The exhaust pipe will not separate!

[Fingolfin]

Hiya gang,

I'm in the middle of disassembling bits of Mog, and I've gotten to the exhaust system. The pipe came off the manifold with no trouble, and the mounting brackets were easy to undo. Had a look at the whole pipe -- which is divided under the seat with a Midas muffler from the '80s -- and decided it would be easiest to withdraw if I took off the U-bolt behind the muffler. (Your word is silencer?)

The U-bolt eventually came off, after lots of WD-40 and hammering on the nuts. But the pipe will not slide out from inside the muffler pipe. We've tried more WD-40, more hammering, and heat from a propane torch. I put a vice grip on each side of the split and twisted, to no avail. My dad and I twisted the pipe from the front and the rear simultaneously, and no good!

Has anyone had similar problems? I really would prefer not to have to cut it in half!

[charlie_morris_minor]

taking the exhaust of is never easy they do tend to rust / stick together.

other than carrying on doing what you are doing i can not think of anything else

[MarkyB]

If someone has gone mad tightening up the U clamp it has probably crushed the outer pipe into the inner one.
If you can get the area red hot with oxy-acetylene then apply plenty of force, you might get it apart.

[bmcecosse]

If it's that solid - just keep it in one piece. It will come out like that.

[Fingolfin]

It will? Really? How? Aside from separating the rear axle from the car, I don't see how it could come out in one piece.

[hotrodder13]

i couldnt get mine off just cut it in half

[Jefftav]

You need to jack up the car all 4 wheels off the ground and support the car on stands. At the front put the stands on the chassis legs under the eyebolt but at the back you need to support it in front of the front spring hangers (use wood to spread the load) and then remove the jack to let the axle hang down. You should then be able to wriggle the entire system out in one piece. I think you get the front out first it's a bit of a squeeze and the the rear end of the exhaust will wriggle out.

[Fingolfin]

Good call, Jeff. I ended up jacking it up just ahead of the front spring hangers (but didn't jack it up in the front -- not enough axle stands), and played with the pipe, and eventually the front popped out of the engine bay, and I was able to pull the whole thing out from the front. A job well done!

[bmcecosse]

Told you it could be done......... If at first you don't succeed - try try again!