Hate to ask such a silly question, but my stock exhaust rusted out and I was dragging my tail pipe by the rear rubber mount. So, I found another complete exhaust from a salvage yard and am ready to bolt it on, I have all the nuts removed from both the exhaust clamps but nothing will budge, before or after the muffler and not even the soot trap clamp- I even put the nuts back on finger tight and swung a splitting mall at them so hard Im worried about breaking the manifold- all with no results! Is there a trick other than the saw? Everything has been sprayed down with PB blaster, but its pretty rusted together.
thanks guys, still love the old 12v as it now has classic car insurance offers the mail.

 

Lots of beating, I never had much luck getting it split. If it is stock, I think it is one piece welded from the intermediate pipe ( behind Cat. ) back, so no splitting it, and from the Cat forward is one pipe, hard to wiggle out unless truck is on a lift.

 

Good luck, I just added the tail section on my 89 because it was rusted out. Didn't have to mess with the down tube.

 

I had to sazaell both clamps in half, pry them apart and then saw the muffler off, then saw the piece of 4" overlapping the rear of the cat and pried that off the cat. Geese what a pain but I got it! Question, my downpipe just rear of the turbo is firmly pressing on some black fiberglass matting thats on the passenger side of the pipe- should I be concerned?

 

Joe, I would see that as a possible problem. My down tube isn't close to anything.

 

I only have a hour or two per week to work on this truck, last week I sawed the muffler off and thought I had it, but now I cant get the cat off the front pipe- clamp is gone, but its like there is some sort of spiral crease on both the cat and pipe? Maybe the clamp caused this? ITs loose, wiggles big time but will not budge, even hooked a come-a-long to the receiver hitch and pounded the pipe as my friend cranked away, and nothing! I got my phone up above the pipe and took a picture, is this a centering tab?

 

Here is my Downpipe from under the truck, unlike yours mine is flat pressing on the fire wall and stays tight along the passenger floorboard. Wonder if the entire pipe was smashed during the last owners wreck (rear ended)

 

Yes the crease is from the unbolt style clamp. That's why I like the band clamps you don't get the crease.
Are you going to reuse your current cat and down pipe? If not I would sawzall the cat off and then drop the down pipe.
If you have to reuse one I would take a stout pry bar or chisel and hammer it into the joint to try and bend the outer pipe away from the inner.

I have never seen a down pipe, or any part of the exhaust come in contact with the body or frame intentionally. But it is possible that you can loosen the down pipe at the turbo and reposition it to get it away from the floor.

 

I have tried to loosen the bolts on the downpipe, but they are rusted to the point im worried id break them- the downpipe is indeed pressing on the firewall matting- I suppose its fire resistant enough as iv been drivieng it- my downpipe isn't nearly as curved as redtruck's

 

Take the V clamp off and bring out adapter with downpipe, then you can use an oxy torch to heat it up, bolt should come out easily then.

 

Getting old exhaust apart is almost impossible without slicing the outer piece with a cut off wheel. Tap all the way aroun the joint after spraying and wail away.

My down pipe had the same curve as yours, redtruck's looks like a first gen. I've got a little more room between it and the firewall though. The bolted connection to the adapter on the turbo ( the peice with 2 frozen bolts stuck in it) has some adjustment. Sort of like a ball in cup joint. If you can loosen it drop the down pipe a bit, might shorten overall length. The motor is gonna flex, need some space around the down pipe.

 

Gotcha, you know what- maybe when I was hammering the cat off it pulled the downpipe towards the firewall. I will pull it apart and check it out asap