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removing 88 exhaust

K2fender

NAXJA Forum User
Location
United States
I need help taking off the exhaust on my 88 cherokee. I have the bolts from the down pipe to the next pipe removed, and all the bolts on the hangers. There are two bolts on one side of the cat that connect the cat to some part of the t-case crossmember. I cant get them removed. Any suggestions. I gotta get this exhaust off intact. This is really urgent, THANKS!
 
The support from the cat to the crossmember goes through a donut-type rubber mount. You can cut the support and push the remainder through the donut, and weld a new one on when you put the exhaust up again. Otherwise, you can drop the crossmember and unbolt the tranny mount/exhaust donut and slide the donut off the support. When reinstalling it, it helps to lube the donut up a bit before putting the support in.

Jim
 
If the system is OEM, the cat connects to the downpipe with four (4) bolts, two of which connect only the two sides of the flange and the other two of which also tie into a bracket on the tranny mount. The bolts are 5/16" x 1-1/2. Just put a heavy duty 6-point impact socket on each side and snap them off. I replace with SS bolts from Lowe's, and use anti-sieze on them. Doesn't help much, they still corrode after three or four years. But bolts are cheap -- don't go sawing brackets or anything, that's the expensive approach to a simple problem.

You should not have to unbolt anything else. The tailpipe has two hangers welded on that just slide into the rubber cushions. The one at the very tip uses a muffler clamp. Again, just break off the bolts (or the two ends of the single u-bolt, actually) and toss it. Install a new muffler clamp when reinstalling.
 
Concur, EXCEPT...

Instead of stainless, use brass bolts. With Never-Seez or without, I've not ha any trouble getting them to let go several years later.

I've been using brass hardware for undercar exhaust for over 20 years, and haven't had any trouble with it. Since the torques used for installation are so damn low, material strength isn't an issue.

Since heating and slowly cooling brass actually makes it slightly harder (as opposed to slightly softer, like steel,) you don't lose strength.

Since the heat dries brass, corrosion isn't an issue.

If you really want, you can use stainless nuts on brass bolts, since brass won't gall or seize on steel. But, that's another story (I'd not use stainless bolts, since you'll still get the corrosion problem when you go to knock them out.)

I use brass hardware where possible all through the exhuast system, and silicon bronze for mounting the manifolds. No trouble here...

5-90
 
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