Removing muffler clamps
 

I have three nuts I need to remove from two clamps. They are a bit rusty. I will soak them first with liquid wrench for a couple days and then try to remove. Do I put a wrench on them and pull hard or better off putting an impact gun on them? Suggestions?
Also I have replacement clamps if needed but no bolts. if I need bolt, what do I get for muffler application.
Thanks.

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Fire. Oxy-MAPP torch set up with get those off. Just get them glowing.

That's too far gone. Don't bother too hard unless you have extractor sockets. IMO. Worth a try tho.

Angle grinder it down to near the surface level.
Try not to nick the clamps or bounce it into important things. Protect those with sheet metal if needed.

Or use a small thick! cutoff wheel disk and split it down the center with gentle chisel.

Center punch lightly in the center of bolt and it should pop apart.

I like an impact wrench.

Heat up the nuts first with a small butane torch, so the metal expands.....

Try PP Blaster versus liquid wrench. That said, prepare for them to break off. I’ve read somewhere start by tightening it a little bit then loosening. Then back-and-forth with lots of PB Blaster. If you have fire, that’s another good suggestion

For replacement bolts, I’d go with either galvanized or stainless steel.

Never used butane.
Propane is slow and will heat the whole thing. eventually.
MAPP is better.
Acetylene with a small welding tip is precision.

When it's cherry you might be able to hammer on a slightly smaller imperial vs metric socket if it strips

I had something similar on some sway bar links on a recent car.

I hate sway bar links. If you know, you know.

In the end, I hit them at an angle with a dremel to make a slot. In the slot I inserted the impact wrench (muffle splitter) and blasted it straight to hell.

The impact wrench (muffler splitter) turned the slots from my field of view.

Now I had no angle.

I cursed.

I cursed some more.

Eventually I was victorious. Over a $12 sway bar link.

The watchmaker in me was victorious. The timekeeper would have invested in FB or something and made $500k and just bought a new car.

God granted me with watchmaker genes though.

At least I am granted with something.

Good luck.

Without grinding, I think the worse case the bolts snap and I just push through and remove.
Right side clamps are all new fortunately.

Too expensive for just one job, but there are these cool things that have an electric element that wraps around the nut and heats up just that part. The nut gets really hot, expands and glides off. The only catch is the price.

Hit them with an impact. If they come loose, cool, if they snap off thats easier than cutting them.

Those are rusty enough to say they will snap off . Hit them with an impact and be done . Buy replacement SS or galvanized bolts and use anti-seize on the threads . Always use anti-seize on exhaust parts , even a thin layer inside the clamps make future disassembly sooooooo much easier . SmileWavy

Thanks Everyone. I’ll report back.

This. Those induction heaters work fast and easy. I know of one muffler shop that uses them to avoid the broken bolts issue.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=induction+heat+bolt+removal+tool&crid=2V2I5FKA GFH8O&sprefix=induction+heat+bolt+%2Caps%2C148&ref =nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_20

Yea, expensive, but a one time purchase for home mechanics.

I do have a propane torch. Am I okay to use where it’s a mid engine car? The motor is right there. It’s a 986 (Box).

“PP Blaster” hehehehe

LOL .... PP Blaster IS liquid wrench!

Ya gotta get pissed off at them suckers :D

If ya don't have success (you will) with the suggestions offered already .... go by a muffler shop and have them remove them.

First thing you need to do is take a wire brush to them.
Then the solutions above.

A cut off wheel in a Dremel tool.

MAPP ia hotter than propane and will get the nuts to glow without the oxygen bottle and special torch. What I like about my oxy-mapp is the torch head is pencil with a tiny ultrahot flame. Bernzomatic standard bottle torch head and flame is massive in comparison.