Fw: exhaust plug question

["J Staub" <jstaub@domain.elided>]

I posted this, or so I thought, but I never saw it on the digest or received
any responses so I'm trying it again. If it was already posted and you are
all just ignoring it, then I humbly beg your forgiveness. Here she goes:

 I removed the air pump and associated
plumbing. I got most of the 1/2' fittings out of the engine, but two of them
on the exhaust side are stuck and boogered up. I chewed up my knuckles
trying to get them suckers out. I also tried a bolt extracter but can't get
it in tight enough to do any good. I'm considering stick-welding a nut onto
the fitting so I can extract it (or even just welding the hole in the
fitting shut), but the close proximity to gasoline fumes is setting off
alarms in the back of my head. (The brain cells that remained after I tried
to weld a pinhole in a gas tank a long while back are staging a revolt). Is
the exhaust manifold relatively free of fumes, or should I expect a
fireworks display?

Thanks,
John Staub
'79 Scout II 'Sierra'
"I started life with nothing and I still have most of it left"