Ok, so, if anyone was wondering about doing the v6 manifold - dont.

The exhaust-head bolts are rediculous. 12mm crap (not like on the gen 1 where theyre great big beefy things that have easy access) and just round off.

Any advice for how to get these off other than cut?

Give them all a bloody good overnight soaking with Plusgas then (if you can) try to get some heat on it - small gas blowtorch or similar to 'shock' it free. I have also used freeze spray but this can be a bit dodgy, works at temps below -40C so be careful. If you've access to a welder, try welding another nut onto the rounded one - might pay to disconnect the ECU for that one though...

Try a 12 point socket, they seem to find grip where others fail. Maybe get a smaller one and hammer it over the nut.

Consider or similar, available at most decent tool shops, or screwfix etc. They are a kinda like sockets with curving blades inside made from Tungsten Carbide or something. They are left hand engagement so as you turn the socket it bites into the nut/bolt head harder and harder so will always overcome any rounded head.

If all else fails, nut-spitters or hacksaw. Don't forget the Copperslip when refitting

can you access the bolt?
Out of all the methods i've come across i find its easiest to drill down either the front face of the nut (as close as poss) as smack it with a chisel .
or even better drill 3 small holes into the nut face (this is best if you have a new stud) and smack with a chisel.

the irwin nut F***ERS are good also but if its 12mm then you may struggle.


disconnect the battery and leave for 30 mins when welding on any vehicle .

johny

great cheers guys - i did contemplate dremeling off the nut, but in the end i couldnt be bothered as all the others nuts are soft also - even with a socket dead flat on (cleaned up, wire brushed etc) its almost asif the shape is just that little bit too small, and you feel it slip, only to reveal a slightly rounder version of what was there before - not a happy bunny!

Tell you what, these v6's are a BITCH to change the headers

if you have replacement bolts then as Rik says, try an 11mm 12 point socket, knock it on with a hammer and the odds of it rounding off are minimal. you will need some good pliers to drag the bolt out of the socket afterwards!

yeah, i tried that, but, thers about a gnats balls distance between the bolt head and the rad fans - so getting a hammer in with teh angles its at is real hard -

Im just gonna get hold of 14 studs and 14 bolts, and go from there. Might actually be easier to get the whole stud out then put a new one in rather than undoing the nuts - but as a last resort.

^^^ That's the biggest PITA with V6's and FWD, try accesing the front bank on a Laguna 3.0v6

+1 for the new studs, just grind/cut the old ones off and twist the stubs out the head, left hand threads

Yeah, laguna v6 is shocking . Coil pack by any chance? You ought to try the knock sensor loom on a g35 skyline worse than any clutch master cylinder(which i'm on with at the fecking minute):@

Johny

Nah, nothing like - was just looking to see how much of a swine it'd be to fit better headers. It was the intermittant autobox fault that made me get shot of that one, nice car though...