been there , done it and have the t-shirt...
there is a ratchet that has a stationary handle with a turnable internal
section that allows you to work in these crazy tight spots.... that worked
for me...
good luck and you too with have the t-shirt.
Pat
75 Spitfire driving
75 Spitfire underway
74 Spitfire parts car
-----Original Message-----
From: Dean Dashwood <DDashwood@softwright.co.uk>
To: 'spitfires@autox.team.net' <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, March 30, 1999 11:32 AM
Subject: Exhaust secrets?
:
:Has anyone out there disconnected their exhaust pipe from the exhaust
:manifold? If you have, could you please let me in on the secret of how
:to remove the front bolt?
:
:Ok, maybe this needs a bit more explaination....
:
:The exhaust pipe is connected to the manifold by three bolts. One of
:these bolts comes off no problem. Another one (on my car, anyway) will
:come off once I use some brute force (and a bit of WD-40 maybe) to get
:it unstuck.
:
:But I just can't get to the third one at all. It is towards the front
:of the car, between the engine and the exhaust pipe. I can get a socket
:onto it, and I can get a ratchet over the socket, but the ratchet will
:only face forwards - with the front of the engine on one side, and the
:suspension arm on the other side. (If you try to get the ratchet to
:face any other way, the exhaust pipe gets in the way.) The problem is
:that when I turn the ratchet, there is so little room between the engine
:and the suspension arm for it to move in, that I can't get the bolt
:undone - any movement doesn't even take up the slack in the ratchet, let
:alone start to move the bolt.
:
:Has anyone else come across this problem, or is it just me????? Please
:tell me that I'm not the only one, and tell me how you got round the
:problem! My car is currently in pieces, and I really don't want to have
:to put it all back together again to take it to the garage and get them
:to take it all apart again and charge me a fortune for it!
:
:TIA
:
:Dean Dashwood
:'77 Spit 1500 (nearly, anyway!)
:----------------------------------
:
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