Anyone used a nut splitter on rounded exhaust nuts

[haggis780]

So I managed to round off 2 nuts on the exhaust manifold bolts. Every other nut and allen nut came off really well and the one heat exchanger is removed. I am doing a full rebuild on the engine so not too concerned about breaking the bolt itself - I just want to get the remaining heat exchanger off and continue with tear down.

I tried using a dremel to cut the nut off but can't seem to get the right angle in there. I then used a cold chiesel and really mashed up the one nut.

What are my options? Is there a nut splitter that may fit in that tight area? Would it need to be an off set splitter to get in there? I'm not a welder but is it possible to weld a nut onto the top off the rounded nut and attempt to break the bolt loose from the head???

First rebuild of any kind so know I am going to make mistakes and am ok with that. Just need to know how to overcome this.

Thanks

[Elombard]

Is the engine out of the car?

There has been many threads on these nuts. If the engine is out heat that bad boy up to a cherry and use some big channel locks.

[john walker's workshop]

Carefully slice the side off the nut with an oxy/acetylene cutting torch. Or you could just blow the whole thing off, stud and all and deal with the stud later. Ain't no nut splitter gonna fit in there.

[kevingross]

You should be okay with a nut splitter like Kukko 55-1, if you can get it to sit flush to the header flange, I believe. I just checked on my 944 series car, know it's different but am fresh out of 911s at the moment, looks like it would be fine. Good luck!

[haggis780]

Its amazing how things look differently in the daylight. That was a semi panic post this morning after giving up at approx midnight last night. In the daylight I could see that, that with the engine tipped a certain way it was possible to fit a dremel on an angle and cut through the nut and slightly into the exhaust bolt ( I was planning on replacing those anyways). Exhaust system now off. No more working past 10 pm - too stressful!!

I have to laugh.......as a kid looking at these cars in the 80's....Porsche mechanics were up there with NASA engineers in my thinking........now armed with a few books/manuals, youtube and a group of guys on a chat room..... into engine I go!

[haggis780]

There is good amount of oil/grunge inside the air exchange portion of the heat exchangers - does this mean they are shot??? Would explain the oil smell in the cab when I put on the heat system.

[Last911]

They are still probably good, you could re-use them. Get them hot tanked to get them 100% clean.

I want to take my heat exhangers off because they are ugly and I would love to get headers. The header bolts scared me off (I don't want to pull the engine). Good to see a local guy working on 911's

(Check your PM!)

Edit; it's easy to get oil into them. The valve cover can leak (lowers) and then drip down. If your car has not been running or not up to temp, they can get pretty oily. Mine were leaking but once I got them hot the oil basically burned away (maybe not all of it).