I've gone about starting the disassembly and reassembly of the turbo, lines etc.. now that it's been on a bit, and working just fine.... so time to insulate the turbo, install the turbo oil restrictor, paint the oil scavange pump mount... etc.

The last time I've been into this stuff, other than the oil scavange pump install, was installing the O2 sensor in the 'dump pipe'. Recall, ATP HD turbo advertises either a dump pipe or full exhaust, your choice....

I chose the full exhaust, but was given the dump pipe.. and reiteriated I wanted a full exhaust..... after a longer story, some extra $, a full exhaust was put on, and not the one I was told I would get (2 1/2" Area P). A 2 1/4" was put on.

Well, I go about today to remove all the tid-bits, and come to the exhaust flange-exhaust pipe, since it is all one unit. I torqued the exhaust flange on the turbo-to dump pipe, when I last put the dump pipe back up. to about 25 ft/lbs.. easy on and easy off.

So.... I'm into the removal... all things going well, and I get to the exhaust flange exhaust pipe one unit that Harry put on.

All of the nuts come off.. and there are a few allen head bolts in place of the typical header bolts and nuts. As Murphy's Law goes, all come off, one allen head very difficultly since it was torqued so tight and had no anti-seizure applied.. and then the last, upper inside allen head. It is on with a vengence.

I have tried about everything I know... a little tightening first, put all back on and snug up and try this one first - via all methods, blah blah blah... heat, smack it with a rubber mallet, hammer..... nada.

My impact wrench, at 200 ft/lbs could not budge it. At 250 plus, with a vice grip wrench on the post, stripped it.

What is so hard about torquing these damn things to specs? and or using anti-seizure if you want a bit more torque?

I am so pissed.

* Last updated by: JDC on 7/22/2009 @ 8:57 PM *

Ouch,,,,,,Now I guess you drill ?

OOPS again ..

Before you drill, would it be possible to weld a nut on the stud so you had something there to get a get the impact wrench on? If that seems possible, I'd try that along with heating the stud with a torch again.

If that can't work, drilling in the exhaust would be another PITA but I don't see why you'd have to worry much about where the metal shavings were falling.

I'd like to weld a cap on but it's too far in so I think I am levt with drilling the cap off... Fortunately there is a straight angle shot I think to get a long bit into....

Another thought- if the threads in the piece are a little deeper than you want to risk drilling through and staying perfectly parallel, you could try drilling a smaller, shallower hole in the stud and then tap reverse threads for a smaller reverse threaded bolt. Screw the smaller bolt in and now you have something to turn on with an impact driver.

Sounds like it would be a touchy procedure but safer if you don't want to risk drilling into the threads on your part.

Good idea. The bolt is in about 8-`10" and at a little angle. I wish it were straight in. I had considered tapping it. I think since it tops on the exhaust flange, which is about 3/8-1/2" thick, I will drill the top off if I can, remove the exhaust and turbo and then replace the bolt and or put in a proper stud. I can see that this one allen head bolt, and the other allen head bolt both look to have had the heads shaved so the allen head cup was pretty shallow.

I believe the allen head bolts were used because the side wall of the flange on those two spots did not allow enough room for a standard stud with nut to be spun on or off! I think I'll check and see if there is enough thickness to the side wall, to grind away for a stud/nut to be used.

I hope to get back to it tomorrow. Chores for the honey today.

I'm looking forward to getting the turbo insulated/wrapped and have though of a hopefully better solution fo the gauges, as well.

* Last updated by: JDC on 7/23/2009 @ 5:29 PM *