Rusty exhaust - Unable to remove

[richlaz]

The tailpipe has recently snapped off my van - was extremely rusty, so was going to happen sooner or later.

I today attempted to remove the "triangular" plate from the backbox, in order to fit a new tailpipe section.

Firstly sprayed it with a load of PlusGas (read on here a while ago to use that instead of WD40...?) and let it soak in for a couple of hours, then little more spray before beginning work.

Two out of the three securing bolts look like they have completely disintegrated... the other is too tight to budge. I therefore thought... as a last resort... I'll just remove the backbox, and replace that too... but no joy with the 6? nuts/bolts holding that either.

I've tried bashing sockets/spanners etc to try and crack the nuts, but nothing

Everything just seems extremely rusty and impossible to remove... even after 9 gallons of PlugGas has penetrated it I really don't want to (and can't afford to) have to go even further back and replace the entire exhaust system

Any ideas/hints/tips on getting the thing apart?

Link to photo on my onedrive... hopefully it's publically viewable...

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=8 ... hoto%2cjpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Many thanks

[jrt]

If you do decide to replace the back box it won't matter if you snap the studs because it'll all be coming off and replaced anyway. If you want to release the studs/nuts i did mine earlier in the year by soaking in plusgas, applying heat, give it a whack head on then try to tighten nut slightly before loosening it. When i had to replace the damaged studs in the back box a few years ago i snapped four of the heads/nuts of and removed the remaining studs once it was off with a super tight pair of mole grips.
David

[Ian and Lins]

Angle grinder time. Just cut through the nuts or bolt heads and chisel the faces apart. Use new fasteners (well, you won't be using the old ones will you?) and coppaslip them.

[richlaz]

Cheers guys...

So how would I replace the old rusty studs in the back box? Drill out, re-tap then fit new studs?

[jrt]

When mine snapped off i had just enough to get a pair of mole grips on,lubricated, heated up and soon worked loose.
David

[mickeyflyn]

When my tail pipe broke I welded a nice piece of stainless formed to the flange that was left, it looks fab !

[CovKid]

Early exhaust layout. It was EXACTLY this scenario that prompted me to come up with http://wiki.club8090.co.uk/index.php/Exhausts_Custom" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In the end (for me) it was the most logical solution and no more tailpipe to rot off. Cost-wise probably about the same as stock box and tailpipe initially but far simpler (and cheaper) afterwards to change the actual silencer bit which averages about £25 on ebay.

The 'quick fix', if drilling and rethreading tailpipe fixings seems tedious, is to clean up existing tailpipe flange on silencer with a grinder and weld a tailpipe straight on to that but its very awkward to do in situ and I felt with all the hassles involved with actually getting old box off to do it, it made sense to just get rid of the tailpipe prob altogether and improve performance a little in the process. I feel your pain thats for sure. Its a rotten (excuse the pun) job.

[blacky]

Like Mickey flynn, just welded a curved stub on several years ago, cheap as chips