Exhaust Removal, Welded together exhaust pipes!

[Frank R.]

Okay I am trying to remove exhaust pipes on my 1971 Corvette, the owner before me seems to have had a solid welded exhaust system installed. It is welded from below the exhaust manifold all the way back to the exhaust tips (everything), so I can not take it apart. As we know the exhaust goes through the frame below the auto transmission Frame bracket (transmission support). I can unbolt the exhaust manifold from the pipes.
My question: I do see that on the bottom of this transmission support frame rail there is a bottom plate that bolts under the side frame rails (on both ends). If I remove the two bolts and try to lower this bottom plate/ part of this transmission support rail can I then lower the exhaust out of the two holes it goes through under the transmission. Will the transmission be supported and okay. I am thinking I might through this exhaust away because it is done wrong but it is fairly new and has really nice after market mufflers. I am hoping to not have to cut the pipe into sections. Please let me know ASAP as I am already to make the next move.
Car is a 71 LS5 auto.
One last point the two pipes have also been welded together after the transmission rail together so they are basically completely welded together!

[Joe L.]

Re: Exhaust Removal, Welded together exhaust pipes!

Okay I am trying to remove exhaust pipes on my 1971 Corvette, the owner before me seems to have had a solid welded exhaust system installed. It is welded from below the exhaust manifold all the way back to the exhaust tips (everything), so I can not take it apart. As we know the exhaust goes through the frame below the auto transmission Frame bracket (transmission support). I can unbolt the exhaust manifold from the pipes.
My question: I do see that on the bottom of this transmission support frame rail there is a bottom plate that bolts under the side frame rails (on both ends). If I remove the two bolts and try to lower this bottom plate/ part of this transmission support rail can I then lower the exhaust out of the two holes it goes through under the transmission. Will the transmission be supported and okay. I am thinking I might through this exhaust away because it is done wrong but it is fairly new and has really nice after market mufflers. I am hoping to not have to cut the pipe into sections. Please let me know ASAP as I am already to make the next move.
Car is a 71 LS5 auto.
One last point the two pipes have also been welded together after the transmission rail together so they are basically completely welded together!

Frank------


If the front and rear exhaust pipes are welded together at the transmission crossmember joint and if the rear pipes are welded to the mufflers, there is no way to remove the pipes from the car without cutting.

It was very foolish for someone to weld the pipes at the transmission crossmember joint (i.e. the slip joint between the front and rear exhaust pipes. Some folks might think this represents a "safety" improvement (and it does because it eliminates the possibility of an exhaust leak at this point). However, it also renders it impossible to remove the sysytem from the car without cutting.

[Jim T.]

Re: Exhaust Removal, Welded together exhaust pipes!

Okay I am trying to remove exhaust pipes on my 1971 Corvette, the owner before me seems to have had a solid welded exhaust system installed. It is welded from below the exhaust manifold all the way back to the exhaust tips (everything), so I can not take it apart. As we know the exhaust goes through the frame below the auto transmission Frame bracket (transmission support). I can unbolt the exhaust manifold from the pipes.
My question: I do see that on the bottom of this transmission support frame rail there is a bottom plate that bolts under the side frame rails (on both ends). If I remove the two bolts and try to lower this bottom plate/ part of this transmission support rail can I then lower the exhaust out of the two holes it goes through under the transmission. Will the transmission be supported and okay. I am thinking I might through this exhaust away because it is done wrong but it is fairly new and has really nice after market mufflers. I am hoping to not have to cut the pipe into sections. Please let me know ASAP as I am already to make the next move.
Car is a 71 LS5 auto.
One last point the two pipes have also been welded together after the transmission rail together so they are basically completely welded together!

Frank since your 71 is an automatic car the cross member can be unbolted easily. Obtain a 2X10 section of home building wood using a floor jack and place the wood section under the turbo 400 transmission pan to support the transmission. Remove the two bolts that connect turbo transmission to the rear transmission mount. The emergency brake pulley bolt will have to be removed to dislodge the pulley from the bracket mounted to the cross member. Doing this I believe that you can disconnect the rear muffler support brackets and unbolt the exhaust pipes connected to the exhaust manifolds and drop the exhaust. Your exhaust pipes will still be going through the removed transmission cross member.

[Steven B.]

Re: Exhaust Removal, Welded together exhaust pipes!

Years ago we removed a guy's '72 L-48 welded exhaust on an autocross car. After much thinking it through we cut. He wanted to maintain and reinstall so we welded and clamped (depending on location) connectors to the pipe. Much easier than than dropping supports, moving the entire length around and around over rear suspension, etc. As Jim said, the pipes are still in the cross member. If you are going to reuse it will be much easier to reinstall in sections. If you are not going to reuse then it doesn't matter. Good Luck! Steve

[Frank R.]

Re: Exhaust Removal, Welded together exhaust pipes!

Thanks, I looked over it pretty good last night, so you are right, the only way to get it out is to cut it. I wonder if the pipe shop that did this knew this but said screw it! The tips are dirty and rusty anyway. Seems to me the owner before me did everything wrong so I could go and fix everything he did wrong.