Well I have my car outside ready to get the down pipe changed but it seems a bit difficult to remove it from the front end (the piece thats connected to the engine) is their any thing i have to remove or anything i can do to make the installing go a lil smoother...? thanks guys

 

pretty much remove anything thats in the way.

 

1) get a good 10mm socket.
2) Get PB Blaster or liquid wrench and let it soak for a few hours.
3)Remove the sheild around the ABS and the intake tubes.

Good luck, take your time

 

The Most important part is having the right tools. I think I used a socket and ratchet for most of it but there are a few times a breaker bar and socket worked best. The reason is with little room the breaker bar had much more versatility. The head may not "Ratchet" but it does have a swivel of sorts so it makes it much easier to put on and turn when there is very little room to manuver. With the Breaker Bar the downpipe install was made much easier for me. The difficulty of the job is always measured by what tools your using. If you have any questions IM me. mik3ymomo.

 

I'm going to do mine pretty soon, but you need to be patient. Definitely used WD40 or liquid wrench on the bolts and let them soak for a few hours, maybe even a day. You know, put it on early Friday evening and work on it Saturday afternoon before dinner or going out. I've heard that the bolts can be old and corroded enough that they'll snap and you're stuck with having the take on the manifold and turbos to retap the hole. Pain in the ***, so take your time and be sure to use a breaker bar. A socket may work, but if your bolts are bad, a socket will just mess it up even more because you'll be fiddling around too much.

 

Check out Steve Ciriani's site and Rob Robinette's former site for write ups on the job. And while you are in there, you might want to replace some hoses (e.g., the turbo coolant hoses, some of the small vacuum/pressure lines, etc.). Take your time and be patient, especially with the precat studs-- you don't want them breaking off...

 

Buy lots of band-aid's those knuckles are going to thank you later...

 

Am I missing something with this downpipe change or am I just lucky. Is everyone referring to the 4 bolts on the front end of the precat being the problem?

I have been in the process of removing my engine. It had 69K miles and a blown rear apex seal. My car is an Automatic. The Precat was never removed before. I had a little difficulty with the exhaust shield bolt that held the middle section to the top. I used PB Blaster (recommended and works). The bolt came off after soaking it overnight.

I hear all the horror stories about the 4 bolts that hold the precat in position. I have even heard you have to remove the studs. I removed the tail end of the precat bolts (2 of them) and then tried to remove the hanger bolt (It broke. No big deal since the hanger can be removed and the broken bolt removed). I then started on the 4 notorious bolts. I started with the front top. I used a 3/8" ratchet and a standard socket. I used a pipe extension to crack it loose and it spun right off. I then tried to get the top rear. The socket did not reach completely since the pipe was in the way (from the underneath of the car), so I added a 1" extension. Put the pipe on and bang, #2 bolt broke free and spun right off. #3 front lower bolt, no problem, just used the socket, and #4 bolt lower rear, added the 1" extension and it came right off.

I wiggled the rear of the cat off the main cat, then pulled the front over and off of the studs. No problems. I did this all in about 15 minutes.

Am I just the lucky one? Or are we talking about a different set of bolts?
The only thing that I can add is that if people are not getting the socket completely on the bolt, it is possible to put a torque on it and bust the stud off. I have seen this many times with other vehicle exhaust bolts. They are stronger for tensile strength, but do not hold up under side pressure.

Tim

 

I have to agree with Tim.....or maybe we both were just lucky, but the downpipe installations was SO anticlimatic, so....easy compared to the horror stories.....
Now, I am wanting to tackle the other notorious PITA replacement, the fuel filter, to see if IT is indeed as bad as it is made out to be.....

Yes, I know I have been saying this for weeks now.....

Who me? Chicken? Bawk bawk baw....er, I mean, NOT!

 

Or just buy some good gloves

 

You guys were just lucky. In the process of removing my turbos this past week, I had to unbolt the downpipe. I sprayed the bolts down with penetrating oil, and let them sit for a few hours. The bottom two came out easily, stud and all (which is fine with me, because I'm gonna replace the studs). The upper left one started to turn, but then became really hard. I ended up just putting tons of torque on it, figureing it would probably break. The stud didn't break, but the nut came off hard the whole way, and strip about 3/8" of the threads on the end of the stud off. I had a similar experience with the upper right one, except it screwed up the threads where the stud goes into the turbo. Luckily, I rad a tap through it yesterday, and I think it'll be all right.

BTW: The car has 86K miles, and I think everything is original. I don't think any of this has ever been taken apart before.

Paul

 

I was just thinking of doing a downpipe upgrade. Thanks for the info. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

 

I used an excellent lubricant made for guns, originally for the military called "Break-Free"(should be able to get it at a gun shop in spray or squeeze bottle form). In my experience this stuff works MUCH better than liquid wrench, WD40 etc. It is easier to remove the DP stud bolts when the manifold is still warm. In my DP install however my top rear stud acorn nut had been damaged badly by a previous repair before I had bought my 7. I looked at it with a mirror and flashlight and I could see the damage clearly. What I did was get a 14mm impact socket ( much thicker walls than a normal deep well) with a 3/4" drive, tapped it on with a plastic hammer, past the damaged faces. This enabled me to torque the bastard off with my 3/4" breaker bar no problem. Was a big relief when that stud broke free and after that it was all rather easy to install the DP.
Don't be alarmed by the massive amounts of white smoke that will pour out as the Break-Free burns off. Looks very similar to an ATF treament session hehehe, but for not quite so long.

-Kib

 

One thing that I noticed when removing my bolts, the bolts appeared smashed or crimped on the end of the nut. I believe this was done at the factory. I removed my Turbos this morning. All except one unscrewed the stud with the nut attached. The only one that stayed was the bottom center bolt. Again, they all appeared to be smashed or crimped onto the stud to prevent loosening.

On another note: Has anyone tried any Antiseize or NeverSeize on the bolts after removal. I hear that standard stuff in the stores does not work, but there is a specific kind that is used for nuclear plants (no kidding) that is made by Loctite Corporation that is able to withstand the massive temperatures needed.

Anyone knows exactly, let us all know.

Thanks,
Tim