removing exhaust manifold bolts maybe for the very fist time 1965 326

I want to remove the exhaust manifolds and they look really rusty, I'm thinking I'm in for some real fun, any tricks or tips that might make it an easier job?
1965 Lemans with original 326 engine  

Hello

Wow, xlnt question, tough problem if they are stuck. The original exhaust bolts on most of the non Pontiacs I have worked on were actually “hardened” so most still came out without a problem. Yours are most likely hardened also, someone hear should know. It takes a very experienced feel to tell when a bolt is about to strip or break etc. Unfortunately I personally can’t explain this feel so if you don’t happen to know what it is, removing a stuck one could result in snapping it off when you get annoyed and start leaning on it. The bolt will win every time if you do this, lol. T he following is all I have,

If you break off a bolt in the car you can search the internet or yellow pages for broken bolt or stud removal etc. We have a guy here that “burns” them out with edm or laser or something and it does not affect the threads. I have no clue how that possibly works, seems unrealistic but I know he has done many somehow.

Tighten and loosen the bolt a little at a time while removing.

Very carefully heat bolt with torch using narrow flame [nozzle]slightly until it is pink [not red hot] for 60 seconds, this allows enough time for the heat to travel  down the bolt into the threads and subsequently heat up the threads. The head will act like a big heat sink and will keep trying to cool the bolt until the area surrounding the bolt gets hot enough to allow the heat to break the rust bond. Try to break the bolt free within 30 seconds of heating. If your car burns up you didn’t get this info from me, lol.  

engine IN or engine OUT....?

either way.. soak not just the bolt heads with WD40.. but spray it at the gaskets where some might get thru to the bolt Threads...  do this several times..

working them slowly.. if they get tight.. stop.. turn them back in..

chances are you are going to break at least one if they have NEVER been out before..



if you break one off...  wow... don't be defeated..   slow going..  and direct access..

mid 60s pontiacs are usually not that hard to pull the engines on...  and are much harder if you have to drill out an exhaust flange bolt stub with the engine in the chassis..

you might find wedging the motor up with a chunk of 2x4 under one motor mount..



i just finished manifold gaskets on a 70 torino 429CJ.. talk about tight places..

i use my engine support bar to lift the engine off the mounts one side at a time to give me more room to work...


i was lucky that the bolts came out easily.. in fact they were loose.. but they were also grade 5 with 3 stripes.. i replaced with grade 8.. 6 strips and hardened washers...

this was the better of the 2 manifolds..





notice the black strip on the plywood behind the manifold.. i glued down a strip of sanding belt .. but i should have mounted and leveled it on some 2x4s first.. to make it truly flat.. but i got away with it by putting towels under the middle. it did take 3 of us to hold the manifold upright and hold it flat against the sandpaper pushing it back and forth.. the sanding belt was the longest and widest i could find.. it was blue at the start..




this i did with my 1/4" electric die grinder with a 1/2" diameter  tree shape carbide tool..


i knew i was going to go crazy trying to get all the manifold bolts in place at the same time... so i grabbed a hand full of rubber bands on the way to work that morning..



auto parts stores have various exhaust flange stud kits from dorman.. there are several that might fit your application.. i don't recall what the exhaust studs look like for that year..