280zx: Heatshield will not come off, three hardest bolts to get to are 100% stripped

[Jomz Shakes]

ok so the heatshield for the intake/exhaust manifold is the only thing holding me back from getting my header exhaust leak fixed, ive spent over 30 hours total trying to get this thing off and ive read every post about it.

 

heres the deal, the guy who sold me the car about 7-8 months back tried to get the header leak fixed but couldnt because the heatshield was a problem, he went ahead and STRIPPED ALL 3 BOLTS directly under the intake manifold for me, the hard ones to get to , the bolts right inbetween the intake and exhaust manifolds, the ones that you have to feel for to get.

 

ive tried tightening them til they snap -nothin..

ive tried cutting them with a long blade and a reciprocating saw at a nasty angle - nothin

ive tried getting real with it by putting a long pipe in there and trying to beat the out of it with a hammer to try and break the aluminum - nothing ive tried prying it to try and ripping the aluminum - nothing

ive bought a nice dremel kit with a long "flex shaft" attachment, ive proceeded to just chipping away at the top of the bolts but after 5 hours straight ive only gotten like the top half of the easiest bolt to get to.

what do i do !????

 

someone recommended an air chisel?? "thoughts?"

 

i want to get a plasma torch and just take my chances but i know it will instantly eat thru the intake manifold, ive got a ton of tools and none are helping me, its getting frustrating, any input would be really appreciated, hybridz.org couldn't help

[Aaron Datsun]

just a normal hack saw or just the blade?

[Z chopper]

are you able to get vise grips in that area? I have seen sure grip sockets and wrenches advertised that are suposed to grip even stripped bolt heads and nuts. If it is a bolt not a nut cut a straight line across the head and get in there with a flathead screwdriver, it is a pita but thats the best ideas I can think of.

[Pasquale]

Get a few cheap sockets and some red lock tight gel if you can get your hands on it jb weld works too. Pack the socket with the adhesive and press it onto the stripped bolts and tape them down clean out the excess so that you can fit the ratchet in the sockets let them cure for 24 hours and put your purse down lol. Now go forth my son.

 

 

Hope this helps duder.

[Jomz Shakes]

okay, its in between the intake runners and exhaust runners sooo close that i cant even get a thick round-ended wrench in there i have to use a open-end wrench.

 

if i got a socket on there, there would be no room for the ratchet to get under the socket.

 

ive rounded and ground down the closest bolt to the firewall between the intake and exhaust manifolds almost down all the way with my dremel with the flex attachment but it still wont break off the heatshield.

 

i need to know a clever way to get into this impossible area with something strong enough to chop these bolts OFF becuase there is now way they will spin now and when they do spin the just spin and spin with out ever comming out, its the craziest sh.

should i buy an airchisel and just go at them, or is there a safeway too use a plasma torch on these. !?!?

 

the socket w the jb weld is a great tool and im sure i will use that sometime, i need more cleverness like that but with chopping power in a narrow gap situation.

[I'm BLUE]

These bolts break a lot on me

 

if you get them out make sure to put anti-seize on whatever goes back in.

 

Time better well spent on other things if you have the space / tools / engine hoist to just yank it as a whole IF the header will clear

 

:)