[cak387]

Well, I started my header install today and everything is off except the cat-back bolts! I have tried an impact, pb blaster, oxy-acetylene torch, pretty much everything I can get my hands on. They are not even budging!!! What could I do? I thought about cutting them with my sawzall and just buying new ones but didn't know what the MM gurus had on mind???

[me6894]

Oxy acetalene torch should do the trick, how are you heating it? Make sure you're heating the flange and not the bolt itself. Heat the flange until it is glowing red, have someone hold the torch while you get an impact on it quick and it should zap off like butter. If your compressor or impact aren't strong enough just get a breaker bar on it.

Don't try to take it off without heat or it will sanp, trust me. Then you have a new problem.

If worst comes to worst you can cut the ends off drill it through and use a new bolt and nut and washers.

[cak387]

I was heating it all around the flange and the back of the bolt and the front of the bolt. I will just have to leave it on longer. So far that is the only thing I have left to take off.

[3800power]

Heat the entire thing. People seem to think, oh heat everything around it because that will cause it to expand, sure that is true to some extent, but that is not the best way possible. Heat the bolt and the flange, and since they will expand, it will break the rust holding there. Put some penetration oil on it, hit it with an impact for a sec to try and get some of that oil into the threads, and let it sit. Later on heat the sh*t out of it, and hit it with the impact again, the bolts should come out. I had to impact my gas tank bolts for a good 15 minutes total before they broke free, so be patient.

[me6894]

Don't heat the bolt. Heat the flange around it, just make sure you get everywhere around it. Trust me, the bolt will get hot enough on its own.

[cak387]

I will try again tomorrow. I know I probably didn't give it enough time to heat up good. I didn't get to work on it as long as I wanted today but I did get everything out (except for those 2 bolts) so hopefully after work tomorrow, I will finish it up.

[3800power]

If I were you, I would spray some penetrating oil on the bolts right now, so they sit overnight like that. Then again, what do I know.

[killaz1337]

I've heated the nuts til they glow red, then zapped them off with a gun. That has worked for me a couple times in the past.

Chris,