I would get the best penetrating oil you can find, and start applying it
every few hours for a couple of days.
( I imagine you've already treid some penetrating oil )

I just started used Kroll, in an orange can ....it is really good stuff.
Put on....not once, over and over during the course of a few days.

another trick .....for a bolt holding a header pipe onto a cylinder head -
hit the top of the bolt hard, and sharply, many times with a hammer. This
helps 'wake up' the threads.

where's there's a nut, just heat the nut red hot with a torch ...that
usually works quite well.

there are special 'grabber' tools....that will grab rounded off things -
there are all kinds of special nut/bolt removal tools, I'd suggest search
online, or a member might have a recomendation.

it might help to saw the head off a bolt, get the exhaust pipe off, then
work on just the stud left sticking out.

it's much harder to do with engine in the van, but for broken off ones, if
you're patient, have good sharp drill bits and a variable speed drill, it's
not 'that bad' drilling out a stud. I call it 'doing dental work.'   I start
with a fairly small hole right in the middle, like 3/16's....get that right
on center .....then use a larger drill next. It's really not that hard, with
patience, and good tools.
With engine out of the van it's Much easier of course. Last one I did, an
easy-out out the broken off piece out nicely ....
which seldom happens for me. Usually I have to drill them out until I can
tap new same size threads.

I paint my exhaust stuff with hi temp exahsut paint ...it helps keep the
pipes somewhat unrusted for e a while, here in the west anyway, in the east
and winter driving it wouldn't help much I don't imagine.
scott
turbovans
----- Original Message -----
From: "Aaron" <a.robinson.lists@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 1:10 PM
Subject: Waterpump and exhaust and rust - Oh my!

Hi All.

This is a special topic that I - living on the west coast have never had to
deal with. I have an '87 van that spent 10 years in the east. It came to me
with a rotted exhaust and recently a waterpump that started leaking. I
figured that its about time to attack it and thought I would do it all at
once. So I got a start removing the exhaust this evening and realized that
the exhaust is going to be hard for an un-skilled chap like me. Every bolt
head is so rusted that it doesn't really have sides on it. 13mm doesn't
fit...12mm is still too big. Vice grips just remove rust. I did manage to
get the tin off, torque one header bolt head off and get the muffler and cat
removed. Most of that was done using a sawzall. That "only" took 3 hours.
Now I have all of the hard ones left.

So my first questions in this undertaking are:
What's the easiest way to remove a rusty exhaust (especially the studs in
the heads)? Is there some special secret? Some tool that turns a helping of
inept-ness with a few tools into success?

I have a gently used exhaust, new gaskets and bolts waiting. I just need to
figure out the easiest method of getting the old one out of the way. I have
available: a plumber's torch, wrenches & sockets, hacksaw and a waning
desire to not pay someone else to do it.

Thanks!
Aaron
'87 westy (in WA with van from Illinois)=