Thanks to everyone for the advice on this one. A jointed, or
"flexible", ratchet solved the problem.
A piece of advice for everyone out there - make sure you have the right
tools for the job! I was stuck for days on this problem - could not
figure out any way round it. But as soon as I had the correct tool, the
problem just disappeared! Only trouble is - tools are expensive, and
I'd rather spend the money on parts........
>----------
>From: Dean Dashwood
>Sent: 30 March 1999 19:43
>To: 'spitfires@autox.team.net'
>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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