Club 80-90 Forums

itchyfeet wrote:If you have to drill note depth, at least one person on here has drilled right through before...

I saw that pic on the WIKI, Itchy.
Not much room for error, is there?

I think if they wont come out, I may leave any drilling to a man that has done it before.
I will save any venture into the unknown for a situation I can recover easily if it goes south...

Smiffo wrote: I might be worried about nothing - they come out with me just looking at them

Mine did, pretty much. My engine had also been replaced about 10 years ago - no idea if the exhaust had been done again since - so that may have made the difference. I gently tried each one in turn and since they all moved without a problem I went ahead with the job. The only issue I had is that one of the replacement studs felt like it wasn't going to tighten, so I didn't do it up very tight. I suspect it needs a helicoil, but since I hope to be dropping the engine soon I'll do that then.

CJH wrote:

Smiffo wrote: I might be worried about nothing - they come out with me just looking at them

Mine did, pretty much. My engine had also been replaced about 10 years ago - no idea if the exhaust had been done again since - so that may have made the difference. I gently tried each one in turn and since they all moved without a problem I went ahead with the job. The only issue I had is that one of the replacement studs felt like it wasn't going to tighten, so I didn't do it up very tight. I suspect it needs a helicoil, but since I hope to be dropping the engine soon I'll do that then.

May sound like a daft question - say if it is - but did the nut stay on the studs CJH?
i.e. did the stud unscrew from the head, rather than the nut come off? ( leaving you to then get the stud out. )

I have a mixture of bolts in some threads, and studs in others.
Clearly the bolts can only come out as one ( I hope ) but the studs I imagine would be easier if you could get them out with the nuts on.

Good question - I don't remember. I did get all the studs out though, and I don't remember having to use a stud extractor, so I guess they all came out with the nuts. I replaced them all with new high tensile allen key studs and brass nuts.

Right - last question.

Back at the beginning I queried whether one `dose` of PlusGas 24hrs before I start is enough.
Is it best to do this repeatedly over a few days, rather than just use one liberal spray?

The answer would seem obvious, but I am questioning whether it is effective enough to just do it the once and leave for 24hrs?
Is there really anything to be gained by doing this a few times over a week or so period, rather than just one treating?

I think I will attempt it myself, but wind my neck in if I think they are going to snap

And to think, a few weeks ago I was having the same thoughts about thermostat housing bolts - they turned out to be a doddle after all the fretting....

I've never used it, just heat.
Some folks swear by the stuff (penetrating oil)

I put my trust in physics

Acetone mixed with atf fluid is supposed to be a really good penetrant. Never used it myself though.

Nope - had a go, but bottled it

Infact, some of them did start turning, and seemed like they would come out easy enough.
The ones facing the front of the van are a different matter though.

It's the two under the thermostat housing....
One is a pig to get to without removing that first, so in my ultimate - not so extensive - knowledge, I'm opting for an exhaust installer.

Would have been nice, and I don't mind having ago if any mistakes I can rectify here, but no-way do I think I should do something that might make me worse off than when I started ( and end up costing me more )

Bite the bullet and pay a pro to do it I think - albeit not the garage I went into yesterday....

Thanks for your input boys - much appreciated anyway. At least I won't be wondering if I should have had a go..!!

tforturton wrote:Just to show what you could be up against - my Syncro has been more than a week at a specialist exhaust fitters, who know and work with these vehicles. Reason for the delay? They can't get all the exhaust studs out. These are guys who do this job day in, day out, yet they're stumped by one little stud. Believe me, they can be swines to deal with. I'm fairly certain that mine have been there since day one, and have never been touched, which might explain their reluctance to come out. So if yours have been shifted a couple of times in their life, they might move a bit easier. If not, then be prepared for a difficult job.

A week???? If every one of them neede drilling out it wouldn't take that long. The worse I've ever had to do was 2 hours of welding nuts on which came off so I'd weld another on until I won!! It would have been quicker to drill it out but that's not my preferred method. Do you have more details?

The mechanic in the first post was quoting £500 labour, so that's 10 hours. Sounds about right to me, but he's only quoting that that on past experience- which is fair. If you do it and after having a go some will inevitably snap, then pull the engine, remove the heads and send them to a machine shop. Ask them to reseat your valves while they're are at it. This will cost you about £300. Buy a stainless exhaust £500 and put it all back together. You'll really enjoy the process and have renewed confidence in your van skills. No mechanic wants to work on our vans anymore, from a business perspective I don't blame them. Imagine having your van on one of their ramps for hours/days blocking all the other work. They just want the quick turnaround new stuff.

DoubleOSeven wrote:The mechanic in the first post was quoting £500 labour, so that's 10 hours. Sounds about right to me, but he's only quoting that that on past experience- which is fair. If you do it and after having a go some will inevitably snap, then pull the engine, remove the heads and send them to a machine shop. Ask them to reseat your valves while they're are at it. This will cost you about £300. Buy a stainless exhaust £500 and put it all back together. You'll really enjoy the process and have renewed confidence in your van skills. No mechanic wants to work on our vans anymore, from a business perspective I don't blame them. Imagine having your van in one of their ramps for hours/days blocking all the other work. They just want the quick turnaround new stuff.

That's true - I find I have to go to specialists now.
Having said that, the mechanic I mentioned quoted me that without even looking and also. Maybe he is good, maybe not. It's more like the a thought I had was "I wonder if he would still charge that if all the bolts / studs came out easily or in a couple of hours..."

Perhaps I'm just cynical?

It's all booked in for the 21st somewhere else - I have loosened 5 of them so we will see what happens then.

Ref enjoying it - you are right, I would, but I would hate it if I made it worse too.
I suppose it's an all or nothing situation I am not willing to gamble until I get more experienced.

I have much to learn..!!

When I dropped the van off, I told him to take his time - I don't need the van back in any hurry. So I guess he's doing it as and when, without holding up the normal flow of business. He did tell me that they're the worst he's ever seen....

Smiffo wrote:

DoubleOSeven wrote:The mechanic in the first post was quoting £500 labour, so that's 10 hours. Sounds about right to me, but he's only quoting that that on past experience- which is fair. If you do it and after having a go some will inevitably snap, then pull the engine, remove the heads and send them to a machine shop. Ask them to reseat your valves while they're are at it. This will cost you about £300. Buy a stainless exhaust £500 and put it all back together. You'll really enjoy the process and have renewed confidence in your van skills. No mechanic wants to work on our vans anymore, from a business perspective I don't blame them. Imagine having your van in one of their ramps for hours/days blocking all the other work. They just want the quick turnaround new stuff.

That's true - I find I have to go to specialists now.
Having said that, the mechanic I mentioned quoted me that without even looking and also. Maybe he is good, maybe not. It's more like the a thought I had was "I wonder if he would still charge that if all the bolts / studs came out easily or in a couple of hours..."

Perhaps I'm just cynical?

It's all booked in for the 21st somewhere else - I have loosened 5 of them so we will see what happens then.

Ref enjoying it - you are right, I would, but I would hate it if I made it worse too.
I suppose it's an all or nothing situation I am not willing to gamble until I get more experienced.

I have much to learn..!!

If it's booked in then I wouldn't hesitate to spend some time on the few that are resisting. You've got plenty of time to soak them, if they shear (which they probably would also at the garage) then you've only got to live with it for a minimum amount of time before it gets done professionally. Go on, take a brave pill....

My JX was blowing across the manifold every since I got it because someone snapped a stud in the head and rather than fixing it, bodged it with sealant meaning I ended up having a new head fitted.

Hopefully when I come to fit a stainless exhaust this year, it won't cost me so much money!

what2do wrote:

Smiffo wrote:

DoubleOSeven wrote:The mechanic in the first post was quoting £500 labour, so that's 10 hours. Sounds about right to me, but he's only quoting that that on past experience- which is fair. If you do it and after having a go some will inevitably snap, then pull the engine, remove the heads and send them to a machine shop. Ask them to reseat your valves while they're are at it. This will cost you about £300. Buy a stainless exhaust £500 and put it all back together. You'll really enjoy the process and have renewed confidence in your van skills. No mechanic wants to work on our vans anymore, from a business perspective I don't blame them. Imagine having your van in one of their ramps for hours/days blocking all the other work. They just want the quick turnaround new stuff.

That's true - I find I have to go to specialists now.
Having said that, the mechanic I mentioned quoted me that without even looking and also. Maybe he is good, maybe not. It's more like the a thought I had was "I wonder if he would still charge that if all the bolts / studs came out easily or in a couple of hours..."

Perhaps I'm just cynical?

It's all booked in for the 21st somewhere else - I have loosened 5 of them so we will see what happens then.

Ref enjoying it - you are right, I would, but I would hate it if I made it worse too.
I suppose it's an all or nothing situation I am not willing to gamble until I get more experienced.

I have much to learn..!!

If it's booked in then I wouldn't hesitate to spend some time on the few that are resisting. You've got plenty of time to soak them, if they shear (which they probably would also at the garage) then you've only got to live with it for a minimum amount of time before it gets done professionally. Go on, take a brave pill....

Spot on!