meerkat8701

couldnt find any info about this so ill have to ask for it! ( nicely of course..)
i just got my grubby little paws on a full racing beat exhaust system for my 1986 n/a s4. my buddy came down after work and we put in the ramp and started what we thought would be a relatively straightforward job, at least in comparison with other jobs weve undertaken. then we had a look at the frontpipe. straight away i saw that it was different but cracked on anyway. weve removed the rest of the system and just have the frontpipe/cat left. got the heatsheilds surounding it off and now were on to the 4 nuts that hold the frontpipe/cat on. the lower two were not a problem to get at but the two on top seem impossible to remove! of course there is a way but i cant see it! i have tried with all kinds of different tools with different angles and can get them on the nut but theres no room to crack it. is there anyone out there who has experienced this or is it something glaringly obvious that ive missed?

dwb87

iTrader: (22)

Can you post some pics? That will definitely help us, help you.


By the way... Nice avatar.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

take the port actuators off(2x10mm nuts,hit actuator and pull off) and you can get at the top nuts on the exhaust manifold.
If that is what you are trying to do.

meerkat8701

Thanks! Always thought that re was cool =)
Gotta work out how to put up some pics...

meerkat8701

I Think ive already done that. Im gna put a pic up of the part i took off above the Cat...

meerkat8701

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/5182/dsc0015sx.jpg

meerkat8701

http://imageshack.us/mobile/gallery.php

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

What the Hell is that?..(second link does not work)
That must be European..(not no 86 that I ever worked on!!)
BUMP..this guy needs help Lads!

meerkat8701

i worked as an exhaust fitter för 2 years about 10 years ago and ive never come across anything like this! i live in stockholm and bought this car last year. it is "swedish sold" and im the third owner. im gonna have a crack at it this evening after work again. thanks you guys for your help its really appreciated!

meerkat8701

the problem is at the frontpipe is like a sort of cylindrical thing approx the same shape as a 2litre coke bottle on its side. they have welded it on the top so theres like a very thick kind of seam that makes it difficult to get to it with an extension and swivel socket because the angle is too steep. gna try again this evening!

meerkat8701

when i finally solve this i will put up some pic and explain what i did for future reference.. wish me luck!

RXSpeed16

iTrader: (41)

Have you thought about trying something like a crowfoot socket? It'll be pretty slow, but it should be able to get at that fastener.

dwb87

iTrader: (22)

I'm not really sure if I am even looking at the picture correctly...

Penetrating oil, a socket extension, and a long bar to use for leverage on the socket wrench.

Unless you have a small impact gun that you will fit.

meerkat8701

@ rxspeed16 good idea but i didnt want to risk rounding off the nut cos then i would have been really screwed! i got help in the end from my dads boss whos literally been a mechanic as long as ive lived! (im 31) he just cut off the seam on the downpipe for the left nut and drilled the other side for the right nut. all you need to do is to be able to lessen the angle of the extension (assuming that your using a ratchet, extension and a universal joint)
he did it while i was working cos i think he felt sorry for me after id been at it for two days but i had thought to use a grinding bit (see link below)

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Accessor...l.aspx?pid=517

these work really well on cast iron so i reckon it would be the simplest and most time effective way to solve this problem.
saying all this, i know that there must be a way to get it off without grinding or cutting but considering i was going to throw it away afterwards it didnt seem too important. im sure that mazda use some kind of special tool for this. if theres anyone that knows how to get the nuts off without damaging the actual downpipe please feel fre to explain for the next poor sod that has the same problem =)

meerkat8701

now for the fun part!

(before)

(after)

(driveby)