Old Mechanic Trick To Removing Rusty Exhaust Manifold Bolts!

An older mechanic taught me this trick to removing rusty exhaust manifold bolts after watching me snap off a couple. Man I wishI wouldve known this sooner!
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[@StephenCox.]

For those of you that have been following me for awhile I'm sure you might have seen this video before. I wanted to see if it generated any views again so I hope yall are patient

[@Keifsanderson]

I'm re-watching. All my exhaust nuts/studs just came off my 454 cleanly so I didn't need this, but it's a tool I want to keep in my pocket. P.S. How's Chuck? Looking around nowadays, I think he got an unfair shake.

[@bigredgreg1]

I’m re-watching too. 👍

[@jackedwards7420]

I'm re-watching as well, good content is good content, we all need a refresher from time to time! Slow is smooth and smooth is fast!!

[@Justin-bb2hj]

I’ll re-watch lol but fr make that money man you posting a video isn’t costing your subs anything.

[@mikespain8655]

Yep, already seen it.

[@coastalcruiser4317]

Here's an old Aircraft Mechanic's trick shared with me to loosen rusted in bolts. Go to a local pharmacy and you'll probably have to order it, but order Oil of Wintergreen. It comes in 2 sizes and it's a bit pricey. Put that on your rusted in bolts once or twice, let it sit for a while and try loosening the bolts. I bought some to change wheel lugvnuts on a boat trailer near a beach shore buried in a sand dune. I waited about 20 or 30 minutes and the nuts came off like butter. Oil of Wintergreen is acidic and eats away the rust and it smells awesome. I bought a 4oz jar I think it was and I still have some left after about 40yrs.

[@jerseyshoredroneservices225]

Back when I raced slot cars, oil of wintergreen was one of the key ingredients in the tire prep solution that we made 😊

[@Slithey7433]

$6 on Amazon

[@DonutVIP]

This I need, damn rust belt

[@wmjohnson7063]

How about some Mouse Milk

[@coastalcruiser4317]

@@jerseyshoredroneservices225 Cool. Never heard that.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

Sometimes I find it helpful to hit the bolt head with a large drift and big hammer as well, to break the galvanic bond.

[@BarretKruse]

And it just makes you feel better!

[@ccjohncc1]

I completely concur!

[@Raggzzaug11]

I was thinking maybe an air chisel with a blunt end for more vibration after heat ,penetrating fluid, and crossing my fingers while using this method. HATE broken bolts!

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

@@Raggzzaug11 Most air chisels really don't have the impact of say, a 2lb mallet but you've got the idea.

[@MrSychnant]

First thing to do every time, needs it or not !

[@jerryclark5725]

When I removed exhaust manifolds on now vintage automobiles, I would always begin with a warmed engine. This provided much success.

[@hallowedbethygame2840]

Stephen - small suggestion, I’m no professional mechanic but I was taught by a machinist not to use a threading tap for thread repair. Any damaged or misaligned threads will be cut away and removed, leaving a weaker thread behind. Thread chasers or thread repair taps work to realign and straighten any damaged threads. Lang makes the sets for the tool trucks but you can buy it directly from them for less. Lang 971 is the parts number.

[@carlspooner3186]

You just cut 2 slots along the length of a bolt for those who want to save money

[@josephlangs8781]

This is a great point. I learned that the hard way.

[@robertjennings397]

Use to know that in oil field, twist pipe fittings on first.

[@bobtiley]

100% Correct

[@bradleyscofarm6151]

You’re right man don’t use a tap!

[@richiethesee]

My dad was a Tool & Die Maker/Master Machinist ... and I helped and watched him fix anything and everything to do with nuts and bolts and everything... This was like watching and learning from him. He was always careful to loosen and tighten in a pattern- as soon as you tightened that first bolt back I was yep- he doesn't;t want the whole thing to torque and put uneven pressure on the rest he won't be able to defeat." Dad may have not attacked them in straight succession- but would skip around- putting back together very evenly. but your tightening back is exactly the same effect. Kudos - I have subscribed.

[@markchodroff250]

Your 100% right ! I was a mechanic on industrial machines, forklifts , skid loaders and so on , for over 50+ years I seen bolts and studs brake all over ! The best advice is what you show , slow and steady , use the right tool and penetrating fluid , the biggest problem is people use the bolts again! When doing cyl heads with studs we always use new hardware , try to get off a old flathead with studs ? LOL the young people have no patience but slow and steady is always better then half a day drilling out bolts or welding nuts to remove them , a mechanic’s nightmare LOL. Thank you your the best !

[@subbernh5192]

When your old, slow n easy is always the best.

[@stephenduncan4715]

I’ve worked on a lot of tractor exhaust systems. Sometimes they have a big thick washer behind the head of the bolt. If you can take a cutting torch and carefully cut part of the washer out and then punch it out with a chisel it will free up that bolt and take pressure off of it. Then take a jackhammer and hammer on it for a bit to help vibrate the rust out, and it greatly helps relieve the tension on the bolt.

[@pyrogon7566]

>The young people have not patience No, It's the old service writers rushing us and breathing down our backs threatening our jobs twice a week that have trained us to have no patience. Slow and steady = less cars = less money = smaller bonus for management.

[@choppergirl]

Sometimes you can't get new cylinder head bolts. Yeah they're stretched out, but oh well.

[@KendrasEdge757]

Annnnnd here’s a man that’s snapped a lot of exhaust manifold bolts/studs and isn’t gonna do it again!! Excellent job my friend!! God bless~

[@JohnMattauch-sr1hn]

I’ve been a mechanic for years and years. Never never seen a better how to video. Perfect manifold to use for demonstration purposes. Wish I had saw this video 30 years ago. Thank you, Jm.

[@Turco949]

But, there was no YT 30 years ago! Heck, 30 years ago, the Internet we know today didn't even exist. Also, 30 years ago, this guy was probably a young teen. =)

[@MFE92]

Old mechanic guidance says tight fasteners are easier to break loose by *tightening* them first. You'll be amazed.

[@jamescouture183]

So contrary to logic, yet completely true! Can confirm.

[@JimGarver-tx8rj]

The same method works on pipe fittings that won't move. Tighten then loosen. Heat and bees wax also helps.

[@alan6832]

Impact shock tends to crush and loosen rust inside threads and sleeves. Impact wrenches on lower settings or pressures do this some, but just hammering on stuff short of damaging it does a great deal. avoid mushrooming out the bolt head, but if you do you can either grind or file it back down until the socket fits or use the next bigger 6 point socket, usually of the opposite system. Using a few hammer blows to crack the rust also helps it allow the oil to penetrate better.

[@BlackheartCharlie]

Thank you for teaching me something new! I've been wrenching on motors for almost half a century and never was taught to put the bolt back in and keep the manifold flat. Now that you explain it, it seems so obvious! Liked and subscribed! ("Long live the algorithm.")

[@snickpickle]

My somewhat alternate method (and I'm not a real mechanic, but will work on some smaller stuff not necessarily related to motors) is to, once I can get the bolts to loosen, tighten them up, but not all that hard, and start at opposite ends (or from the center), trying to keep a somewhat even torque throughout, to ensure that the part loosens evenly. But I most certainly (for heavier gear like this) prefer your method. Much more straightforward, and takes away a lot of guesswork re: torque.

[@noelcoyle1594]

I worked as a panel beater for 26 years and I often was ask by the the foreman of the macanic shop to help with removal of a cylinder head stud which had a rusted head I would pick up my air chisel and would have that stud out in two shakes of a lamb tail. coylenoel212@@snickpickle

[@1pcfred]

If you think about it each fastener is taking some of the tension so as you take fasteners out what's left all have more tension on them then. The ones out aren't taking the tension they had on them anymore. So it's left up to the ones that are left. So they keep getting tighter. That's why the last one seems like it's always the hardest. It is.

[@BlitzAlaska]

Finally, a mechanic video that knows how to set up a good closeup with good lighting. Excellent video sir.

[@KrisKasprzak]

Tighten the bolts back down to keep the part from warping and putting added tension on the others… Genius

[@johnhubbard6262]

Watched it before - Watched it again, love it. Old Plumbers trick though, a torch heats best just past the feather, when you put the flame directly on the piece you loose 30 percent or more of potential applied heat.

[@1dash133]

Yeah, I noticed that, too. Thought maybe he did it intentionally to reduce or to spread out the flame's heat.

[@mattjacomos2795]

I wanted to say this too...@@1dash133

[@fertysurfer]

Me too. Not many people seem to realise this fact. I was going to mention it. Comes from years of experience in using a gas axe and CNC gas cutter.

[@Mr2greys]

Learned that in 10th grade chemistry

[@Geoduck.]

This is gold. I'm an old retired machinist and car guy. Stephen is spot on dealing with rusted exhaust manifold bolts or other rusted bolts.

[@PaulThomas-qo9vy]

Great advice. My advice to add: vibrate the bolt or nut with an air regulated air hammer After spray & soaking with penetrant. Use low pressure/light impacts to prevent any bolt or nut damage. The vibrations help the penetrant soak in better/ deeper and break up solid rust chunks! I experimented with several anti-seize lubes over several weeks on a lab test engine DPF that was removed & weighed several times per shift, while very hot, to measure soot accumulation. Anyways the bolts would seize & I switched to stainless 5/16" bolts & those long coupling nuts which spread the clamp loads over more threads. That helped but would still seize quicker than I wanted, even with Permatex silver anti-seize. I finally had long term success with Bostic brand NEVER-SEEZ High Temp Stainless formula. It's super-fine powder stays in place & although the carrier grease lubricant burns away, especially on turbo manifold/turbine inlet studs, the dry powder acts as a sponge, wicking the spray penetrants deeper into the threads & prevents solid chunk rust formation. Once I incorporated Bostic Never-Seez, spray penetrant, light vibration from air hammer, & Then slight loosen, then slight retighten like you demonstrated Stephen, I almost never broke another turbo manifold bolt or turbine inducer stud on the LHU 2.0L GM EcoTec test engines again. I probably removed/reinstalled or replaced a turbo almost 100 times for the several year duration of various tests & taught several junior technicians my tricks so they wouldn't waste time breaking bolts. I despised seeing an untrained & arrogant tech from another building come over to "help out" when we were understaffed. They'd wave away our advice with "it's not my first rodeo" smart-elick comment! Soon I would get a $300 cast stainless turbo manifold with 3 or 4 broken studs to fix in my "spare" time & a request to take one of my new spare manifolds (they eventually warped from extreme testing at nearly 950°C) 👹🤬! Hope this helps someone. Blessing Stephen! Paul from S. Central Tx..

[@amerlin388]

I could also see using a palm nailer if the space is tight,

[@Flash1857]

Would include them fixing the bolts they broke in the next couple of shifts

[@danfitzsimon9802]

Dang! Pretty expensive stuff. Bostik even sells a "nuclear" version. Guess I'll try to find it local as shipping is 80% of the item.

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@danfitzsimon9802 Could STILL be worth it!

[@m16ty]

Yes, any kind of vibration helps loosen things up. You can even use a impact wrench very cautiously, but you really have to know what you are doing and be very familiar with the particular impact wrench you are using. You loose a lot of the "feel" with a impact wrench and there is a fine line between using enough power to do some good and just snapping the bolt off faster.

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

Very well explained, and very well videoed. One tip, instead of the ratchet wrench, use a breaker-wrench. Not so much fiddling around with the direction selector. Quicker and easier. Just wiggle it back and forth.

[@hallowedbethygame2840]

Yup, I was about to comment the same! Wiggle it back and forth, much easier than with a ratchet. Great video Stephen, thanks for sharing!

[@mits_6131]

I know that I'll never find myself taking out rusted exhaust manifold bolts. But, I find myself watching with intense interest on how to work with similar situations. Thank you.

[@1dash133]

Thought my days of working under the hood were long gone, too ... then I bought a kei truck!

[@1pcfred]

Seized hardware is all a lot alike. But exhaust hardware can be especially bad.

[@petemiller519]

Good advice on not removing the bolts until they're all lose. Had I known that, that would have saved me weeks of screwing around and busting my knuckles on a Ford V-10. Cheers from Canada.

[@1notgilty]

I'm glad you said to NOT reuse the old, rusted bolts. A lot of guys try to save a few bucks and reuse the old bolts. They are MUCH more likely to break and then you're in a world of crap. Your tip about re-tightening the bolts as you move down the line is also great advice. It prevents added pressure from transferring to the remaining bolts and making them more likely to snap. You just saved YEARS of hard work and lots of busted knuckles and swearing from mechanics all over the world. Thanks for your useful tips!

[@DrHarryT]

After putting the penetrating oil on the bolts, tap the system with a brass hammer. The vibration causes the oil to penetrate. Yes use a 6 point socket on crusty bolts, metal has flaked away over time from the heat. If it's a 9/16 head, you can use a 14mm socket for a better grip.

[@ivanvarela3215]

Ah perfect, alrighty!

[@davesrvchannel4717]

I take a hammer and tap on the head of the bolt first. The vibration loosens the rust. Then I spray lubricant, but I never get any on bolt head. Spraying bolt head makes it easy for socket to round off head, therefore I refrain from spraying it. Then I do exactly what you did. Great video

[@LifeInJambles]

Lubrication on the head might make some small difference once the bolt is already rounding off, but if the flats are mostly intact, then the whole point of wrench flats is that you're not working with friction in the first place. If you're trying to use friction to turn a stuck bolt, you've already lost this battle. It's really not likely to make any meaningful difference, and getting penetrating oil under the flange is pretty likely to make a significant difference, if you can get it to actually go in there. I do think some people overestimate a penetrating oil's ability to penetrate clamped-together surfaces, but either way penetrating oil being present at the flange is more likely to make a difference than penetrating oil being absent at the wrench flats.

[@awackocrank]

You can remove lubricant from a bolt head. Brake cleaner, clean rag, repeat.

[@DevilbyMoonlight]

A wax candle can be a life saver sometimes especially if the bolt is still in a vehicle thats awkward to reach -its a very very old school trick from the last century - heat the bolt push the candle on it, go have a coffee while you wait for it to cool down and the candle wax settle in the threads, the magic happens when you heat it up again for the second time....

[@1pcfred]

Wax has been disproven time and time again. But believe whatever you want to believe.

[@SamslamminCars]

Finessing the bolts, an extremely underated & necessary process that involves patience. I grew up in the Midwest & do not miss doing this to literally every vehicle, now living in the south.

[@AaronHendu]

Come to a Canada where rust means a 13mm is rarely a 13mm til you flake all the rust off of it...and now it is a 12mm that you need to hammer the socket onto. Luckily, I was a mechanic for only a few years and only had to call the machine shop once for a broken bolt. Ford Focus EGR bolt. Machine shop removed it no prob, but it cost us almoat $400 for an on site call. Ford manifold studs often came in pre broken...that was a pretty common job replacing them. Heat is the kwy to removing bolts, but you cannot really heat up the head glowing orange...ya know? Lol. And you dont heat the bolt, you heat the nut or metal surrounding the threaded hole. Not easy with a manifold in the way anyway. It is why i can remove exhaust nuts that are basically just a ball of rust...cause exhaust parts can get hot.

[@SaltMinerOU812]

Finessing them damn wheel speed sensors out of the calipers same thing. Not a bolt i know but same, out a schoch, in again, lube. Haven't broken one yet

[@1pcfred]

I always say, it didn't get stuck overnight so it's not going to free up instantly either.

[@hudsonhollow]

I've been a professional mechanic since 1969 and I know very well that I can still learn. Every mechanic knows something he learned the hard way. Your advice is spot on. I did learn something. I have never tried Knocker Loose so I just ordered a can from Amazon to see how it stacks up. I worked in Honda dealerships for most of my life and when we went to Honda updates and technical schools, I usually learned more from the other techs than I did from the Honda instructor. We are out there fighting with this stuff and they are not. Tearing a Jeep engine down, I learned a trick on KZbin from a guy in Australia that saved me a ton of time and Jeep would have never recommended the procedure.

[@robobloxgamer524]

Agree. I've heard that referred to as "Tribal Knowledge".

[@SaltMinerOU812]

I'm a diehard PB Blaster guy

[@1pcfred]

You break some bolts and have to extract them and you learn to be more careful then. Either that or you're just a glutton for punishment.

[@bkell1011]

You made so many good, common sense points in this video, (ex: the remaining bolts getting wedged by the weight of the dangling manifold); well done!

[@charlessmarr7107]

Supporting the tool is essential. I have seen people break a lot of bolts, especially when using extensions, because they bend the bolt or break off the head by just using the end of the ratchet handle.

[@mattgraham4340]

If you have room, using a T handle will minimize unintentional force vectors

[@snickpickle]

This *totally* makes sense! And don't ask me how I know about this... 😀

[@mickhardin15]

Tightening the stuck bolt at the start sometimes breaks them loose, this is from experience.

[@davemachoukas6175]

I always "shock" the bolt. I believe it helps 😊

[@TheFredmac]

Bolts have to pay income tax?

[@MK-dy8wm]

Yes, I remember this video, and yes, it helped me in my mechanical doings in the shop. Good advice never gets old. Thanks. 👍

[@StephenCox.]

Thank you!

[@ginog5037]

Finally, someone on the ball doing it the way I was taught. Just start in the middle and hit the bolts with a socket/hammer.

[@greghuff3316]

Glad to see you used the exact methodology I was taught by top notch mechanics. I was a plant engineer but I got my hands dirty daily. One key point that people need to really emphasize is to torque every bolt back until all bolts are broken loose. This applies to any two parts that have machined mating surfaces whether it’s a car or process machinery etc. Of course reassembly should be done in increments to prevent uneven bolt loading and potential surface warping.

[@SohailMahboob-US]

Thanks for teaching us the technique but more importantly your purpose to help others is highly appreciated. Blessings from Maryland

[@fromshit3359]

Exactly how to get it done I'm over 50 year's mechanic everyone brings me broken bolt's in aluminum to remove sometimes they drilled into the bolt and broke off a easy out then it makes it More difficult for me but I always fix the problem. Excellent video for people to watch great job 👍

[@m16ty]

Those EZ-outs hardly ever work. By their design they swell what is left of the bolt when you are trying to remove it, making the bolt stuck that much tighter. I have used them with limited success, and it's worth trying sometimes, but know not to break it off in the hole. However hard it is to get the bolt out, you just complicated it many times over by breaking a EZ-out off in broken bolt or a tap in a hole.

[@paultrevett1287]

EZ outs useless crapola cause more problems than they solve! here in the UK we have a saying"slow and steady wins the race" as an old school mechanic I'm not as fast on the laptop as the younger guys but when something is seized or threads stripped I'm the go to guy!

[@daleslover2771]

On those monster muthers ive been using a trick that i pick up from my grand pa, that is using a tourch to heat around the surface area, alway circling the area away from the bolt, then takeing a ice cube then applied it on the bolt head keeping it there for 30 sec, then break the tension on the bolt with a 6 pt socket... this works great on the principal of expansion and contraction... ferm believer in Acetone, Synthetic ATF. haven't broken one bolt on my 60 F100 so far... excellent video by the way.

[@NewMoahk]

I really appreciate and respect what you do. I saw you post this tip years ago and it has kept me out of trouble! One of the best things anyone has ever taught me.

[@douglastaylor6480]

Steven , thanks so much for this video. I have a 8.3 cummins that needs exhaust manifold gaskets and I've been dreading it for a while . I'm feeling better about it now .Great Job , keep it up !

[@jeffreykropp7664]

During my clumsy mechanical experiences with old vehicles, seems there is always one bolt of a series that resists all techniques for removal. Many years ago I was unscrewing huge lug nuts on old truck rear wheel with left hand threads. One nut resisted until I broke the wrench (equipped with long pipe extension). Old neighbor guy had been watching and suggested trying turning nut the other way. Yes, one of the left hand wheel lugs had been replaced with right hand. After cleaning up the nut, small “R” was visible.

[@mustangmadness2619]

Thanks for showing that , I have been using that trick since the 70 's and telling people about it. most want to keep going in one direction ... wrong!

[@thepoopsoup]

Spray them down and use a 3/8 impact on its lowest setting put a zip tie on the trigger and let it chug the hammering will remove it in a few minutes.

[@johncraig406]

thank you, have seen this before with other mechanics, and yes, when they got in a hurry, it took them 12 hours to drill out that one bolt, "they didn't have time to loosen properly"

[@LisaJohnson1967]

Fantastic video, the info is gold, and the delivery was on point. Not too fast, not wordy, not too slow. Just right! 👌 My only suggestion is...if you have a choice, always do this work in warm/hot weather like he did; it's better to drip sweat and be able to have patience, than to be freezing where all you can think about is how miserable you are, how much cold metal punishes cold hands, and the ecstasy that getting warm again will be! Your brain won't be working right, and you'll forget something, break something, drop something, and lose something...besides your temper. Don't do major work in a freezing environment if you can help it! Thank you for this vid!! 😃👍 Stay safe & God bless!

[@al_boehm]

Love PB Blaster and if I know it's a weekend project, I'll go ahead and spray whatever bolts on Friday and let it sit overnight and start wrenching on Saturday !

[@papafrank7094]

Fantastic explanation on how to do this correctly. I hope everyone who sees this takes advantage of this video. Trust this man's explanation. It's useful in many situations.

[@clintprice2123]

I actually did remember to tighten and loosen in a pattern. It shows we can retain things we learn even though this was from years back.

[@jeremyzenkar8996]

I don't know why but it is so satisfying to watch the bolts break loose.

[@harveyedwards3725]

We have seen these videos before, BUT it never hurts to watch someone sharing their known knowledge and experience.Thanks for sharing👍

[@chadouellette790]

I learned that trick from my time overhauling nuclear submarines in the navy. The old timers taught me bunch of tricks like this.

[@robinj.9329]

I once bought a used car. After driving it for a week, I got around to buying new tires. Three of the five lug nuts had been broken off on both front wheels! And I'd been driving around like that for over a week, sometimes at freeway speeds! Ever since, I insist on pulling the hub caps and inspecting the lug nuts on every car I own!

[@sheldonbailey3]

I thank you for these tips, saved my bacon last summer on a super rusted lawnmower pully bolt. THANKS!

[@clutteredchicagogarage2720]

I used to work as a mechanic, and I've taken apart thousands upon thousands of rusted bolts. All of your tips are good tips. The only thing that I'd add is that when I encounter a truly rusty bolt, I clean all exposed areas with a wire brush before and after spraying it down with a penetrating rust solvent (I used to use PB Blaster). For example, at 3:05, you have some exposed rusted threads on the bolt beyond the threads that go into the cylinder head. I'd clean all the surface rust off those threads. On a rusty bolt, the surface rust creates a bond between the bolt and the tapped part (could be a nut in other places). If you wire brush the surface rust off, you can expose a little bit more of a gap in between the bold and the tapped threads, and that allows your penetrating rust solvent to penetrate more into the tapped part via capillary action. Removing surface rust in that case will also reduce the amount of corroded material that has to pass through the flange on the manifold. Look at 8:30. If you cleaned all the surface corrosion off the exposed threads as you're loosening the bolt, that will bring less debris into the hole in the manifold flange, which will reduce the chance that the bolt might get caught as it's coming out through the manifold flange hole. You can see a lot of rust in there as you're pulling the bolt out. I might suck some of that out with a shop vac or just blow it out with compressed air as I loosen the bolt if all the built-up rust causes a lot of friction as it's coming out. I'd also wire brush where the bolt head engages with the manifold so penetrating solvent wicks into that seam more to lubricate the seam and break down some of the rust better. I use regular toothbrush-sized hand-held wire brushes for this, and I often also use a rotary tool (like a dremel) with a tiny wire brush attachment. Rotary tools are awesome for this. The one I'd use for this would be the super-cheap 4V ryobi (I think it costs like $40) because it's very small and fits in tight spaces. I have a bigger and more-powerful 12V milwaukee rotary tool that I'd use if it can fit, but you don't need a particularly powerful rotary tool to clean rust out of bolt threads with a wire brush. So my steps would be: 1) Use a manual wire brush + also wire wheel attachment on a rotary tool to loosen and remove surface rust 2) Use a shop vac or compressed air to remove rust dust 3) spray it down with a penetrating rust solvent 4) possibly clean some more with wire brushes 5) spray it some more (and repeat cleaning + spraying) 6) tap with a hammer a little bit to break bonds and vibrate loose 7) See if I can just loosen with a breaker bar + 6-point socket -- very carefully 8) If it doesn't come loose easily then heat it rather than forcing it (as you did) 9) spray it some more and try to loosen it again. Repeat spraying + heating + loosening as-needed That should do it unless the bolt is rusted through to the core. I agree with your suggestion to work the bolt back and forth a bit and also your suggestion to to retighten bolts until all of them are loosened to avoid uneven stress on the bolts as you're loosening them.

[@Ratkill9000]

I have no idea how many I've had to do, maybe a dozen or so exhaust manifolds on 5.7L Hemi 1500s. Bolts break, manifold warps, gets new everything. Now instead of snapping bolts, they have manifolds that crack nearly all the way through. On the up side with aluminum heads and steel bolts, they are kind of easy to remove vs steel in cast iron. But this is a very helpful tip!

[@gordbaker896]

Been there. Had to heat and drill. Then square type ezee out.

[@i24uforever]

As a shade tree mechanic I bought the workshop manual for my 1970 Honda 750 K2. I tore it all apart put new clutch plates, pistons, valves, shaved the head the whole nine yards. While putting it back together I failed to stuff a rag underneath the cam chain master link and yes I dropped it. I naught a new gasket set and went through it all again with the rag. Several years after that I thought I could have tried to fish the retainer clip out with a magnet. My bad. But at least now I’m not afraid to work on any engine. God Bless.

[@peterbenson3776]

Certainly makes perfect sense. Patience! Ive had a few bolts stuck that I heated with a little torch and rather than twist it off i waited for the heated bolt to shink and crackle then it comes right out

[@alabamamotionpictureproduc6626]

Steve, I watched these same tricks on the other video you had I think it was on your Cummins exhaust manifold. I used this same technique on my 2008 Honda Civic R18A1 serpentine belt hydraulic tensioner bolt. They are notorious for snapping and requiring drilling out, not to mention it's an 8mm Allen head. But yeah, I just sprayed her down with pb blaster and did the loosen tighten x12 method and each time I'd tighten and loosen I'd get more of a turn out of it. It was a success and I didn't have to defer to any professional thank God.

[@randyc.1766]

Very satisfying video, the little guy wins, sometimes😅😅😂

[@richardharries5825]

That is one of the best videos. Where someone has explained how to remove seized and rusty exhaust manifold bolts. Believe me I’ve snapped quite a few in my time. Cursed them as I’ve snapped them. But that was a well explained. educational video.

[@erbenton07]

Once the manifold is off, I would also clean out the manifold bolt holes with a gun cleaning brush to get any remaining rust out of them

[@Spiritof_76]

Or a non-cutting tap. They are usually cheaper than the cutting taps.

[@erbenton07]

@@Spiritof_76 I was talking about the non threaded through holes in the manifold itself in my original post above. I'd user a chaser tap for the threaded holes in the head.

[@80SWoods]

Great video! The only thing I do slightly different is that I like to use a breaker bar rather than a ratchet so I can work the bolt back and forth quickly without having to flip the direction switch on a ratchet. I learned something new, I hadn’t thought about tightening the bolts back in.

[@StephenCox.]

Great tip!

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

Yep, that's what I do.

[@mikelastpass689]

This is without a doubt the finest vid on the subject I've seen. Camera shots are crystal clear & steady & your explanation of what/why is perfect. I like the mention of acetone -atf as a penetrant. Watched a vid yrs ago about that combo. Keep up the Great work. Your another Scotty Kilmer in the making 👍🏼👍🏼

[@jimwinchester339]

I bascially use the same procedure, but with a breaker bar. The key, of course, is to keep your eye on the threads to ensure they're turning with the bolt. You have to abort at about 5 degrees of shank twist. Hammering the bolt *IN* to begin with (covering the bolt cap with a socket) can also help. I also wire brush the shank, chase the threads with a tap AND a die, use anti-seize, and wipe off the excess anti-seize before inserting. You should be able to turn it all the way in (until the shoulder contact) with only your fingers. But I can't argue with you about replacing them with new bolts - - I would if I were doing it professionally for somebody else's car.

[@petertorregrossa4447]

Too many people want to put a impact on rusted bolts and just send it. Thats how u end up with a weeks worth of work. Great video.

[@perspicator5779]

great idea to re-tighten as you proceed.

[@mule666]

This is the best advice i ever heard with stuck bolts..

[@philiplombardi5057]

Great video Steve! I've been a gearhead since 1970 and I am still learning and renovating fast cars. Best hobby in the world!

[@michiganporter]

Man looking way younger with the shave bro! Nice tip too btw!

[@ceejay6882]

Quenching with cold water after heating will make the bolt loose if it's steel or cast iron. There's arguments that it will make the metal brittle, but I use this method for non critical parts like heat shrouds.

[@davidyendoll5903]

Rather than using water to quench use more penetrating oil which should do a better job in actually getting further into the hot crud . Beware of catching stuff on fire though ! Oh , and quickly tap the bolt a bit before quenching . If you can see crud on threads , oil that area and try to remove the dirt before turning the bolt to save dragging extra dirt into the female threads and lubricate again before turning anything .

[@Gunny426HemiPlymouth]

I know my dad taught me this, but man did I still learn some tricks! That second one was real impressive. Great stuff.

[@dalehood1846]

Very well said. Especially the parts about loosen and tighten AND not loosening all the bolts. It puts pressure on the remaining bolts. I worked in several automotive machine shops, and this is valuable information. Going back and forth, tightening and loosening helps to "clean the threads" of rust. Also, we heated the area around the bolt and applied a piece of wax so that it would smoke. I believe the liquid wax penetrated the threads. PATIENCE IS THE KEY. Do not be in a hurry. Those that did hurry, then brought their problems to us. Thank you so very much for this video.

[@stevewalko5858]

When I heat a bolt I use candle wax rather than penetrating oil because it wicks in rather than boiling off. If too hot it burns off but still wicks in. Technical term is capillary action.

[@donhozy]

Great tutorial! Slow and easy wins the race!

[@Zlinky111]

Don't know why this was so satisfying. .....but it was. ❤ 😊

[@xani666]

That advice is worth its weight in gold, thanks!

[@GiantKilla333]

Few taps with a small hammer or air hammer seems to help me also. I have this problem a lot less since getting myself a Mini Ductor Venom HP

[@39knights]

I have seen in other such videos; 1) Sacrifice a chisel bit for your air-chisel and weld a 1/2" drive extension to it so you can attach it to your sockets. Then use it to vibrate/shock the bolt before trying to remove it. It helps to break that rust-hold and does far less damage than hammering on the bolt-head directly and mushrooming it. 2) I too am a fan of never-seize but was told using it on the threads could change the torque value where a torque is specified as these values are usually for a dry-torque (such as cylinder head bolts). And of course not where lock-tite is specified as well. Great video. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

[@ginog5037]

Most of the time, hitting the socket works fine. Your way is step 2, then it's heat...

[@glorgau]

Outstanding. This is the kind of stuff that it takes a mess of broken bolts to figure out on your own.

[@ncfirefighter235]

Thank you very much. I am a person to get some patient and that will definitely help me in the future if I remember. Lol

[@waynejones5239]

Do everything on exhaust bolts start in the center and work out when possible the method you used works good for removing broken bolts heat cool cycles add wax after heating I have removed bolts from lots of things this way may take more heat than he was using weld a nut on if u can take you're time drilling bolts out can lead to other problems if it goes wrong

[@stevehildreth1934]

My penetrant of choice is Silicroil and I use my 6 point sockets way more than my 12 point sockets. I do, on occasion, use my oxy/acetylene torch to concentrate my heat application.

[@glenishi]

thank you for a very useful comprehensive video, I'll save much frustrations of having to extract a broken bolt in the future.

[@crisc9280]

I'm not a mechanic but you definitely taught viewers. I never knew about loosening and tightening and eventually walking the bolt out. Excellent video. Very clear instructions

[@AyeCarumba221]

A lot of opinions here in agreement with Stephen. Me too. Never seen him before, but he explains very clearly.

[@1962mrmongoman]

come up north and try some here in the salt belt!

[@StephenCox.]

Send me a plane ticket, provide me a place to sleep, home cooked meals, and I'll take you up on it!

[@danontherun5685]

He's got a point. I've got a 1959 engine from Chicago the exhaust manifold bolt hexes and lock washer tabs corroded to useless and a 1931 long 8 never been taken apart. Both penetrant soaked, heat, tap tap tap etc half a year and still ring solid. Gave up on extractors long ago and weld tricks don't work on these extreme cases. LH drill one size under tap size with a drill guide bushing and just git'r dun. @@StephenCox.

[@soldtobediers]

''Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.'' ~Jimi Hendrix

[@je19662008]

Two more useful methods I've discovered are: 1. Instead of starting with a socket, you might want to start with the closed end of an old-fashioned 6pt combo wrench. The laws of physics & geometry dictate that torque is most powerful when its application point is closest to the same geometric plane as its resistance. When you use a combo wrench, the bolthead or nuthead, wrenchhead, and applied torque (generated by elbow grease) are all on the same geometric plane. So there's no loss of force. But when you use a socket/ratchet combination, the applied torque is on a different geometric plane from where it's needed (the bolt or nutheat). So there is some loss of force. The loss of force becomes greater if you need to use an extension. 2. Instead of starting with continuous applied torque, intermittent torque sometimes works better. To do this, instead of using a ratchet, start with a combo wrench or socket/breaker bar combination and a heavy hammer. But DON'T hit the end of the breaker bar too hard. Use light to moderate tappity taps and let the hammer's weight alone generate the torque. Continuous torque causes that binding in the shank you were talking about. But the release of torque which occurs in the moments between the taps allows the impact to be absorbed by the entire bolt.

[@martinlemke4440]

Well explained! I absolutely agree, this procedure works well... Thanks for sharing. 👍

[@garymcmullin2292]

I have found that a raps with a hammer to the bolt head or with a drift punch to the head of screws does wonders. The back and forth motion is effective, with the impact force by hammer or air gun it just seems to break the corrosion bonds much better, I seldom resort to heat.

[@PaulThomas-qo9vy]

Yeah Stephen! An oldie but goodie. Worth watching all the way thru again! The YT mechanic world is ready for your sage advice again. Be strong & courageous, It is your time.

[@glennm7492]

Great advice! I learned a long time ago from an ol timer to slightly tighten bolt before ever loosening a bolt! Rock it back and forth ideally until it moves the way the way you want it too! Also good ole fashion liquid wrench is the best for removing rusty bolts!

[@LMOTO3130]

Great video! You are SPOT ON! In my experience I lube, then heat, whack bolt end, lube again, wait 3 minutes, tighten, loosen, tighten loosen etc.

[@1957cajun]

Have you noticed if you use anti-seize on these bolts if the bolts do actually come out easier years later? Not sure if it doesn’t all get burned off from the heat and still end up rusting later?

[@ThisIsToolman]

This is a great video! You totally understand the minutiae of rust’s effect on fasteners. Here’s a related story showing how rust grows. I once had a problem with getting brakes to work on one front wheel. The brake hose was made with a steel support bracket. The problem was that bracket had rusted to the point on the inside that it pinched-off the hose completely. Turned out they sold a lot of those hoses for that exact reason.

[@alainmarcoux4156]

Right, happened to me on a Dodge minivan and it's not long before you can't brake properly, went to the garage and they already knew the problem 🇨🇦😕

[@user-qv1bj2kb2c]

Dodge Ram- the brake fluid won't flow back to the reservoir so the caliper stays compressed & the brake overheats. all because of a rusty clip.

[@cliffhardie3341]

Absolutely spot on ,always use 6 sided sockets, preferably impact type on any type of hex bolt.

[@orionoutdoorsandworkshop5617]

this is always worked for me. take the vehicle for a drive, getting it warmed up. shut it down and not wasting too much time very carefully loosen the bolts. i have done this more than once.

[@clintprice2123]

Yes Stephen we are still watching what you post.

[@myeldora6820]

A little tidbit of info.....The hottest part of a flame is at the end (tip of the flame), not the base. So, when using a torch, direct the very end of the visible part of the flame to what you want to heat up.

[@af4od02]

I don’t rebuild motor any longer, but you gave some great advice. An excellent tutorial. Thanks.

[@TomClifford-pe8lo]

Excellent video.Really explains the problem and shows you the right way.Thanks so much.

[@johnvaluk1401]

Thought I saw this before. Great info. Thanks

[@tedwilliams8766]

this was a good vid back then as it is now. been using this method for decades. yes, it takes time but its less time than drilling. it works great when the bolts still look like bolts and are the original size. when they look like nubs and sae starts fitting better than metric, thats a whole other process not for the faint of heart. never tried crc knocker loose but ive had great success with crc freeze off and bg penetrating oil on exhaust bolts and other fasteners. i thought the freeze off fastenwas gimmicky until i tried it and it worked for me. the biggest secret of rusted, stuck fasteners is temperature difference between the fastener and what its in. thats for those who dont wrench on a regular basis. whether its freezing or heating, along with your favorite spray lube and some patience, you can get almost any rusted fastener out. steve, i think puttin gout some of your older vids of tips and tricks would help the new viewers who werent around for your first channel. never too late to learn a new trick. thanks.