old headers wont come apart
 

so ya, i just posted on the "LT1's are SOOO easy to work on" thread and now i'm asking the rest of you who didn't read that (sry for the attitude, very very very very frustrated now)

so tonight i decided to start the process of replacing my starter motor because of the scary sounds it makes when starting up (yes, don't fix it untill it break, completely that is) but its got jet hot coated hooker shorty headers on it with y pipe and all...

ok so i'm pulling out the bolts, i'd say one to 2 every hour (total of 8 that hold it in). I started with the y-pipe to cat connection and that was fairly easy, then i moved to driver side y-pipe to header bolts... one was already loose and the other was a fairly easy break so that was that.... then i move over to the passenger side y-pipe to header connection... HOLY MOTHER OF GOD... so i got one bolt out, and i can't for the life of me get anything to get a hold of the other bolt to break it loose... and it was really ticking me off till i finally just went for the 02's. driver side.. easy break loose... came right out (i plan to replace them while i have everything apart) so then i go to the passenger.. the bastard won't break loose.. so i'm laying under my car cursing to the people who put the thing in why they didn't use anti-seeze or or w.e. is wrong. sure enough. the thing strips. (then i got my parents yelling at me about patience... ha, right, patience) lost that on the 5th bolt.

SO my arms are black, my fingers are aching/bleeding kinda open wounds and the like. and i'm stuck halfway through this wondering how the hell i'm going to finish it. sorry such a long post, but venting keeps me from poping :cry:

let me know if any of you have a clue as to what i can do to fix any of this... I'd say the headers have been on there for about 5 or 6 years from the rust on them (the y-pipe is almost completely uncoated now)
thanks again

Re: old headers wont come apart
 

Pulling a Y-pipe is one of the easier jobs on the LT1. Just wait until you get real deep and have a problem like that.

Sounds like you probably didnt soak them in penetrating oil the night before, and the bolts are probably rusted in real good.

Might have to take it in and have someone put some heat on them or drill them out, thats only if you exhaust other options before (like using heat and special socktets that craftsman makes to get out stripped bolts, or drilling a hole in it and using an easy-out bit.)

Hope this helps and keep working on the patience,
james

Re: old headers wont come apart
 

ya.. used kroyle oil... lol... the best stuff you can buy... half a can.. now i'm looking at like.. eh... longtubes/y-pips assemblies. maybe, we'll see, cuz they AINT commin loose!!

thanks though

Re: old headers wont come apart
 

I have sooo been there. It can really suck. I once had all my torque converter bolt shear off and had to try and drill those out under the car. Ended up getting a nice metal spilnter stuck in my eyeball(safety glasses?) Had to go to E.R. to get removed. Anyway like it was mentioned before soak the sh*t out of those bolts in penetrating lube and try to use any method you can(heat from propane torch sometimes help) to not break off bolts.