Jason, Ryan, and myself just got our Magnaflow High Flow Cats delivered. I have access to the Navy auto hobby shop with lifts and a full compliment of tools. Can someone walk me through what all will be needed and a "how to" intall them for me?
Should take you less around an hour. I know Bobf (I think Bobf lol) installed his at the track! So, with the tools you have....I wouldn't worry about it. Just go in blind haha. J/K...I have some tips for you...let me find them..
when you get to doing it rick, give me a call!!! it is really pretty simple. a deep socket for the header flange nuts (can't remember what size) undo the clamps at the x pipe. remove cross member under the midpipes loosen the rest of the exhaust system if you can. tricky part is the studs that come out of the header flange are rather long and if you do not loosen the rest of the exhaust, it can be a bit of a pain to slide the old cats back far enough to come off the flange studs. you will understand once you loosen everything up!!! oh yeah, undo the O2 sensors first!! hehehehehe you will know what those are as soon as you get under the car. tell momo they are the only things on the exhaust with wires running to them!!! good luck guys!!!
Here ya go: Magnaflow High Flow Cats Install Tips The Rear Passenger Side 02 Sensor wire is a bit of a stretch but shouldn't need to be extended. They are not terribly difficult to instll but if your doing it in the garage on jack stands get an extra body.The catback should be removed to make it easier.The whole job shouldn't take much more than an hour. Little tip..........Make sure the o2 sensors will come out before removing the whole system.Some of these cars had the o2 sensors seized in place. You will indeed have to drop the whole catback by first removing the tunnel crossbrace and then unbolting the 2 back hangers on each side and apply some silicone spray and sliding off the front 2 rubber mounts on each side. Then remove the 4 OT sensors (it's easier while they are still mounted than struggling with them while the pipes are on the ground) taking care to ensure they go back in the correct bungs on the new cats. Drop the old cats and put the new in place but just loosely attach them, you will need the play when you reinstall the catback. This is where a pal comes into play.. one to guide the 2 pipes back in place and the other pushing from the rear. Lastly, and the is important, loosen all the clamps on the catback and rise it up so that the crossmember can go back up with a scrap piece of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood between the member and the catback. Then tighten the header flange bolts, install the rest of the hangers and tighten all the clamps. Hopefully when you pull out the plywood you will have the needed clearance between the pipes and the crossmember.
Let me know Rick, I work mids and I'll be off all day tomorrow. I'm actually kinda of mechanically inclined. I can look at parts and visualize what needs to b done to change it out. Maybe thats why I made first class in 6 1/2 years doing what I do...lulz.... I did my entire exhaust with no instructions....
Thanks guys! So this is something even I can do??? LOL I need to take the entire catback off....hmmm!!!!
Dahahaha, good luck! Make sure you have a least a 6 pack of beer for each set of cats (figuring 2 "installers" on the job). I think the main problem you're going to have is clearing the studs that are on the headers. They're long. You have to be able to move the cats far enough back to get them off the studs.So it depends on the exhaust/catback you have on there now. If all the joints are snugged all the way up then you won't be able to pull the cats far enough back to get them off the header studs. If that's the case you have 2 options. 1) drop the entire exhaust. That means you'll have to line everything back up and adjust it when re-installing. 2) Take a power hack saw and just cut the cats (old ones you are removing and the new ones you're putting back on) in front of where the bulge is. Then you can pull them sideways enough to get the remaining pipe off the header studs. You will need to weld the pipe back together on re-install. Make sure you get all the little metal cuttings out of the cat before installation. They will ruin the cat. Plasma welder is the nuts. You did say there was a full complement of tools right?
Send me your phone number via pm Jeff. What time would work best for you tomorrow? I'll get the times for the auto hobby shop over at 32nd street.
i was going to ask if you knew how to weld as you will probably need to weld those babys in... and remember...no welding near a gas tank/gas lines unless you know what your doing! hahahaha
No. You have option 1. Drop the entire exhaust. If you have enough play left in the exhaust joints you might be able to get away with just loosening all the clamps and shoving the pipe joints together. If the joints are pretty much all the way together now then you have to drop the exhaust. If you drop the exhaust then you have to re-align everything putting it back together. Not hard, but it can be tedious, frustrating and time consuming. Look for exhuast install instructions. I forget where I saw them. Master should be able to advise? You want to get everything thing lined up before tightening clamps and that may involve sort of holding or bracing things in place while tightening clamps, etc. You want clearance over the cross brace ect., you want your tips perfectly aligned, that sort of stuff. Do those cats have an extra bung hole for putting a wideband sensor in there along with the stock narrowband sensors? There's a good chance you're going to want a wideband in the future. If you do you'll have to repeat this exercise to get a bung installed.
dave - you are such a tool!!! don't go and scare the poor guys before they even start!!!! if i can do this under a car that was only two feet off the ground, then they can do it!! yes, the header flange studs are long, and that will be the hardest part. even that is not so bad once everything is loosened up!!!
I'm assuming they probably have a torch there. Heating those joints can make it a lot easier to disassemble or adjust some times. They tend to sort of seize together from the heat and being clamped.
damn dave, you are just going to scare the crap out of rick!!! no need for repeating the process if you want to install a bung later down the line rick. any exhaust guy worth a shit can install a bung for you even with the cats in!!!!! TRUST ME!!! don't listen to dave, he is just going to make you paranoid!!! :hypno: hahahahaahahha
That's far and away the easiest and quickest way to do it. Just wanted to make them aware of their options. Dropping an exhaust and/or adjust it can be a real pain in the arse. Not difficult but it can be a real pain. Of course they might not notice if their tips are cockeyed a little bit and we can deal with the epic posts from Momo about how he hears a rattle when going over bumps... Bud's in the Navy. There are a whole bunch of guys in the Navy who are wizards with a welder. Just an option. Videos! don't forget the videos! haha "we suspect the wheel might be damaged because the tire has gone flat twice now..."
