I'm putting on my test pipes and an iso thermal spacer today. My question is: since I'm already taking the top and bottom IM's off to put the spacers on would it be a good idea to do the TP's at the same time? Wouldn't there be a lot more room with all that junk out of the way and getting at the bolts from the top would be a lot easier. I don't know if it's safe to do that with the motor being so exposed but if I cover it with something clean would that be ok? I've searched around and found lots of info on TP installs and spacer install but nothing about doing the 2 at the same time. What do you guys think?

 

What are your fears? It should not affect anything aside from better in/output. Finish one then do the second one.

 

May be a good idea.

Some members access the exhaust manifold-catelitic converter bolts from INSIDE the engine bay. Less stuff inside the engine bay the better.

 

Take the intake tubing out and you can reach the catbolts from the engine bay. Its easiest to get a swivel 14mm socket and an extension.

 

how the hell do you get the O2 sensors off?!?! I have an O2 sensor socket and I think I might have stripped the right one. Please help as I'm right in the middle of it lol.

 

^ this is the only thing shying me away from installing my own TPs.. lol. I HATE exhaust work.

 

The good news is they're not completely stripped, a wrench will still bite but I can't budge those things.

 

PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench? Wait can you remove the cats with the sensors still in?

 

Mine were a B!tch, PB blaster or Anything of the sort would not work.

What i did was unclip them from the car and leave them on the cats
then i took a torch to heat up the threads holding the O2's in, NOT the 02's themselves..
soon as you heat up the threads you should be able to get them off with someone standing or holding the cat's..

 

Can I heat around the bung without touching the sensors with the torch and not throw any codes? I mean worst case I throw a code and have to deal with that but at least the damn things would be off. I even managed to get a bigger wrench on there and put more torque all it did was further strip the damn thing. I'm prolly gonna end up having to use a vice grip and get it out with heat.

 

just unplug them from the car, chances are with test pipes, your gonna throw the engine light no matter what, but at least the heat will get them out, stop wasting your time with the wrenches, your gonna break the threads or strip the head even more.

heat them up for a couple seconds, then use the wrench.

 

Yeah that's what I'm gonna try tomorrow when I go back at it again. I tried everything else and no luck. Hopefully tomorrow goes better.

 

My sensors came off pretty easy... just used PB Blaster, let em sit for a while, then used an adjustable wrench... and a hammer

 

Wouldn't a penetrating lubricant cause a CEL if you sprayed it on the sensor? I haven't sprayed anything on there in fear of throwing a code. I'm gonna try the heat tomorrow and if that doesn't work maybe I'll use some PB. I had to quit for the night though, was getting into the "breaking ****" phase lol.

 

you shouldn't have to worry about getting it on the sensor. You're only using enough to get it loose, not coating it in the stuff. Besides, I wiped off the leftover PB Blaster before I re-installed anyway.

 

I'll try that before heating it up then. Hopefully I've maybe loosened things up even a little bit. I can't believe I couldn't even budge the damn things. Now i know why people dread any kind of exhaust work.

 

I had a hard time with them too, but the PB Blaster will loosen it up. Just remember, less is more. Don't use too much. It'll get in there and do the trick. It also helped that I had a hammer, so I could tap my wrench, to help get it loose.

 

Hands down the easiest way to get the O2 sensors off is to take the cats off with them still attached. You have so much room for activities! I could easily fit a 22mm wrench on the bungs and apply the right amount of torque to loosen them. No need for any penetrating lube or heat of any kind. With a big wrench and enough room to use it there was no issue.

As for the MD iso thermal spacer I can`t speak highly enough of it. The instructions covered everything and it was incredibly straight forward. I took the car out for a very spirited run and when I got back I touched the plenum expecting it to be hot. It was surprisingly cool to the touch.

The car is very, very loud with the test pipes and hks exhaust. Like wake the neighbors loud. I was pleased to hear very little rasp and it`s only really noticeable when the car is stopped and revved to red line. I plan on giving it a couple weeks to settle in and if the small amount of rasp is still noticeable I`ll try the X-pipe mod. Overall this is definitely something a person with average mechanical knowledge can do with just hand tools in the garage. Having an extra set of hands does not hurt either.

 

Awesome.

 

For me I had to take the cats off the car first. Then I used liquid wrench and let it sit for about an hour or two. Then on top of that I used a 18" breaker bar attached to an O2 sensor socket.

It took awhile, but I got it.