[T3] Muffler Nuts...

J. Jonik j_jonik at yahoo.com
Tue Oct 4 14:55:46 PDT 2016


Re/ '72 T-3 Standard....Muffler.
Muffler has bad rust holes, helped by one backfire (caused by absent-mindedly mis-plugged wire to coil).    Car sounds like Hell's Angels going up Hwy 101.   No muffler patch job this time.
Trouble is, unlike other times in the past doing muffler removal/replacement job, this time the two nuts holding the muffler to the Heat Exchange ducts Will Not Budge. 
 Got the right size flat wrench for the job...used 3 ft breaker bar...tried chiseling with heavy hand sledge...tried propane heat...tried hammering the wrench...nothing moved.  CRC or Liquid Wrench are no good because fluid won't go up-hill.
   Gave up and took car to nearby shop.  They tried a Six Foot breaker bar, with two big guys on the handle.  The car turned, but the nuts didn't.    Not sure what else they tried the second time, but they didn't want to use Serious Flame because of all the oil nearby.
   Plan now is to take muffler and heat exchangers off together....Soak the nuts on upside down assembly overnight with CRC or Liquid Wrench...and try getting the nuts off again...or having the garage guys give it another whack.
  Is it unimaginable that the nuts Will Never Come Loose?...that time, corrosion and heat welded the metal together forever?   Are there some secret VW tricks to do this job?   At least, with heat exchangers no longer bolted to engine, they won't get bent out of shape doing this job.

 Problem is that replacement Heat Exchangers may not be available for thousands of miles...and then will probably cost a fortune.  It was pure luck that got me the "new" unused muffler.
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