I'm really struggling with the top bolt on the downpipe. I know I can easily get the bottom two bolts off, but this top one is very bad. I've sprayed an ungodly amount of liquid wrench on it. I've only managed to get it halfways off. Not to mention I have no leverage whatsoever. It takes all my strength to get it to move just a little bit. I tried to get to it from under the car but it's even worse down there, and the wrench keeps slipping off the bolt.

Then I realised that the one of the left could be far worse. I can't even see that one. And it looks like there's absolutely no room for leverage there either, it looks much worse than the one on the right.

So how the hell do you get the top 2 bolts off? I must be doing it wrong.

 

no, thats the only way to get it out. its at a bad angle i know..but from what ive seen, it just takes time and patience...

 

You need to be careful how you remove a heavily corroded nut/bolt, because if you try to just muscle it straight through, you end up jamming the threads inside which results in the problems you're having (or worse, you break off the stud, requiring removal of the turbos to fix). Try backing it off and spraying more LW on it, and let it sit for a while. Then when you try again, go until you start feeling resistance, then back off a quarter-turn, then try again.

A ratchet elbow also helps in making sure your socket is seating on the nut correctly.

 

If you remove the rear y pipe tube, you will have better access, and be able to see what you are doing. It comes off easily.

 

Yeah I gave up. PF supercars is just north of me and I'm in VA, so it'll be a trip to PF. While it's there I'm gonna have them change the diff/tran fluid, new fuel filter, install the DP, oil change, and anything else that needs to be done.

I installed headers on my v6 tiburon in an extremely cramped engine bay, I thought I would easily be able to do this DP, but the header install on that car is a cake walk compared to this.

 

getting the bolts off isnt that bad.... be prepaired for getting the bolts back on!

I rember using an extention on both the handle and the socket for a little mechanical advantage. Just be paitent!

The lowest bolt furthest to the rear is probably the most difficult to get in if you have header wrap on the down pipe. The tight bend does not allow for an easy install!

took me 4 hours from start to finish by the way.... way longer then i expected!

 

Its extremely easy to get them off/on....just do as adam c said. Remove all of the intake pipes, and the rear turbo inlet pipe (2 10mm nuts, easy to get from under the car), and youll have all the angle you need.

Another idea, along with what Kento said, run it back down the threads, and take a wire brush to them (threads) to clean a little of the rust and gunk off. Then, if you take the intake pipes out, you can get your closed end (strongly advised) wrench on there, use another wrench and lock them together (open end to closed end) and you have yourself a breaker bar.

 

If you have a bolt partley out put oil on the exposed threads spray penatrating oil on that screw it back in an this lubes the threads, might have to do more than once. Something else i have learned to do remove the hardest bolts to get to first as when it gets loose it will bind on the last bolts. reinstall with anti/seze.

 

I'm in the process of taking mine off right now. I recommend taking off the brake heat shild and pipe that connects to the turbo inlet pipe. Makes it much easier, and you can actually see what your doing!

 

Throw that liquid wrench in the trash and get some PB Blaster. Also, like someone else mentioned, when you start to back the nut/stud out and you feel resistance tighten it back up about half a turn and then start to loosen it.

 

I took away the rubber intake hoses incl the one with the CRV valve. Then you can take a 14mm socket and placed it on the nut. Take the wrench and slide the top of the notch in.It's a pain in the *** put it worked for me. I do advise to lossen the upper bolts first.

 

I cut a deep socket down to make a mid length socket, that helped. I used allen head bolts on my reinstall, helped some with clearance at the tight pipe bend w/ header wrap on.

 

or you take 14mm socket, weld a bigger nut on it and use a biggger socket to have it come further out.

 

those 2 nuts are *()#$*)@($@

im working on them at the moment, the biggest challenge is lack of space / bad angle. pb blaster helped a bit on the lower 2 but i still needed and extension arm on them and the wrench i had on it started to bend before the nut worked free.. causing me to smash the top of my hand on the side of thethe subframe i dont' think i could feel it for at least 5 min

for the top im going to try a breaker bar on a socket

removing the abs heat shield does help with access.. but not much, i may have to take off the ypipe too

 

Damn!... What a headache just to remove a dp. I hope it is worth it for you.

 

Yes, definitely take of the y-pipe and secondary turbo pipe.

The top bolts become the easy ones once that stuff is cleared out. I wouldn't think of doing it any other way.

Dave

 

I tried using a breaker bar on the top back nut and ended up breaking the stud. Luckily it broke right where the nut meets the precat so there was some thread left on the stud. Once I removed the other 3 nuts and took the precat off I was able to remove the broken stud by locking 2 nuts together. What a PITA!