Anyone have any tips, advice, or things to watch out for on swapping out heat exchangers (73 2.0). That's tomorrows project. I've got a real nice set of 2.0 SS HEs and my current ones are really rusty. I've got the gasket and parts kit from Pelican, and my current muffler is new. The instructions seem simple, but I don't want to screw it up.
Thanks,
Bert

Get some PB Blaster at the auto parts store and soak all the fasteners. Use impact rather than torque to break the nuts loose. Torque will twist the studs off and impact usually breaks the corrosion free rather than breaking the stud.
Anneal the copper gaskets that go between the heads and the exhaust. Makes them softer so they won't leak.

extra studs, new nuts . a blob of grease will hold them in the head so they dint fall out as you place teh exhaust. antiseize on teh threads and everything steve said

see this...
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=106615

clarification - a little grease to hold the copper daskets in place.

a little curved pick may be need to get 1 to 4 old copper gaskets off head as they get squished into place pretty good sometimes.

the 8 head exhaust studs are what you have to be careful about.

remove muffer, then each HE, do not remove as a 3 piece assy.

What they said, and make very sure the exchangers are flat where they will meet with the copper gaskets. You only want to have to do this once.

Use new copper gaskets ($3 each) and anneal them with a propane or Mapp torch to soften them a little. To make sure the ends of the HEs are perfectly flat, use a large file to file across both ends at the same time. This made a huge difference in the way mine sealed.

Cevan, listen to Cevean Aneal the copper gaskets.. if you do not have a torch put them on your gas stove top. This willl help them seal/ this made a huge difference for me as well... If they do not seal right your gonna hear it..

Oh, the worst thing you can do on this project is break an exhaust stud off your cylinder heads!! Be extra vigilant around those, do not over tighten or tighten up while crooked or not seating propererly..

stove top works fine gas or electric, heat to red hot and allow to slow air cool. then they will be fully annealed. quench it water only if you dont want them annealed then they will be rock hard. you want them soft

Take is slow the first time. Let that PB blaster or penetrating oil do its thing overnight. If a stud comes loose, put a new one in to replace it. Use the small 1/4 socket with a wobble head extension to reach the nuts, careful not to to overtorque! I re-tightened mine over 2 days the first time I did this...didn't want to overtorque on day 1 and things do tend to settle after a day a driving. I was super nervous the first go through, now it is no worries

Thanks, all. As I suspected - lots of pitfalls.

Well said! Only use a 1/4 drive socket to tighten those on. Really sucks when one breaks on you. Especially when you can't get the stud out. Then off comes the head to got to the machine shop . No need to ask me how I know as my thread on doing just that is here also