# Are Exhaust Spring Bolts a standard size?



## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

I was way up on a forestry road over the weekend and I grounded a bit on a rock.

Seems that it gave the exhaust a pretty good whack right at the flange/joint connecting the exhaust manifold to the front pipe. One of the old rusty spring bolts got bent and the spring went off over the head of the bolt.

The other spring bolt is fine, rusty and old but straight and holding tight.

I made it home no problem, but I need to replace the bolt so that the flanges mate (it's a bit noisy)

Both mating flanges are fine. I hope to unthread the rusty bolt with the help of a MAP torch, so that I can just thread a new spring bolt in. Obviously if I can't, then I'll just drill it out and put a nut on the other side of the flange.

So, are Nissan spring bolts a standard size/diameter? Can I just buy a common spring bolt kit from Walker or MagnaFlow?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Anjp
Now there is a question that once again leads to an Xtrail mystery. RockAuto has the bolt, but the buyers guide shows its mainly used for Suzuki models with the x being the only Nissan one. When I look at an 06 Altima with same engine and cat manifold, they show different style bolts and do include kit offerings from Walker and Dorman.
My guess is anything that will fit will work.


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## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

quadraria10 said:


> Now there is a question that once again leads to an Xtrail mystery. RockAuto has the bolt, but the buyers guide shows its mainly used for Suzuki models with the x being the only Nissan one.
> 
> My guess is anything that will fit will work.


That's what I saw too. 

I would hate to go to all the trouble of unthreading a broken bolt only to find that the replacement is a different thread or diameter.

I can always drill out the threaded hole and then use any size bolt and nut. But if I have to do that, I'd rather not even try to unthread the rusted bolt.


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## MikeHJ (Mar 7, 2017)

Well, I got the old bolt removed and the new bolt installed.

In the end, I have no idea if the lower manifold flange had a threaded hole as I had to drill it out. The generic walker spring bolts were installed, but they look about half an inch too short. The spring is pretty compressed when tightened up enough for the thread to peak out just beyond the nut. The flanges weren't bent and mated nicely. 

If I'm back in there again, I'll probably just replace the bolt with a longer stainless nut and bolt with some washers to hold the spring. Wrench Monkey wants $14 per bolt and I just can't pay that for a bolt.


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## Redken (Jul 13, 2017)

Hi , I have just seen this, and have recently replaced my exhaust. I found that the flange was threaded and that there is a locking nut on the bolt that protrudes through the flange ( makes sense really when it is sprung) and it was M8. I had this type of joint on a Toyota and used just normal non shouldered bolts on that and it was ok for 2 years plus.


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