BobN said:
MY 98 OBLW has developed a hole in the mid-pipe, near the rear of the heat
shield. I'd like to repair this and avoid buying another pipe for a
while.
Can this be done?
As a first step, I know that I'll need to remove the heat shield. The
bolts
that fasten it to the pipe are so rusted though, that I can't get a wrench
on them. What is the best way to remove these?
Thanks.
It breaks this die-hard DIYer's heart to say this, but I'd take it to a
muffler shop. I've fought with exhaust systems before (I've never lived in a
rust area) and I've always felt it wasn't worth the fight when I was done.
The pipe is history, because there is a reason the hole formed: it is
rusting from the inside out. It never occurred to me that every hole I'd
ever seen in exhaust was on the bottom of something - never on the top -
until I realized it came from the condensation that was collecting there.
A pro will have that out in a twinkling of an eye with a cutting torch (and
without marking the good metal around it - a real art), will remove the pipe
and throw it on the scrap iron heap, then put in new pieces as needed.
If you ask around a bit, you will learn which shops are good and which just
want as much of your money as possible. I can't recommend any of the chains,
but is seems a lot of independents stay in business by doing a lot of good
work. Ironically, low prices for labor often mean they are good at what they
do; the labor rate is about the same, but less time spent. I know they do it
in less than a tenth the time it takes me.
Mike
