Exhaust bolts

Hello. I am sorry that this isn't about a Blazer. They don't have a spot for my car and everyone here has helped me before with my Blazer. My muffler broke off of my Geo Prizm today. I got the new one and tried to get the junk piece off. I had to take the rear tire off to get at it. I got the bolts to turn after using PB Blast and a pipe on the ratchet. So the bolts turn but the nuts are not budging. The heads started to strip. Vise grips do no good. I have the independant rear suspension, trunk, and gas tank right there so there is little room. The bolts go through the flanges because the muffler, tail pipe, and the pipe with the flange are a welded assembly. If you have any advice, I greatly apperciate it! Thank you!! Sorry for the double post.

Hello. I am sorry that this isn't about a Blazer. They don't have a spot for my car and everyone here has helped me before with my Blazer. My muffler broke off of my Geo Prizm today. I got the new one and tried to get the junk piece off. I had to take the rear tire off to get at it. I got the bolts to turn after using PB Blast and a pipe on the ratchet. So the bolts turn but the nuts are not budging. The heads started to strip. Vise grips do no good. I have the independant rear suspension, trunk, and gas tank right there so there is little room. The bolts go through the flanges because the muffler, tail pipe, and the pipe with the flange are a welded assembly. If you have any advice, I greatly apperciate it! Thank you!! Sorry for the double post.

If next to gas tank or if you have any gas leaks there be carefull.
A small 4" grinder works good for removing them bolts and stuff like that.
Just do not let the sparks go toward the tank.
MT

Thanks for the reply. There are no gas leaks. I got thinking about it more and got an idea. The bolt heads that are stripping are on the junk muffler flange side. I thought about cleaning it up and tacking them to the flange with the welder. That way I can break the nuts free or break the bolts and the junk pipe and bolts just slide out.

If next to gas tank or if you have any gas leaks there be carefull.
A small 4" grinder works good for removing them bolts and stuff like that.
Just do not let the sparks go toward the tank.
MT


Im kinda learly on the whole idea or any type of flame or spark under the car, ya never know if u have a gas leak untill its too late. Even some small gas leaks we cant even smell but they there. if u would do that, I would protect the tank as much as possible so nothing gets near it or the fuel lines

Sawzaw, thats what i used on my accord to get the cat off i just cut the bolts off. You could also use a an air chisel.

I soaked the studs on my Escort flange to no avail. In the end, my dad heated the threaded flange and I used a pipe wrench to turn the studs out. Regular wrenches just messed up the stud heads. The flats I put the wrench on rounded off each time and changed from 17 mm to an SAE size to 16 mm to SAE to 15 mm, which is why I ended up using a pipe wrench. Carbon steel bolts and washers replaced the bolts for easy removal next time - if they are too rusted, I'm using a grinder or a reciprocating saw.