I will be replacing my pushrod tube seals and know I have to adjust the valves afterward but I would like to remove the complete exhaust system before I do and have everything cleaned, maybe sandblasted and painted. Will it give me more room to work and any advise on removing and replacing the system. I hope I'm not asking too many questions but trying to find another 914 let alone knowledgable 914 owner in Bakersfield is really tough.

yes, as long as you are pulling the exhaust, you might as well do this before adjusting the valves. the late model exhaust really gets in the way, and makes an otherwise simple procedure a bit of a pain. you can work around it, but as long as you're at it....

just pulling the HE's and not the stubs may be sufficient for what you're doing, i don't know. that part is easy. getting the stubs off is a ROYAL PITA. use lots of wd-40 and muscle. i was doing pull-ups on mine well before they even began to budge. putting them back can be just as hard. be sure to replace the exhaust gaskets and hardware while you're down there. try not to strip your exhaust studs, but don't worry much if you do, it's a straightfoward repair.

HAVE FUN!



ps keep asking questions -- it works for me!

My rule of thumb is: Never remove the heat exchangers unless absolutely necessary.

Why? Because every time you do it you risk breaking/stripping/pulling an exhaust stud.

Like Nathan said, if you have '75 or '76 heat exchangers you can remove them and leave the stubs in place - in which case go for it.

But you can replace the push rod tube seals and do a valve adjustment with all of that stuff in place. It's just a little harder. With a late style of exhaust, 1 out of 8 of the push rod tubes cannot come all the way out - but you can still get it out far enough to replace the O-rings.

Demick

Thanks alot. I really appreciate the advise. I'm hoping for the best.

BTW..use "PB Blaster" in a can to loosen nuts and bolts. Put it on an hour or so prior to removal if possible but often a few minutes is enough.