Hi all

I was in the process of removing my muffler, but I've found that the two lower nuts that hold the muffler to the head are completely stuck. A spanner just rounds off the corner, and no amount of hitting it with a cold chisel will move it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I think the easiest way would be just to split the nut. Can you get tools to do this? And if so would you be able to get them in such a confined space?

I'm also tossing up the idea of taking it to a muffler place because I know even after I get this nut off it's still going to be a bitch to get the muffler off of the heater boxes.

Cheers

Andrew

You could try drilling the threads and using an easy out. Then replacing the thread

You could also try grinding the nut off and re tapping the thread.


There a real bugger.

I assume you've tried wd40 or equivalent already? You can also try just heating the nut with a small blow torch then spraying wd40 or similar into the threads. The idea is that the heating expands the nut away from the thread which both loosens it and allows the wd40 to penetrate. This is the only method I have found to get the wheel nuts off my kombi!

Drilling the thread or grinding the nut off would be very tricky given where the nut is.

I have tried prodigious quantities of WD40 to no avail. Heating may be an option. I've wanted an excuse to get a blowtorch anyway . The only problem i can see is that I may have already rounded off one of the nuts beyond recovery.

Looks like I was way to optimistic about getting a new muffler on today so it'll wait for the weekend now.

WD40.... or Penetrene, let it soak then put a pair of vice grips on the rounded nut and close them TIGHTLY then take it real slow and the nut should come off..... then go out and buy some brass nuts so that this wont happen again

i have a set of metricinch spanners as they grip on the flat sides of the nut, not the corner could be worth a try. The other really easy way to get they out if to clean up the thread, put another nut on real tight and then remove the two nuts and thread as a single piece. It will make sense if you give it a go

Brass nuts? Forgive my ignorance but do they not seize? I thought the seizing was caused by the studs rusting.

I generally use stainless nuts and bolts on exhaust fittings with generous dollops of silver anti-seize. I would love to try stainless exhaust manifold studs.

LoL well to be honest, this is just from what i am told, and i havent tried it but it makes sence that only one or the 2 peices are rusting, the bond the rust forms will be easier to break...... ? yes ? no ? am u making a dickhead of myself?

cheers
adz

I dunno. I don't think it works they way you describe. Generally having different metals in contact (like steel studs and aluminium heads) causes worse corrosion. But that doesn't mean what you suggest doesn't work. I was just curious if anybody has tried it with any success

yeh, true about dissimilar metals causing corrosion, but this has been suggested ,...... has ne1 else done it?

I'll definitely be replacing all of the old nuts with new stainless steel ones and drowning the whole thing in anti-sieze.

Take it to a vee-dub shop before you do any more damage.

I don't really see the need to take it to a mechanic. Replacing the muffler can't be that difficult. One of the things I enjoy about owning this car is that so far there's been nothing wrong with it that I couldn't handle myself.

gas axe or an oxy acetylene torch mate will fix any thing. cold chisel and a hammer

Dremel tools (and cheaper versions) will -i f access is sufficient - give instan results

OTHERWISE A SMALL HARD SHARP CHISEL AND SPLIT THE NUT WORKING IT IN THE ANTICLOCKWISE DIRECTION (in other words unscrewing or splitting it -
whichever comes first
failing that bring it to me lol.