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Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:32 pm

So the tab on my sidewinder exhaust snapped the weld and now my muffler bounces all over the place. I am trying to remove the j tube so I can weld it back on but the slip fit into the merged part of the header has gotten a little tighter. Does anyone have an easy way to pull apart two slip fit exhaust pipes that are still on the car?

Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:10 pm

No ideas?

Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:12 pm

BFH?? :D

Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:27 pm

NOTW wrote: BFH?? :D

I was just thinking that he needed a bigger hammer... :P

I'm sure you tried all the basics... anti-sieze sprays, heating, and whatnot.. if there's nothing actually holding it, you're just gonna have to yank harder until it comes loose..

Thu Jul 15, 2010 6:46 pm

BF rubber hammer.

Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:47 pm

Make a relief cut with a cut off wheel?

Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:08 pm

It's a brand new sidewinder that is powdercoated. It has maybe 50 miles on it. There is no rust or anything on it. I tried a rubber mallet but there's not really a way to hit it.

Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:30 pm

Try calling Tiger at A1, I'll bet he knows.

714 836-7201

Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:55 pm

if you can get the flange separated from the head somehow, even a little bit, wedge a big f'in screw driver in there and pry the thing off. maybe get a propane torch and heat the outermost sleeve of the slip fit part, that may give you a little extra clearance to work with as well.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:48 am

Remove the nuts at the cylinder head exhaust port. Wedge a block of wood (I use a 2x4 approximately 8" long) into the curve of the J-pipe at an angle, getting as straight as you can, to force the pipe forward. Hit with a steel hammer repeatedly and it will come loose.

In the future, use antiseize liberally on the slip fit and it will come apart easier (also helps seal the slip fit, in my experience). I use this method on my ceramic coated Bugpack header, as I've changed camshafts several times (for racing) and it makes removal of the J-pipe much easier and doesn't damage the ceramic coating. Good luck!

Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:01 am

Angle grinder and cut off wheel.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:41 am

Why not just take it off the car, repair it, and be done with it? That's the only advice you'd get from me being a process person with OCD.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:09 am

I am trying to take it off the car. Did you even read the original question? I'm having trouble taking the j tube off of the car so that I can fix the weld.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:02 pm

wompninja wrote: I am trying to take it off the car. Did you even read the original question? I'm having trouble taking the j tube off of the car so that I can fix the weld.
Cut the J tube in half and buy a new one. They're dirt cheap.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:07 pm

it's probably just in a bind !!! it needs to be straight, try up , down ,left right, all at the same time. use orange hi temp silocone, it seals it and lets it flex and come appart easy. and get a lighter muffler & support it better. I have seen some way to heavy mufflers hanging in the exhaust. where is the exhaust hanging?? on the heads !! I have seen and experanced leaking heads due to the exhaust binding up the heads, remember the size of the head studs& thier torque?? and how long they are? make sure there is no binding, and try to support the ex any way you can there is a lot of leaverage hanging out there trying to twist the heads. just a thought & observation of expereance. good luck

Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:32 pm

Here's what a sidewinder exhaust looks like for those who don't know. This is before I put the engine in the car. It's now a little harder to access.

I thought about supporting the muffler another way but I'm not sure where to bolt it to. It seems like bolting it to the body would be a bad idea since the engine moves independently from the body. Wouldn't this cause extra stress on the header?

Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:50 pm

wompninja wrote: I am trying to take it off the car. Did you even read the original question? I'm having trouble taking the j tube off of the car so that I can fix the weld.

Ah, sorry. Reading forums while putting out fires bit me in the arse once again.

I'd use a little heat to expand the metal around the J tube.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 2:24 pm

wompninja wrote: I thought about supporting the muffler another way but I'm not sure where to bolt it to. It seems like bolting it to the body would be a bad idea since the engine moves independently from the body. Wouldn't this cause extra stress on the header?

connecting it rigidly to the body would probably be a bad idea, but if you want ot ad some support and still allow for movement.. you have multiple mcgyver choices..

use a strip of an old car tire as a hanger, if that's still too rigid, get an old bicycle inner tube, cut it into strips and glue em together to make layers (gorrila snot between the layers, clamp em tight while it cures), that way you can make it costum thickness/rigidity, or look around, I'm sure someone somewhere will charge you a good amount of money to give you a commercially manufactured version of one of these homebrews :P

Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:43 pm

Rubber mallet is what I always use when they're stuck like that. Not only hit the pipe away from the joint, but also tap around on the slip joint itself while pulling on the J-pipe at the same time.

Enough time, and it will come off. Like said above, antisieze on the joint will save you time and effort in the future.

Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:04 am

wompninja wrote:

I thought about supporting the muffler another way but I'm not sure where to bolt it to. It seems like bolting it to the body would be a bad idea since the engine moves independently from the body. Wouldn't this cause extra stress on the header?

Bolting it to the body (even with a rubber strap) would make it tear the hanger of the muffler, been there 10 year ago :cry: