Rusted Exhaust Bolts. How to remove?

[Nick_C78]

You won't hear me say this too often, and I do not recommend making this a habit to remove bolts. But if oem exhaust bolts give me trouble by hand(with breaker bar) I just spray it with good ol WD-40 and use an impact gun. There's always 2 options that happen when I do it this way. Option 1 is it comes right out, in which case I still throw it away and replace with new bolts. Second option is it snaps it like a twig, in which case I spray with WD again, let it soak more and break out the vice grips to remove the remaining threads and replace with new bolts.

For me it is not worth heating and removing, because I refuse to reinstall rusted hardware.

 

[TheIVJackal]

Breaker bar or a piece of pipe that will fit over the wrench/ratchet will work the best. Work Smarter Not Harder. I suggest you spray it like everyone else has said but leave it soaking overnight or as long as you can reapplying solvent as often as you'd like. You can reuse the hardware, it just holding the exhaust together so it's not as if its a vital component to your car like your steering/suspension. Good Luck!
- Aaron

 

[Mike61096]

Well I cant use a bar, because the rear end of my car is only lifted off the ground like 2 feet on jack stands. Its a tight for me under there, and I dont have the right socket. I was trying to use a 9/16 socket last night which isnt metric, so it kept slipping off. I broke out my dremel and cut half way through one of the bolts. Im going to take measurements of the bolts amd take em to home depot to get new ones

 

[TheIVJackal]

If you have a socket that is a size too big, put a piece of paper over the bolt head and then the socket over that. The paper, or even a rubber band, will fill the gap and make it work. You can also get in there with some heat form a propane torch or the like but it looks like your just gonna cut 'em off.

 

[99TegLs]

they're exhaust bolts, so try to get like a grade 10 bolt or something that will stand up to heat and corrosion. Something coated might be even better

 

[Muckman]

or stainless or aluminum

 

[TegraTiger]

rust

In a pinch you could also use used brake fluid. It's an hydraulic fluid and works better than any spray I've ever seen.

 

[AcurInteg96]

Heat and lots of it. And if you use brake fluid be sure to clean it all off. It's highly corrosive.

 

[RS01]

240K and I used PB blaster and allowed to soak for a few hours. The nuts came off the studs like butter.

Are they original? Probably not.