheared off about 1/2" below the head. I suspect that my previous attempts with the impact and the breaker bar had already stressed it close to the breaking point, as it broke almost immediately.

So that tears it. I'm now going to have to eventually get the manifold off to remove the broken bolt on the bench. Meanwhile, I STILL have to get the flange and the riser off. The goalposts keep getting farther away!

I got a cutting wheel on the Dremel and started cutting a slot in the flange near the upper bolt. Tried to get a cold chisel in there and hammer on it, but there was too much plumbing in the way. Since I'm now going to have to remove the manifold, I started pulling all the cooling lines and fittings, and the overtemp sensor, off the manifold to give me room to place the chisel.

So, that's where I am right now. Current plan is to cut and chisel enough bits off of the flange to free things. Stay tuned.
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1977 Pearson P-323 "Dolce Vita"
with rebuilt Atomic-4

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