[mrblanche]

So, I worked for most of a day trying to get any of the air injection lines disconnected from the exhaust manifold. No luck. As predicted, a sawzall looks like the solution.

However, when I cut the first one off and put the muscle on the plug to screw it out, it broke. The plug, that is. Now I need to decide if it's worth it to try to use an easy-out, drill it out, or apply JB Weld. Any good ideas?

 

[ccc]

if you dont need the air tubes just cut them flush with the manifold and braze them shut. jbweld will burn right off

 

[jpmdaddy]

are you using a 6pt socket on it? Thought for sure mine would break off, but liquid wrench and a good socket did the trick.

Brazing it probably works better than pipe fitting plugs

 

[BillyJack]

I did mine a quite a few years ago. My solution required a bit of work, but the results required no welding, were permanent and reasonably attractive (at least as attractive as an exhaust manifolds could be). Remove the manifolds from the motor and remove any of the fittings you can remove. For any that can't be removed, cut 'em off and grind them flush or with a bit of a countersink. Drill through the fitting and through the cast iron manifold material with a 5/16 drill. Tap the holes with a 3/8-16 tap. Buy some 3/8-16 set screws from your local hardware store. Get some POR-15 Fire seal, an exhaust manifold repair putty, and some POR-15 manifold paint. After everything's wire-brushed and scrubbed clean, Coat the threads of the setscrews with the Fire Seal and insert them in your tapped holes slightly recessed from the surface. Use the Fire Seal to fill the depression and smooth the surface. Paint the entire manifold and the bolt heads with the manifold paint and install after sufficient cure time. Done well, nobody will ever know you had AIR ports, as it will look like the bosses for the ports were cast in the manifold but never drilled for the fittings. I even passed State of PA visual emission inspection, as it looked like there never was an AIR system there.

Bill

 

[Bobby78]

Or you could just pick up a set of older manifolds. My 78 doesn't have them. Find someone that swapped theirs out for headers and you could probably get them free.

 

[gjwilson84]

Go to Autozone or your local parts place and get oil pan plugs. I think I used 1/2" x 20 plugs and they worked well because they have the same inverted flare threads as the smog tube fittings do.

 

[MikesElco94]

Bought iron pipe plugs at home depot, they are 1/4" NPT pipe plug fittings;

I would try getting them out first, or if all else fails do what Bob or Bill says, can't go wrong either way. I had to be really careful when I did this since its my daily, plenty of PB blaster and no problems. Let them soak over night, might get the rest out with no issues and if you want you may just end up tapping only one of them.

 

[mrblanche]

Well, I got all but that one out. After the first one, I remember an old mechanic's trick on such thing. First tighten them a little, then try to loosen them. They all cam out just fine.

The one that didn't showed signs of already have a crack, rust on the surface of the break. So... I don't have access to what it takes to braze them, and I don't think my mig welder would do anything good.

Looks like what I need is Permatex High Temp Metal Repair Compound.

 

[jmchevy]

I removed my AIR plug fittings several years ago, all but one came out easy and I plugged the holes with pipe thread plugs. The one fitting that the hex head broke off of as soon as I started on, I had left enough of the cut air tube sticking out to just crimp the end closed with vise grips, so far Ive had no leaks. Ive seen an old work truck with all 8 tubes cut off and crimped shut which I guess is the easiest but its awful ugly that way.