I picked up a used AP1 exhaust this week and was floored to discover the bolts holding the tips on appear to be welded. Anybody else run into this?
If I want to get the tips off, it appears I'll need to get in there with a dremel tool and try to grind the weld off the base of the bolt heads.

 

Factory welded?? Not sure.

edit: Apparently they are not welded!!

 

Welded? I have removed tips from both an AP1 and AP2 exhaust by unthreading the bolt, although I have had one seize and snap on me.

Good luck.

 

^ yeah they are not welded on in factory form, very easy to swap. It might be possible that someone welded them on for a specific purpose, but it does not come like that in oem form. Put a 10mm socket on the bolt and try to loosen it up, maybe you aren't seeing it properly ?

 

Really?
Odd.
I've seen mine and two other AP2s that were all welded on.
Now I am intrigued.

 

All of the OEM exhausts and tips that I've owned have NOT had the bolts welded. But like others, some of them have been seized.

 

Mystery solved! Thanks for the good feedback. I purchased new flange bolts today (10mm?) and discovered each bolt has a shoulder at the bottom of the head. What I mistook for a weld was the deterioration of this shoulder where it meets the surface of the flange on the exhaust tip. Both sides appear seized ....Hopefully a bit of Blaster will help convince 'em to come off!