[T3] Muffler Nuts...

[Keith Park]

The trick is to cut off the muffler leaving the inlets in the heater boxes,
you can now get at the inside of the pipes that lead out of the heater
boxes,  Propane is about as good as farting on them, you need an Oxy torch
and get them RED HOT, dont melt them but glowing red, then as soon as they
cool to dark get the wrench on there and they will come loose.

Clean away any oil that you need to to do this, and keep a fire extinguisher

handy.

KEith


Topnotch Restorations
topnotch at nycap.rr.com
http://www.a383ina68.addr.com/radiorest/main.htm
71 Squareback  “Hothe”
65 Notchback  “El Baja Rojo”
93 RX7  “Redstur”
87 Golf  “Winterat”
 
-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org [mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org]
On Behalf Of J. Jonik
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2016 5:56 PM
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: [T3] Muffler Nuts...

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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