[xps]

:facepalm:

I am this close to removing the engine from my 325ci but my exhaust manifold bolt is stuck, infact it looks like it is welded there. treid drilling, tried using dremel, tried the craftsman nut splitter! The nut is rounded off, the nut splitter splitted the nut at the top but still the nut is just stuck there holding the whole exhaust!:banghead: The other three nuts came off as they were holding the clamp that seperated from the exhaust itself! the outer most nut is :censor: me!

Can't even take it to a exhaust shop as my car doesn't run! should I call mobile welders to use some heat? I doubt they would want to work in some tight spaces like this lying on the ground!

I was thinking if I could just leave the exhaust connected and start pulling the engine out! I am pulling the transmission along with the engine, removed the drive shaft completely!

Have anyone tried pulling the engine out without seperating the exhaust fromt the manifold? I have removed the whole of the front so I will be pretty much pulling the enigne horizontally after the oil pan clears the steering rack.

NEED SOME HELP! My whole progress stopped nice last 2 days coz of this stupid bolt!

 

[davidwarren]

are you just taking the engine out before you swap in the ZHP? just cut the headers off if you can't remove the bolt.

 

[xps]

I want to resue the headers with the used ZHP engine I bought! I didn't buy the headers with the zhp engine.

What i was thinking is if i could pull the enigne along with exhaust and then dissconnect the headers from the engine when i have enough access and then take it to a exhaust shop to cut the bolt off and weld a new stud.

Do you think there would enough clearance to do that?

 

[Brinkley]

I took out and reinstalled my m54 with headers attached. Take your time. It can be done

 

[2003silver330i]

Are you try to save the stud? Why not just cut off the nut and stud with a sawzall. Than drill out a hole for a new bolt and nut.

 

[2003silver330i]

I took out and reinstalled my m54 with headers attached. Take your time. It can be done

I don't think the headers are the problem. I think he is talking about the exhaust manifold will not separating from the exhaust system because of one nut.

 

[xps]

Are you try to save the stud? Why not just cut off the nut and stud with a sawzall. Than drill out a hole for a new bolt and nut.

I am not trying to save the stud. The stud and the nut seem to be like welded, it is very hardened! There is little place to use a saw with full motion.

I emptied a full bottle of PB-blaster on this one bolt.

Well I just removed the plate

And now it looks like this underneath the engine

It is going to be tight but it seems possible! I will try my luck tomo in getting the engine out.

 

[davidwarren]

ah! for some reason, I thought you were talking about an actual manifold bolt. There's no way around it now, you've just got to cut that off.

edit-- the nut and bolt I mean. The stock setup is a pressed bolt on one side and a nut on the other. after you cut that off, you'll have to drill out the pressed bolt and use separate bolt and nut. If that makes any sense.

 

[xps]

ah! for some reason, I thought you were talking about an actual manifold bolt. There's no way around it now, you've just got to cut that off.

edit-- the nut and bolt I mean. The stock setup is a pressed bolt on one side and a nut on the other. after you cut that off, you'll have to drill out the pressed bolt and use separate bolt and nut. If that makes any sense.

I could luckily pull the engine off a bit along with the bolt holding the exhaust, then had enough access to remove the 16 bolts on the head. Then took the whole exhaust along with the manifold to a exhaust shop and torched the bolt out also torched all the studs out. The shop took like 5 mins to finish the job for $25 :woot: