Exhaust: Bastard Size Manifold Nuts

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

Me again!!!

So I thought, before I get stuck in for a couple of weeks on the OSR Cill, I’d better have a look at this exhaust blow, get the Downpipe joint nipped up / buy a new downpipe

(I recently put a back box on it, so I was thinking the good box has thrown up a ‘weak point’ in the forward pipe)....

Cor, what a palaver!

It was immediately obvious that its the Resonator, which is quite spectacularly knackered as you can see. Oh well, I thinks, got one of them, no problem, but I’ll get the threads wire brushed, get some PlusGas on em coz they’ve obviously not been touched in some years so I’ve got a better chance of trouble-free undoing when the new Gaskets arrive.... maybe stick a spanner on ‘em, see how keen or not they are to move.

That’s where it all went wrong!

Off I went underneath the motor armed with Drill, Rotary Wire Brushes, and increasing amounts of tooling (at least I was in the shade!) that a 13mm is a mile too big, as is a ½ inch, I’ve not quite got room to force a 7/16 AF onto ‘em and none of my WW sockets will fit. A 12mm metric slips round and an 11mm metric is way too small.

Bizarrely (this doesn’t make sense at all), the nuts measure 12.3mm on the Digital mic'

So for the moment the Concrete is setting nicely for the Cill and the correct Inlet and Exhaust Manifold Gaskets are on order for the exhaust. I’m gonna pick up some VHT paint for the replacement Resonator which is grotty but in pretty reasonable nick, and I’m hoping that by the time I’ve made some space for access the story with the manifold bolts will be a happier one.

Access plan on the day is: Alternator & PAS Pump off to allow room to pull the lump forward to the rad (Serpentine, top mounted Pump). OS Engine Mount off and Inlet manifold off. Possibly the OS Driveshaft out and bottom engine mount off if I’m keen to have decent access from below too.

I’m annoyed with it and less than delighted to realise there’s no way I’m gonna get away with leaving the tank in this time (I did with the NSR Cill), so I’m off now to play with my new Overlocker (Sewing).

Grr !

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

wahey, its off, and it wasn't the palaver I expected. Undid the Hub Nut as a precaution, but no need to have the engine off its mount or remove the PAS Pump, Alternator or Driveshaft.

13mm socket fitted nuts one side which were in fair nick. Forced an 11mm onto two the other side and cut the third. They had the look of having been mullah'd last time they were moved, but refitted nonetheless.

Good nick s/h replacement has been treated to a couple of coats of VHT to help combat future tin-worm. Black would've looked better, but the rear box is only a couple of months old and will get a coat too, hence silver. I toyed with the idea of blanking off the resonator, but no point, having one readily available.

[white exec]

Result!

Often wondered whether these are any good on b***ered or weird-size nuts...?

Irwin bolt grip nut removers

[Shredder11]

Thanks for the great photos and advice. I've got two Peugeot 306 2.0 XSi cars in my driveway, but I only drive one; the other drove to perfection and then suddenly began to be undriveable cutting out but not stalling etc. So there is an almost brand new full Bosal exhaust system with cat, sat doing nothing and hopefully not rusting internally.

My running car's own exhaust was welded against my wishes 18mths ago, and has predictably gone again; the cost of all the wasted petrol consumption has amounted to £500 for a full new system. So I want to swap them over and been pondering the best way to do it, e.g. visit nearby garage and see if they could bring tools over and do job in my driveway. The bumper on the running car is meant for tail pipes that bend to point downwards at the road. The Bosal exhaust on the SORN car has a straight tail pipe end, so I would need to cut a through hole in the other car.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

either that or replace the rear box on the good system.

Check before you do anything how cheaply you can get a good new system, coz wasteful as it is, that may be the most cost effective.

I'd've thought that as long as the other car was used for reasonable length runs at least a significant minority of the time, that it won't have rotted internally, but what I don't know is what the water produced by modern cats does to them; has often seemed a bit 'unfortunate' to me.

Why not have a go removing the system from the SORN car yourself, nothing to lose; and maybe you'll feel confident after that to fit it to your daily. Check they're both the same btw, 'tis not necessarily so; I know that the 106 for instance had at least half a dozen different exhaust systems.

and PS always work under a properly supported car. I usually have a laid down road wheel or two under it too for 'secondary safety'; ie, so it it'll fall onto the roadwheel, not the deck.


Never seen those 'Bolt Grip Nut Removers' before Chris. My gut reaction is 'doubtful', but I'd be curious to hear from someone whom has used them.

PS: also try running your SORN car with the exhaust removed, if the cutting out fault shows itself while idling. Possiblities include issues with the exhaust. Or maybe someone nearby has got a Lexia?

[Shredder11]

The donor car has been SORN since November 2016 and not moved an inch or had the engine running, so all the newly fitted brake discs etc have corroded; I just hope the alloy wheels come off when I try! It did do long journeys for a few years, but then barely any driving for a couple of years. The car was put on a Peugeot Planet diagnostic I think in 2016, but came up clean the garage said. I even had an exensive ABS repair due to a bearing going or something, so the car repairs in 2015/6 cost me approx £1000+ for nothing as I stopped driving it a few months later. Shame because it drove better than the one I have now, although the current one has only done 54,000 miles but the engine is sweet as a nut and the air con works!

Anyway the donor car developed a fault that made the power just die, but without stalling the car. It would then suddenly spring to life and burst forwards, and then....repeat the cycle of stop and start. It got so bad that on one occasion, a Tesco delivery van behind me must have thought I was trying to do a crash for cash scam. I was trying to move the car to the side, but the power died and the van had to really slam on. I would be doing 30 or 40mph and then suddenly lose all power and slow to like walking speed etc.

So long story short I looked at countless 306 cars online, before finally thumbing a lift to Southampton from where I live in West Yorkshire. I then got a train to Poole and met up with the seller, who was in a van under a large tree in the dark. I got in and set off who knows where and ended up back at his lockup, started the car and had a very quick look. Went inside paid the money sat on his computer, and then took the car to a petrol station as it was kangerooing due to sucking air from an almost empty tank. Once full I drove the 300 miles home.....with an exhaust that had a big hole due to a crack where the pipe had dropped away near the cat. It drank a whole tank of petrol to get home! After a big service it later flew through the last MOT in Feb 2018.

I've had so much on my plate this last few years, that I made the same mistake of running my current running car with a knackered exhaust and only getting 200 miles from each full tank, which in 18 months would have bought a full exhaust system complete with a cat. Normally with a good new exhaust I would get around 400 miles per tank. The bad exhaust on now was welded as a bodge repair, where the cat meets the next section of pipe. Even after the bodge repair I got shocking petrol consumption, so the money was wasted on that repair. The guy got clever with me when I said I wanted a new exhaust not a bodge repair; he said "I have saved you loads of money" and then threatened that "he could charge me for a new one instead". I do not like false economy bodge jobs, I like a proper one doing that will last and give better value over a few years.

I'd do the job myself but I lack the tools, and my mechanic mates live too far away and also have their own life problems. My own mum passed away 3rd July 2018 and so that is a challenge for me right now. Oh and this is my third 306 2.0 XSi in a row; the first a Phase 1, then a 3 and now a Phase 2. The one my mum liked best was the Phase 1 which had a lot of character and drove fantastic. Sadly I crashed that and wrote it off in bad weather, and also on my mum's late father's birthday (he died very young during WW2).

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

Sounds like a bit of a nightmare! I guess the guy who welded the exhaust felt that he could make more money doing that than on fitting a new system.
Is there a Mobile Mechanic up your way will take the exhaust swap on?

[Shredder11]

I do not know of any good recommended mobile mechanic services, but I will ask around.

I asked a guy on YouTube about the possible differences in 306 models, and he said, "from the tunnel back, all hatchback 306s have the same exhaust design. It's the manifold, diameter and downpipes that differ.". Not sure if he meant the same differences could happen within the 2.0 XSi range as well, or just 306 cars generally; he only mods and races diesel versions.