Front downpipe of series 3 needs replacing

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neilcmusic

Active Member
Posts
383
Front downpipe needs replacing SERIES 3 1982 2.25L PETROL. , I know there is no obvious answer to this but........from your past experiences will I be able to get downpipe to manifold to seperate with just a spanner? ,
its a pain to get to but doable , I just dont want studs snapping off and having to pay for it to get drilled out.
Im trying to do as much as I can myself , still learning!
 
Two are far easier with deep sockets and a whole selection of extensions and done from underneath. One is damn near impossible with a spanner...

Plenty of penetrating fluid well in advance (not wd40 but GT85/Plusgas or similar) and heat with a blowtorch just before removal and you might just get lucky.
 
Heat and candlewax is good but if the nuts are brass they will no doubt be ruined by unscrewing over rusty steel studs anyway.
One day I will replace the studs on mine coz one has no thread just where I need it :(. It blows a tiny bit but needs a close look to see it and the fumes aint killed me yet. :eek:

I cant think a spanner will do this on a three stud manifold. The back one is a PITA with a socket ;)


PS. Wait till you try and thread the new pipe past the gearbox, chassis, engine etc. Now thats fun without a pit or ramps :(. Be prepared to jack the front up several feet. ;)
 
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I think i might buy the pipe and take it to exhaust place , pipe , £30 , garage might want £40 for putting it on , safer than snapping stud off , if they snap it off then its their business
 
Yeah I reckon you will be paying whether you snap it or they do.

As a ray of good hope to you Neil, my manifold nuts (brass) came off relatively easily although the the front was stripped so access was better and I gave it some plusgas in advance. One of the studs did undo, mind.
 
As BB posted 2 out of three are reachable. Brass nuts on steel set screws and years of heat differential always makes this a potentially awkward job. Do the job as cold as possible with release spray. I'd treat the them over two days to get those willing to move.if you get a good socket fit with the two it's the third that's the potential difficult one.
 
When I eventually have to do mine, I'm just going to get a replacement exhaust manifold and change the blooming lot. By the time you have dealt with snapped studs, it will be quicker.

Col
 
If you've got brass nuts they shouldn't t be too bad as brass does not rust. As previous poster have said use penetrating fluid & heat and if you haven't got a socket set then invest in one & some extension bars, machinemart/Clarke's stuff is ok for diy. Personally I've never had a problem with accessing the nuts but I do have a very well equipped workshop, there ain't no substitute for the correct tools;)
 
I've just had a better look , the pipe doesn't look too corroded and doesn't look as if it's about to come off , the only problem I have is a rattle , it seems as if the pipe has come loose from the collar so where it meets the collar it can be moved about 1/2 inch up and down , any ideas what has happened here ? I've been thinking , I replaced centre bracket 3 weeks ago , I'm thinking if that bracket is slightly too high then it will actually be pushing the front pipe into the collar and making it appear loose
 
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Cos you're more likely to unscrew the nuts?

Really, I would expect the brass nuts to expand more than the steel stud for a given temp increase. So having a higher temperature would make the nuts a fraction larger in diameter. At least that is what I have found when playing with metals in tools and dies.

Cheers
 
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