Ford Explorer, Maintaince And Repair Manual

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Example of a common slip joint type system
Raise and support the vehicle safely, as necessary for access. Remember that some longer exhaust
pipes may be difficult to wrestle out from under the vehicle if it is not supported high enough. 1.
If you haven't already, apply a generous amount of penetrating oil or solvent to any rusted fasteners. 2.
On flange joints, carefully loosen and remove the retainers at the flange. If bolts or nuts are difficult to
break loose, apply more penetrating liquid and give it some additional time to set. If the fasteners still
will not come loose an impact driver may be necessary to jar it loose (and keep the fastener from
breaking). 3.
When unbolting the headpipe from the manifold, make sure that the bolts are free before trying to
remove them. If you snap a stud in the exhaust manifold, the stud will have to be removed with a bolt
extractor, which often means removal of the manifold itself.
On slip joint components, remove the mounting U−bolts from around the exhaust pipe you are
extracting from the vehicle. Don't be surprised if the U−bolts break while removing the nuts. 4.
Loosen the exhaust pipe from any mounting brackets retaining it to the floor pan and separate the
components. Slight twisting and turning may be required to remove the component completely from
the vehicle. You may need to tap on the component with a rubber mallet to loosen it. If all else fails,
use a hacksaw to separate the parts. An oxy−acetylene cutting torch may be faster but the sparks are
DANGEROUS near the fuel tank, and at the very least, accidents could happen, resulting in damage
to the under−vehicle parts, not to mention yourself. 5.
When installing exhaust components, you should loosely position all components before tightening
any of the joints. Once you are certain that the system is run correctly, begin tightening the fasteners
at the front of the vehicle and work your way back. 6.
Chilton® Automotive Information Systems. © 2004 Thomson Delmar Learning.
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