Need copper lock nuts for exhaust

#1

I started to put the exhaust manifold back on this morning and discovered that the lock nuts that Pelican Parts had sent me were the wrong ones. I tried Lowes and my local Advance Auto but they don’t carry anything like it. Does anyone have any idea where I can get them locally in Athens, GA or overnighted from a good parts store? If I have to order a set from Pelican they probably won’t get here in time for my HPDE next weekend. I’ll give my BMW dealer a call tomorrow morning too. Right now I am a little concerned that I’m screwed for my first track day!

Thanks,

Andy

#2

Dealer should have them. Or if you have the old ones, put those back on for now (I know, I know, one time use)

#3

kmsnsx wrote:

I’ll check with the local dealer tomorrow morning. I can’t reuse the old ones as most of them got trashed when I took them off. Also, the studs came off with a few.

#4

Pelican sent me the wrong ones a while back too. I can send you some used ones but the dealer can probably square you away faster.

#5

NAPA has a kit with studs and copper nuts in the correct thread pitch. It’s on one of the racks with miscellaneous hardware.
Ed

#6

Thanks guys! I have to go the dealer tomorrow anyway to get the air filter changed on my M3, so I’ll see if they have the nuts. If not, I’ll head to NAPA.

I put the new studs in the head this afternoon and I thought it would be relatively easy to get the manifold back in place, but it’s a bugger! I’m beginning to think that all this working on your own car is only worth it if you know what you are doing. I’m clueless! I tried to get the bolts off the lower manifold where it connects to the downpipe, I figured it would be lot easier to maneuver the manifold with those off, but they are stuck on good. Even after having being soaked in PB Blaster for several times over the last few days, they are still stuck.

#7

greensha wrote:

[quote]Thanks guys! I have to go the dealer tomorrow anyway to get the air filter changed on my M3, so I’ll see if they have the nuts. If not, I’ll head to NAPA.

I put the new studs in the head this afternoon and I thought it would be relatively easy to get the manifold back in place, but it’s a bugger! I’m beginning to think that all this working on your own car is only worth it if you know what you are doing. I’m clueless! I tried to get the bolts off the lower manifold where it connects to the downpipe, I figured it would be lot easier to maneuver the manifold with those off, but they are stuck on good. Even after having being soaked in PB Blaster for several times over the last few days, they are still stuck.[/quote]
This is a case where there is no substitute for using the right tool. In this case it means firing up the oxy-acetylene “flame wrench”. Use that to get the nuts dull red and they’ll spin right off. Then run a die onto the studs and reassemble with new OE nuts. If your local dealer doesn’t have the nuts in stock they can have them for you no later than Wednesday.

#8

dealer’s the way to go for oem hardware like that.

#9

greensha wrote:

Everything is a bastard the first time. By the 10th time you’ve done this you’ll read a thread like this and you’ll have a drawer cabinet of little plastic drawers containing fasteners…one of which will be labeled “exhaust manifold” and contains just the nuts that the OP needs.

Then you’ll write in the thread, “I can send you those nuts”.

Proving that there’s a way to overdo everything, last month I bought a “tumbler” from harbor freight so I could clean/polish my burgeoning collection of old fasteners. I decided that there’s just something appealing about shiney new fasteners. There’s a fastener store in town that has a terrific selection of stainless fasteners. Nice.

#10

shouldn’t you be discarding old fasteners, not cleaning them :slight_smile:

#11

kishg wrote:

I burned thru girlfriends and engines. Fasteners I keep. When you go thru 6 engines in 14 months, lets see if you’re inclined to get a little more life out of your fasteners.

#12

point taken :slight_smile:

#13

Ranger wrote:

[quote]kishg wrote:

I burned thru girlfriends and engines. Fasteners I keep. When you go thru 6 engines in 14 months, lets see if you’re inclined to get a little more life out of your fasteners.[/quote]

Fasteners are a hell of lot cheaper that girlfriends! Not as much fun though.

#14

greensha wrote:

[quote][b]
Fasteners are a hell of lot cheaper that girlfriends! Not as much fun though.[/quote]

Things take an odd financial twist when you marry a lawyer. They aren’t too expensive to keep, but if you lose her you’re doomed.

Doomed.

#15

Your local BMW dealer should be able to get them in 2 to 3 days no problem. I would look up the part number on RealOEM and bring it to the dealer so you don’t leave ordering the wrong part up to them. I only use Pelican Parts for the bigger items and stick with the dealer for the little things like that stupid plastic piece that holds the oil pressure and crank sensor wires. RealOEM said you need two of them, so I ordered 2 only to find out that you definitely only need 1 and I didn’t have the 2 little plastic clips that secure the plastic piece. Gotta love ordering parts or not getting everything you need in your first order.

#16

King Tut wrote:

[quote]Your local BMW dealer should be able to get them in 2 to 3 days no problem.
[/quote]
My local dealer had just what I needed. The nuts were a little different with a wider flange but they fit just fine. They were also a lot cheaper!

When I replaced my timing belt I wondered how to keep those wires from rubbing on the belt. There was no mention of clips in the manual. I did get a rubber cover thingy from Pelican, but that wasn’t shown in the book either! I zip tied them out of the way for now, but I will go back in and secure them properly now I actually know what the deal is.

Thanks!

Andy

#17

I figured out the other week that they were the right nuts after all. I took a hard look at them while installing #10 and figured out that as part of the manufacturing process the nuts seem to have been “squeezed” a bit such that the internal dia is reduced in two places at the top of the nut. I think that this is to make them act like one-time use locknuts. The design ended up irritating me because it kept feeling like I was cross threading the nut. Ultimately I grabbed a tap and ran it thru each nut.

#18

Haha, so you converted the “lock” nuts to regular nuts.

#19

It annoyed me. So I beat on it until it quit annoying me. It’s not just a hobby, it’s a way of life.

#20

Honestly with how difficult it is to get to some of those lock nuts on the collector I would much rather use lock washers and regular nuts so I can hand thread them on most of the way.