MattRX7

Today I finally started to install my downpipe. Didn't get very far before I ran into problems. I am following the directions on the scudieriaciriani site. Got to the part where you remove the heat sheild from the pre-cat. It is step 2, I believe. Anyway, the directions say that you just remove the one bolt and you should be able to slide it off. However, mine has 2 bolts. Could I possibly be looking at the wrong thing? How many bolts are attached to the heat shield?

thanks,
matt

hawaii rx-7

take off all the bolts you can find. for me i took off 4 seperate pieces and a **** load of screws. you don't need the heatshield once you replace the precat for a downpipe especially if you wrap the pipe with something like thermotec exhaust wrap. just keep taking off as many bolts as you can that hold the heatshield on.

for me, the hardest part was taking off the main cat to precat bolts. those were really stuck on, and i needed to bust out my 500 ft/lb air impact wrench with swivel adapter (17 mm). The first bolt was so stuck on, it sparked once or twice before it came off. yeah you heard me right, it sparked from the nut rubbing against the precat flange! good thing i didn't replace my fuel filter at the same time. And another hard part was taking off the precat studs, o couldn't get to them with any pnumatic tools so i used a 1ft breaker bar/ cheater bar (whatever you call it) and 2 foot pole as an exension. the precat studs were 14 mm for me. after an hour under there wrenching with a 8" combination wrench, i said "**** it!" i grabed the breaker bar/ cheater bar and attached a deep socket 14 mm and cranked that baby. lucklie 3 studs came off for me and that was enough to slide my bonez pipe over.

Oh and from experience, the bonez pipe does have a slight fitment problem. first, the downpipe to turbo flange is pretty difficult to work with. the pipe is so big, when reinserting the bolts, it touches the side causing the bolt to go in crooked. for me i had to hold the 11 lb pipe in one hand, slip a bolt in half way and keep it perfectly flush to where the turbo meets the downpipe with the second, and with my magical third arm align everything and slowly hand tighten the bolt so it didn't cross thread. pretty fawked up if u ask me. i just hope u got a little beter fitting downpipe, i heard the hks was good but it isn't as wide. secondly the downpipe hanger dosn't align with the car at all. it's a good inch too high. those are my two main complaints.

i heard if you're having trouble getting the bolts off, use some kroil. look it up, it's good ****, well supposedly. all i know is that liquid wrench smells like crap and it does not wash out of shirts. the smell permantly killed a shirt and pants for me. so if you're under there spraying, you might want to be wearing some junk clothing.

peace out, and hope everything goes smoothly.

bajaman

Yeah, seems like mine had 2 bolts, too.
Just be damned sure you have soaked all your bolts/studs in Liquid Wrench for at least several hours prior to attempting a disassembly. My install of my Pettit dp went like clockwork, absolutely no problems.
Good luck!

Oh yeah, get you a new Bosch 02 sensor and install BEFORE you put your new pipe on, and be sure and splice the wire ahead of time.

petrosc

Wait a minute. 02 sensor for what? What is wrong with the other one?

CantGoStraight

I purchased a Pettit S.S. down pipe and when I did the install had very few problems with the exception of removing the bolts that hold the precat to the main cat....these damn things were tight !!!! I didn't remove any heat sheilds from the precat and it came out ok. I fabricated a new clamp where the tranny and precat originaly bolted up and made it big enough to fit over the thermal wrapped down pipe. Mine is a 94 model and actualy only had one stud in it the rest were bolts. I did have to pre start the bottom bolt towards the rear before tightining up the other bolts. I used anti-sieze on all the threads and soaked the bolts with kroil two days prior to removing the precat. Hope this helps and good luck with the project. Later, Jack

KibagamiR2

When I removed my old precat I used what is called "Break Free CLP" usually sold at gun stores.... works better than any other penetrating oil I have ever used. I have tried Liquid Wrench, WD-40 and Kroil before, but nothing worked as well or as fast as Break Free did. It made takeing the cat to precat nuts off easy cake. If you can find it.. try it man... I have done two DP installs with it.

-Kib

95R2-89TII Ground Zero

Directions? We don't need no stinking directions....I believe that there are two bolts on the heat shield. Anyway...the installation itself isn't that difficult, and the directions for the install don't help you all that much.

bajaman

I should have clarified that a little I guess.......the point is that if depending on the mileage your car has, it is a good idea to change 02 sensors about every 75K or so, for optimum performance. And there is never any better, or easier time to change the sensor than when the pipe is not installed.....

petrosc

Thaks Baja.

I'll make a note of that, since I am at 78k now and no downpipe yet.

Petros

3rdGenLuvr

How much is a O2 sensor and can I buy it online? I have a dp on the way.

SpeedracerRX7

You can get an O2 sensor at any automotive store like NAPA for like $20 or so. I don't think that I would order one online just because the shipping would really drive the price up.

I inivertintly changed mine out when I put my downpipe on because when I disconnected it behind the motor it got hung up and when I yanked the pre-cat down it ripped the wires right out of it.

So anyway have fun putting the downpipe on man if you have that many miles because I had around that many when I put mine on and the nuts froze onto the studs. Luckly when I put the pressure to them it backed the studs out on 3 of the bolts and only one nut came off seperately. It took about 3 or 4 hours to do it because when I finally got the downpipe on I couldn't seem to get it tight enough to prevent it from leaking.

JSpec

I'm pushing around 60k on my FD right now and installing a used Pettit SS downpipe. My questions are: Do I really need thermal wrapping, and if so where would I find it/have it done? And the last one being: Am I better off picking up an O2 sensor at the dealership or going to a parts store? Are they that generic?

_______
'94 Montego Blue Touring
A'PEXi Power Intake
Pettit SS Downpipe
Racing Beat Exhaust
Efiní Y-Pipe
Autometer Boost & A/F Gauges
Blitz DTT-DC

SpeedracerRX7

I know this won't help if you already have the pre-cat off but a lot of people have thier downpipe sent off and have it ceramic coated. They say this really helps with underhood heat. As for the O2 Sensor I got a Bosch one from NAPA and they asked what kind of car I had and them went in the back and got me one. All I had to do was clip the wire right next to the old O2 sensor and then it has a coupling that you squeeze with a pair of pliers and that is it. I guess you could get one from a dealer but I am sure that it will cost an arm and a leg with the electrical adaptor and all.

bajaman

Yes, very generic. Robert Bosch makes the one I used in the FD and everyone I have replaced, actually. Parts stores like O'Reilly's or Autozone or NAPA have them in stock, no problem, about $20 or so......

fluxen

Anyone know if the wide-band Lambda's use the same voltage range as the stock? I'd like to move to wide-band, but I'd like to know it's going to work before I shell out the money...TIA for any help.

JSpec

Napa online shows their O2 sensor being $219! Good gawd! I guess I'll go in there today and see what they are in person..

http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/nc...grpid=28594469

MattRX7

Thanks for the help everyone. Now I've got more questions!!

Today I began to remove the precat. Started working on the 4 bolts that attach to the turbo housing.
One of the top bolts came out no problem, with the stud. However, the two bottom bolts came out but the stud remained. Any tricks to get those studs out? Is there a preferred tool to use? I am not sure of the best way to go about it.
Also, how in the hell do you get the other top bolt/stud out? I think I can feel it with my hand, but I can't seem to get the socket around it. It's the same size as the others, right? Any advice?

Matt

pweizman

Matt -

Depending on the downpipe, you don't have to remove the studs. You can use the stock ones. On the HKS, I am sure you can use the stock studs. It is actually better that the studs stay in if you are going to reuse them.

I just got down with my installation and, three of the four backed out. The one that is hard to see/feel, is a huge pain. There isn't much of a trick to it, except feel it with your fingers, get a short extension, and get the socket on there. Then, hopefully, you can loosen it up enough to get it the rest of the way with your hands. Once you get the socket on there, don't take it off....(easier said than done).

Good luck.

Patrick

bajaman

If you need to get a stud out, you use two nuts and "jam" them together. Meaning you screw two nuts onto the stud, and tighten one against the other, and then you put a wrench on the upper nut, NOT the one closest to you, and the stud will back right out. If you try to use your wrench on the bottom nut, all it does is unscrew. See?

Dark Side

Can anyone make a recomendation on where to send your DP for Ceramic coating? Preferably somewhere here in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Thx

coop

I am about to get a bonez 3" DP, is it going to be a pain to get it on my 93?

az_lynx

Any reason your deciding on going w/ the Bonez? I was shopping around and the best price I found was the Pettit SS (from what I hear.. you WANT SS) for $279 at rx7store.net where as the Bonez is $345 for the SS one on rx7.com. Perhapes there is a cheeper place.
*shrug* I havn't heard about any probs w/ the Pettit and it was cheeper and I wasn't going to go w/ anything but SS so I ordered the Pettit.

az_lynx

I was at Checker last night and they had 2 Bosch ones... one for $177 that they would have to order and a generic one for $25 that they had in stock. I had the guy get it and it's just a simple one that has one wire comming out w/ a crimpable end. Is this the correct one? Whats the difference between them (if you know)? I'm thinking I should replace mine when I do the DP.

TIA

bajaman

az_lynx -

As far I know there is no reason to purchase anything other than the generic O2 sensor. I got mine from O'Reilly's and they only list one in their computer, as far as I know.
And yes, it just has the crimpable end that you splice your existing wire onto.

BrianK

I've heard nothing but good reports about http://www.jet-hot.com/home.html . I'm going to send mine off to them this week. I hear it's about $50.