Recently my exhaust fell off so I ended up replacing the bobbins.
From the forum posts it seems this is a fairly common operation.
I had a hell of a time with it though. Especially taking the nut off the top end where it mounts to the exhaust. I could turn the nut just quarter turn at a time because of the surrounding brackets. And often instead of the nut turning on the threaded bolt, the nut and bolt would turn together as it was no longer gripping inside the rubber block. My only solution was to dig away at the rubber block until I was at the metal insides and could grip it with pliers so it wouldn't spin when I was turning the nut. Exhausting though. Surely there must be an easier way.
Suggestions? Previous posts where it's all been explained?
Once you've got the bottom nut off you can sometimes hold the top bolt steady by jacking up the bottom bolt. Otherwise it's brute force and ignorance as you say.
and I wouldn't fit with nyloc nuts.. they grip all the way out on the thread when you are trying to grip whats left of the bobbin. Better to use a spring washer so at least its only tight for the first couple of turns.
I use mole grips but very small ones like needle nose pliers, the threaded stud is welded to a washer and the rubber is bonded to that, when it shears as you say they are a real pain to remove. If possible clamp the washer with the grips to the bracket it passes through, sometimes you can grip the outer edges with concave mole grips....its work picking some assorted size and shape ones at tool fairs....they can also clamp things in place to get you home!
Ditto Spanner juggler has it. Butchers tools but I too keep standard and needle nose moles grips and they really do make life alot easier. I have also swapped out the nylocks all over the place and replaced with spring washers. The needle nose moleys will clamp the washer section. Oh and of course the heat shields have to come off.