Rubber exhaust mount (105148)... removal... help!

[Jonathan]

Good grief!! Could someone lend me some help and advice on how to get one of these rubber exhaust mounts removed?

The one I am struggling with is the upper right hand one. I have a new, replacement bracket to go in as the small crack that was developing in the original bracket has gotten steadily bigger. I got the bolts undone, but can't seem to slide this rubber mount off the peg/stud attached to the muffler.

Here is a pic of what I'm dealing with:

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It needs to go to the left, but wants to go to the right (which doesn't help). You can probably imagine that there is not a lot of wiggle room to get a good grip on this thing as it is. So I'm not having a lot of luck using brute strength. What's the smarter way to get this mount off?

It looks like this when new: http://store.delorean.com/p-6474-rubber-exhaust-mount.aspx

I have the new bracket, but not a new rubber exhaust mount. I expect to need to place an order for one though as I'm not likely going to want to reinstall the one I have after finally getting it off.

Can you see the little metal sleeve sort of thing around the muffler peg? Is that supposed to be inside the rubber mount? Like the portion that goes on the peg and then the rubber is between that and the outer metal ring that bolts to the actual muffler bracket? Mine is "accordianing" (is that even a word??) and coming apart. Thing is though, I can't get the metal sleeve to rotate and nor does the rubber portion itself either. When I get a grip on the mount, what spins (reluctantly) is the metal ring, but it's not turning the rubber much. Seems like that is the part that is sort of frozen to the muffler peg.

Any advice or suggestions? Thanks!!

[DMC-81]

Hi Jonathan,

Sure. The metal sleeve and the rubber are one unit, you want to slide the whole thing to the left. Rust has formed in between it and the post, plus the bushing's metal may have bent slightly. I'd suggest spraying some WD-40 or equivalent between the postand the metal sleeve and working (twisting) the bushing unit back and forth to loosen it. That's what I had to do.

In particular, the sleeve with the red arrow is what's freezing it up. Is it separated from the rest of the bushing/mount . If so, can you grab it with pliers to twist it?
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If it helps any, here's what a new one looks like installed..
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[David T]

Unless the rubber is all cracked up and missing you just replace the cracking support bracket and reuse the rubber bushing.

[Jonathan]

Hi Jonathan,

Sure. The metal sleeve and the rubber are one unit, you want to slide the whole thing to the left. Rust has formed in between it and the post, plus the bushing's metal may have bent slightly. I'd suggest spraying some WD-40 or equivalent between the postand the metal sleeve and working (twisting) the bushing unit back and forth to loosen it. That's what I had to do.

In particular, the sleeve with the red arrow is what's freezing it up. Is it separated from the rest of the bushing/mount . If so, can you grab it with pliers to twist it?
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If it helps any, here's what a new one looks like installed..
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Thanks Dana. That's helpful. Especially the picture of your new one installed.

I was pretty sure that metal sleeve was meant to be within the bushing, but wanted to double check. I did manage to get a decent grip on it with some channel locks, but just as I was about to heave up on it, I had second thoughts as to whether I was about to damage something that wasn't supposed to move. Thanks for confirming. I'll give the lubricant spray a go and try some more. Repeating as necessary to free it up. I bet you're right on the rust between the two metals. Most all of the fasteners on my car have been a lot of extra work to free up the first time I went to work on them. The list is getting shorter of areas I've not touched, but this bushing is still one of them.

I'll likely go ahead and just put a new one in even if it comes out and looks reuseable. I came frighteningly close the other day to getting creamed in an intersection when someone blew through a four-way stop, so I've been kind of looking for an excuse not to drive the car. Waiting on some parts is okie dokie with me for the time being.

Cheers.

[DMCMW Dave]

The bar on the muffler is stainless, but the sleeve is mild steel so it rusts and sticks to the stainless. If you really pull on it you'll separate the rubber from the sleeve. At that point you can often grab the sleeve with a pair of vice-grips and turn it off, cut it with a dremel and split it, or heat it with a torch and it will fall right off.

Honestly, if it has separated from the rubber you are supposed to replace it, but in that particular location the parts are pretty much mechanically held in alignment and even if the sleeve is separated from the rubber, it's not going anywhere.

But in your case the rubber appears to be destroyed already, so just do what you need to do to get it apart, clean up the stainless on the rod, apply a healthy dose of anti-sieze compound to help the next guy, and replace the bushing.

[sdg3205]

dremel it off and buy a new one. Take the family out for pizza with all the time you saved.

[Jonathan]

Wow, glad to have that step behind me! Finally got it all apart and off. Definitely took the Dremmel advice to get there too. Clipped and cut and trimmed until enough of it was apart and loose that it could be pulled out. Now just need the new bushing to arrive and I'm back in business!

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[opethmike]

I had a nightmare of a time with the same thing a few years ago. But in my case I simply used a sledge hammer, a large Hungarian man, and a bottle of vaseline.

[Josh]

angle grinder

*tim allen grunt*

[Jonathan]

Well that job is done. Good call on the anti-seize. Not sure I would have got it all in place without it. Needed to be able to move things around slightly one way or the other as I was getting it bolted down.

Is it just me or is that bracket totally not at the angle it needs to be??!! You can get the base bolted on to the block fine, but then the surface the rubber mount goes in is a fair ways off from being lined up straight with the muffler peg.

What fun would that be if things just actually fit? That's DeLoreans!!

[opethmike]

Well that job is done. Good call on the anti-seize. Not sure I would have got it all in place without it. Needed to be able to move things around slightly one way or the other as I was getting it bolted down.

Is it just me or is that bracket totally not at the angle it needs to be??!! You can get the base bolted on to the block fine, but then the surface the rubber mount goes in is a fair ways off from being lined up straight with the muffler peg.

What fun would that be if things just actually fit? That's DeLoreans!!

Should I send Pickles over?