V Band Clamp removal advice.

So I have to remove two of these tonight. I have hit this thing with a hammer. I have shaken the exhaust back and forth till my back hurts. 

Is there some special tool or technique to remove these things. The lower third popped off easy as pie the other two and not moving. Its a really tight space and I cannot get a nice hammer swing or screwdriver in to really hammer on these things.  At 140$ a piece oEM price I am not cutting them out. 

I do not like V-band clamps for a bunch of reasons. I'd look for a more reasonably priced alternative, cut this one off and completely coat the new one in anti-sieze.

Keith Tanner said:

I do not like V-band clamps for a bunch of reasons. I'd look for a more reasonably priced alternative, cut this one off and completely coat the new one in anti-sieze.

That seems to be the plan if they don't come off.

Air hammer with a punch tool and rattle the crap out of it. They are hateful things when they get stuck. The turbocharger downpipe on a 7.3 Ford diesel made me say more than a couple of swear words before it would come loose. 

I have taped a chisel into a socket on a 3 foot long extension to pop them apart.  You have to work each third off individually.

They make me laugh when people say things online about how easy V-bands are.  They've never fought to get the band off, or fought to get the two pieces lined up so the band can go back on.

If V bands are part of the axis of evil, what does the hive recommend in their place?  I'm already cursing the V bands on my build and I haven't even run it yet.

I like band clamps. Easy to build for, easy to remove, more adjustability than V. 
 

But not as sexy. 

Keith Tanner said:

I like band clamps. Easy to build for, easy to remove, more adjustability than V. 
 

But not as sexy. 

This one time, at band clamp...

Plus you get to make that joke all the time! Everybody wins.

Keith Tanner said:

Plus you get to make that joke all the time! Everybody wins.

Yeah, I forgot the "/obligatory" tag after that one..

Toyman01 said:

Air hammer with a punch tool and rattle the crap out of it. They are hateful things when they get stuck. The turbocharger downpipe on a 7.3 Ford diesel made me say more than a couple of swear words before it would come loose. 

Holy E36 M3 that worked. Both popped off in about ten second. Had to jam the punch on the end of a very long socket extension and some tape to hold the punch in a 10mm long socket. 

Proof it's done. all this work better be worth it.