Catalytic Converter...

[OR VietVet]

Does my heart good to hear you changing out u-joints while the driveshaft is out. Might as well. Good call. I have no idea what the torque spec is for the nuts on the studs because I never did that. I just tightened them good and tight with the anti-seize on there and made sure the gaskets looked good at the same time. You did get gaskets, right?

 

[mijohnst]

George, do you think that a grade 8 nuts from Home Depot would be good? How about using a lock washer? I don't think adding one of those would hurt but then again, I don't know. I know to stay away from stainless steel on anything exhaust related.

Ron, I see I'm going to have fun trying to get that factory plastic pressed u-joints out. lol The new ones I purchased form Rockauto are the kind with the grease nipple. I did order gaskets off Amazon a day after I bought the catalytic converter you recommended because I hadn't realized it didn't come with two of them. It did come with the gasket on the left side, however. For the first time ever, Amazon lost my order and my parts never arrived so I've had to reorder the one gasket for the right side...so I have to wait until Saturday. There isn't a gasket for the muffler connection, correct?

 

[BG1988]

Was installing that Flowmaster muffler a big deal? I'm looking for a youtube but haven't found any installs howtos yet. That either means I need to take it somewhere for welding or it's so easy that nobody would need to make a how-to for it.

don;t let the shop have the old one they are worth a pretty penny as the price as skyrocketed on the metals used in them you can get 250$ for a scrap one

 

[George B]

George, do you think that a grade 8 nuts from Home Depot would be good? How about using a lock washer? I don't think adding one of those would hurt but then again, I don't know. I know to stay away from stainless steel on anything exhaust related.

Ron, I see I'm going to have fun trying to get that factory plastic pressed u-joints out. lol The new ones I purchased form Rockauto are the kind with the grease nipple. I did order gaskets off Amazon a day after I bought the catalytic converter you recommended because I hadn't realized it didn't come with two of them. It did come with the gasket on the left side, however. For the first time ever, Amazon lost my order and my parts never arrived so I've had to reorder the one gasket for the right side...so I have to wait until Saturday. There isn't a gasket for the muffler connection, correct?

The grade 8 nuts are good. No real meed for lock washers.

you will need to use heat to get those U-Joints out.

 

[OR VietVet]

George, do you think that a grade 8 nuts from Home Depot would be good? How about using a lock washer? I don't think adding one of those would hurt but then again, I don't know. I know to stay away from stainless steel on anything exhaust related.

Ron, I see I'm going to have fun trying to get that factory plastic pressed u-joints out. lol The new ones I purchased form Rockauto are the kind with the grease nipple. I did order gaskets off Amazon a day after I bought the catalytic converter you recommended because I hadn't realized it didn't come with two of them. It did come with the gasket on the left side, however. For the first time ever, Amazon lost my order and my parts never arrived so I've had to reorder the one gasket for the right side...so I have to wait until Saturday. There isn't a gasket for the muffler connection, correct?

There will be a gasket at all 3 connections. Anytime you have a flat flange connection, there should be a gasket. No need for the lock washer. Recheck nut and bolt tightness after a few drives and come to full heat.

Like George said, the old u-joints need to be heated to melt that plastic collar that is holding the joint caps in place. Look for and watch 2-3 you tube videos to see how it is done. Do not look straight down at the cap when heating. I have seen them be under enough pressure that when the heated plastic lets go that cap can pop out of there.

 

[mijohnst]

don;t let the shop have the old one they are worth a pretty penny as the price as skyrocketed on the metals used in them you can get 250$ for a scrap one

$250 for scrap? Really? That's almost more then I paid for the new ones. lol

 

[OR VietVet]

If that would create a problem for you, I will gladly accept that $250 check so you don't have to look at it.

 

[George B]

There will be a gasket at all 3 connections. Anytime you have a flat flange connection, there should be a gasket. No need for the lock washer. Recheck nut and bolt tightness after a few drives and come to full heat.

Like George said, the old u-joints need to be heated to melt that plastic collar that is holding the joint caps in place. Look for and watch 2-3 you tube videos to see how it is done. Do not look straight down at the cap when heating. I have seen them be under enough pressure that when the heated plastic lets go that cap can pop out of there.

And one of these is great for doing U-Joints nut not necessary.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/4-in-1-B...0wLWlgNzhAA5eR87RYopiuZwptDFiTZIaAvVGEALw_wcB

 

[Wylie_Tahoe]

A quality thread chaser should not remove any material, unless a crest is flattened into the thread root, but will not cut the root deeper or the crest of the down. I would not use a thread cutting die.

Anti-seize will actually yield a more accurate torque as it relieves the friction between the stud and nut.

 

[OR VietVet]

And one of these is great for doing U-Joints nut not necessary.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/4-in-1-B...0wLWlgNzhAA5eR87RYopiuZwptDFiTZIaAvVGEALw_wcB

Those are very handy tools. Have used them many times.

 

[George B]

A quality thread chaser should not remove any material, unless a crest is flattened into the thread root, but will not cut the root deeper or the crest of the down. I would not use a thread cutting die.

Anti-seize will actually yield a more accurate torque as it relieves the friction between the stud and nut.

Yes, anti-seize will relieve the friction but most torque values listed are for "dry" fasteners. There is something to be said about reducing the torque value when fasteners are lubricated. The chart below is an example of this.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/torque-lubrication-effects-d_1693.html

 

[wjburken]

A quality thread chaser should not remove any material, unless a crest is flattened into the thread root, but will not cut the root deeper or the crest of the down. I would not use a thread cutting die.

Anti-seize will actually yield a more accurate torque as it relieves the friction between the stud and nut.

Agree with using a thread chaser. Chasing threads with a regular cutting for should not cause any major issues if you’re careful but a chasing die is a little more fool proof.

I do not agree with the comment about getting a more accurate torque with anti-seize. When torquing a bolt, one needs to understand if the torque spec is a dry torque or a lubricated torque spec. Most torque specs given for our vehicles are dry torque specs. If the threads are lubricated, you should actually back off on the torque applied to a bolt as you could actually over clamp the part or over stress the bolt.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/amp/torque-lubrication-effects-d_1693.html

 

[wjburken]

Yes, anti-seize will relieve the friction but most torque values listed are for "dry" fasteners. There is something to be said about reducing the torque value when fasteners are lubricated. The chart below is an example of this.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/torque-lubrication-effects-d_1693.html

Didn’t see your post until after I posted. Looks like you and I are on the same page.

 

[OR VietVet]

While I completely agree with the torque spec being effected by lube I also think that is more or very critical in applications like head bolts and intake bolts....etc. The torque on these exhaust flange bolts is not nearly as critical. In all my years in a shop I never torqued to spec an exhaust flange bolt and had no problems doing so. The torque spec argument is a solid subject for all kinds of other mechanical applications but here, not so much.

 

[George B]

While I completely agree with the torque spec being effected by lube I also think that is more or very critical in applications like head bolts and intake bolts....etc. The torque on these exhaust flange bolts is not nearly as critical. In all my years in a shop I never torqued to spec an exhaust flange bolt and had no problems doing so. The torque spec argument is a solid subject for all kinds of other mechanical applications but here, not so much.

Agree 100%

 

[mijohnst]

If that would create a problem for you, I will gladly accept that $250 check so you don't have to look at it.

I wouldn't even know who to sell these old ones to. It's funny now that I think about it that all the junk cars I've been crawling in and around have those catalytic converters all cut out. Duh...

Thanks for the link on the ball joint servicer tool. I usually rent one from Autozone but I might as well just buy one.

 

[JonnyTahoe]

Didn’t see your post until after I posted. Looks like you and I are on the same page.

If you have ever been to a NHRA event and watched the crew install the cylinder heads they brush on some kind of lube to each stud before installing the nuts. And its not like the studs are old or damaged they are brand new. Then they torque them.

 

[OR VietVet]

But, you can bet that they know how that lube will effect the torque and allow for that during the torque sequence/process. I too have been in the pits and watched at NHRA drag race events and seen them tear down and rebuild the entire block that was left in the frame. I went to a drag race in Independence, Mo. at the old KCIR-Kansas City International Raceway, and watched "Big Daddy" Don Garlits and Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney race their top fuel cars. I used to see items that their crews would throw away and spectators would rummage in the big trash barrels and save those parts.

That response got messed up real quick. It is not part of the quote.

 

[wjburken]

If you have ever been to a NHRA event and watched the crew install the cylinder heads they brush on some kind of lube to each stud before installing the nuts. And its not like the studs are old or damaged they are brand new. Then they torque them.

Yes. ARP bolts are designed to be used with a proprietary lube that they developed to provide a very consistent clamping force based strictly on torque. This is different than the typical Torque to Yield (TTY) bolts where you tighten to a prescribed torque and then turn the bolt to a prescribe angle.

 

[OR VietVet]

TTY bolts are what we used to call "stretch bolts", like a rubber band that is stretched and holds that tension with the pull of the stretch. I know the other bolts stretch a bit as well but not like the TTY bolts. That just meant I had to but a different set of torque wrenches when that all came out and an angle gauge for 1/2" and 3/8".