removing sidepipes from header collector
 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Any advice out there for detaching the sidepipes from the collector? Mine are on there pretty good, but before I really start making a major effort, I was wondering what techniques others who have done this have used.

Most are welded together..but if it's clamped or something, try a rubber hammer.

I have the spring-clips.

They dont seem to be welded.

I was thinking of a simple device. A threaded rod with two bolts. Slide it through the loops that the springs attach to and use it as a spreader...

Oh, I misunderstood what you were talking about. You mean remove the sidepipe from the header. The collector is the part that is welded between the merge pipes and your muffler.(at least this is what I think you are talking about) It sounds like you have slip on sidepipes, with a spring or springs that keep them on. Usually there is one bolt that pulls the two pieces together as well, look all around the pipes for it. If the bolt is there, of course remove it along with all of the springs. If your pipes have been together for quite some time, sometimes the carbon will kind of glue the two parts together. This is when your rubber hammer comes into play. You'll just have to try to wiggle your sidepipe while tapping the pipe off the header with the hammer.
Good luck.... :)
Tim

Hi; First loosen all of the bolts that hold the pipes to the heads. Then remove the tab bolts that hold the engine pipes to the sidepipes. Then remove the bolt(s) on the rear hander of the sidepipes. Now wiggle the sidepipe loose by moving it up and down and inward and outward. It would help if you had someone pulling on the sidepipe where it turns into the fender while you are doing the wiggling at the rear of the sidepipe.

Also use some blue or tan masking tape around the body opening hole just in case the pipes bang;) on the edge of the opening you won't loose any paint!

Thanks all. My engine is out of the car, so I took the header/sidepipe assembly off the car to work on it.

OK, now I am playing "wannabee genius inventor". I have spent hours fabricating a device that spreads the two pieces apart. Version 1.0 yielded a spread of approx 1/8 inch before bending out of shape. Version 2.0, reinforced, is currently in development. I love this phase of an operation where you make the call to invest mucho time and effort on something that may prove impossible, and perhaps even cause irreparable damage and/or bodily injury.

Update: It is actually working. Got 3/4" before ran out of spreader bolt length.

Notes: This is only doable because of the brackets that are welded to each tube on both header and side pipe pieces, against which the spreader is pushing. Were it not for that I guess I'd have to weld something on in their place. You need to do both sides at once. Liberal doses of PB blaster doesn't hurt and probably helps. Every once and a while I just get out the rubber mallet and start whacking. Not sure if that does anything. Strong bolts required. I'm using 1/2 grade 8 which is probably overkill, 3/8 would do. To prevent bending version 2.0 uses angle iron to push against the brackets.

Update 2: It worked, I got the header off. One of the brackets snapped off near the end. I'm lucky that this only happened to one of the four brackets and I was able to continue.

Now that I have some reasonable chance to get these pieces apart, is anyone out there using any kind of lubrication when they put them back together so that some future disassembly might be easier? I guess it would have to be something that withstands heat. Anti seize compound?

Hey Magoo,

Get a flange kit while everything is a part. You'll be happier in the long run.

Here is how I did it.

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/backdraft-racing/78790-installing-exhaust-flanges.html

Nice work, H20man. That explains a lot. I didn't know they called them "slip on", so I didn't find your post when I did my initial search. Nice to know I am not the only one who has issues with these. I think I have been lucky, mine are a real tight fit and I didn't notice that they leak, but maybe they do! I definitely agree that this would be better. Did you get the flanges from summit or jegs?

BTW the spreader I made did work, after switching to a longer spreader bolt I managed to get one header off, now working on the other one. This would save me ever having to do that again, and might be a leak stopper too.

Here are some photos.

http://seanmcneill.com/images/headers/CIMG0359.jpg
http://seanmcneill.com/images/headers/CIMG0360.jpg
http://seanmcneill.com/images/headers/CIMG0363.jpg

Removing "Slip-On" Sidepipes
 

Removing slip-on sidepipes can be a real challenge, especially if you are the only one performing the task. I removed the springs from the sidepipes and collectors and found the sidepipes were quite difficult to budge, let alone remove (poor design, flanged connections are the way to go).

So, after some thought, I hooked one end of a come-along to the sidepipe at the 90 bend (covered the sidepipe with towels so not to scratch) and the other end to my garage wall and proceeded to tighten the come-along slowly while I wiggled the sidepipe. Worked fine on both sides. No rubber mallet, no damage to the sidepipe outlet through the fender, no sweat and better yet no cursing!:LOL:

Phil from Phoenix