finally got the muffler off.. after it being a real pain in the ***..(yes i started at the muffler) idk if thats right but me and my roomate were doing it and he has a gsxr and i have never really worked on cars.. anyways... get to this next bolt/nut and no matter what we use it wont come off.. like a vice grip discombobulated it.. like bent it and we used everything in the garage to try and get this bolt off.. it just wont budge.. looks like its stripped about now.. probably gonna liquid wrench is off.. i read some other threads and ofcourse all the manly men said they can swap the whole exhaust in 30in/1hour ... lol well not me! anyways.. would really like any help/advice on how you installed your HKS.. would even much rather a cell # i could ask you afew questions.. works starts back monday and i need this thing on tommorrow.. anything would help.. thanks !

**edit**

after hours of looking.. finally found what i was looking for... wow.. **lil frustrated..**

DEF. gonna bring some pics to show the damage done...

 

i have not installed an exhaust on the Z yet BUT you got one option that will work , go to your local parts store, advance, autozone, napa and buy a bolt puller, its like a impact socket but it has reverse threads on it, you will have to use a half inch ratchet or if u have access to a impact gun works much better, if you are using the ratchet get a cheeter bar witch is basicly a long metal tube to give you more length to push it easyer or get a braker bar. GL bud

 

If a bolt is too tight, you obviously need more leverage (sp?). A breaker bar is your best friend.

 

lever arm distance = breaker bar = easy. You need to use one of those before you strip the next bolt. They are cheap (well expensive for a metal rod I guess). Did you strip the nut or the bolt? You can approach from the other side with a long-@ss breaker bar...

 

for future reference:
- Vise grips do not belong on bolts. Only use box end wrench, or socket. and break over.

- Soak all nuts/bolts in penetrating oil night before project, and then again right before you begin.

- use good tools, or you'll visit the ER when you break a cheap one.


if you've destroyed it, just whip out the dremel and cut the nut off.

 

I had the same problem with my exhaust install. The muffler was a breeze. But the bolts that held on the y pipe would not move at all. I soaked all bolts with wd40 about an hour before I started and still didn't happen. So I had to run it over to a guy I know at a Firestone to complete the install. He ended up having to replace two bolts because the heads broke off completely.

 

you can actually take the midpipe and muffler off in one peice.

 

so.. we got it on FINALLY! first thing i ever installed on a car period.. took about 4 1/2 hours... once we broke out the Torch the bolts started coming off
Ofcourse had to make a trip to lows for some new bolts/nuts/etc...

ONE THING ID LOVE TO KNOW... we got some gaskets form auto discount.. but the guy obviously thought we didnt have a dual exhaust... so had to go back and get another gasket... they didnt fit very well.. so we had to drill it a bit wider.. but now its fine... but my main question is... on the OEM muffler, there was no gasket from the "midpipe i think it is?" so we didnt install gaskets on the muffler(s) on the HKS... is this okay??

 

.

 

^ yah, that would really helped... lol ;]

 

OEM main muffler to center muffler uses a ring gasket.

 

 

uses a ring gasket? ehhh... meaning i just forgot and there was a gasket? should i got bask and buy 2 gaskets and throw em on from the muffler to the midpipe ?

 

no, that won't work. It was prob stuck on one side of the pipes and you didn't notice it. It's a metal O-ring, you can't miss if it falls out. If it doesn't fall off then you might not know it's there.

 

so.. conclusion.. do i need to put anything between muffler + midpipe?

 

Did your hks exhaust not come with any gaskets??

I guess it didn't since you had to go to hardware store to get some. Anyways, I don't think the hks uses any gaskets from the oem exhaust, so that means you wouldn't have to use that o-ring that sits between the midpipe and muffler on the oem exhaust..

 

best bet is to do as I did... they do have some semi universal 2.5inch gaskets, and use them as I replaced all the ones I got with my hks exhaust "they were like that thick white paper stuff" with good metal ones... not that it makes a difference, but my piece of mind is better.

 

pics up ;]

 

Looks like this.

 

^ that looks like a cauk ring. Lol~