impact wrench vrs breaker bar, on high risk bolts Options

[swl]

I'm going to be doing a lot of dissassembly over the winter. Many of the bolts I'm working with will not have moved since the day the car left the factory. So far I have been lucky. Only casualties have been bumper bolts and one rotor retainer screw. I've learned that a sharp rap with a hammer on the breaker bar is preferable to just torquing it. I've never worked with air tools but that is basicly what an impact wrench does. So my question is whether or not an impact wrench is the right tool for removing things like exhaust headers. Or is it just too powerful for risky bolts?

[michel richard]

For risky bolts the best solution is to use lots of loose nut, daily, for several days. If at all possible, use heat on the nut or part. When you unscrew a bolt, unscrew a little, then screw it back in a little, obviously you need to unscrew more than you screw in, but going back and forh will help. You will develop a feel for how much torque you can apply and for how a bolt feels when it's about to break. When you get to that point, stop ! Squirt loose nut again, daily for a few days etc . . .
Giving the bolt itself a good rap with a hammer will also help sometimes.
The main things are loose nut and heat.
Michel Richard,
In wintry, salty, Montreal