Driveshaft removal / midpipe removal tips/tricks

[xarnyz]

I've seen some complaining about how hard it is to get the 4 twelve point bolts off the driveshaft. Mine were on there good too. I used a swivel head 3/8 wrench-nonratcheting (I used this one because its head size was small, bought it at kragen a while back) I put the wrench on the bolt.. and stuck a jack under the wrench and jacked that sucker. Produced all the torque I needed to get them off. I then proceded to slide out the shaft (very easy for anyone to do, at least on mine) and spilt tranny fluid all over the garage floor.

That was easy! If only I wasn't doing a clutch install amnit:


As for the midpipe: The manifold-midpipe bolts were sucky.. had to use a swivel attachment to curve around the cats (like ds u-joints lol) (this attachment came with my 3/8 inch swivel head wrench from kragen)
I ended up having to saw off the smog pump line. I still couldn't remove the midpipe, was very tight and I didnt want to fight it with it. So I put a jack on my transmission and took off the crossmember, then the tranny mount and the thing the exhaust hangers are hooked to. Came out nice and happy then.

Odd thing about smog pump line. I guess its not there to save cats, since it seems like it would only affect the back two, where its hooked up Im not too worried about that line.

I got my tranny out today. Made it fall into a summit racing box full of paper towels I used to clean up my tranny fluid messes. Wasn't sure how heavy it was so the box got punished!
Anyway, I just wanted to try and help anyone whos doing this.. as it has been sucking for me.. good luck people!

 

[jrichker]

Here’s some help (a bit late in your case) for removing the air tube from the H pipe...

Try removing the bolts from the upper mounting bracket at the rear of the engine, and then loosen the clamp on the air tube by the cats. Then get a BIG pair of ViseGrip pliers (you really didn't hear me say that), clamp down hard on the tube about 1 1/2" from the clamp and pound away on the ViseGrips. It will come off if you keep at it.

In really stubborn cases, drill a 1/8" hole all the way thru the air tube 1 1/2" from the clamp, put a nail, pin punch or whatever in the hole, seat the ViseGrips up against the nail or pin punch and pound away on the ViseGrips. This is a better method, as you can do the same thing in reverse to put the old tube back on, with some clever means to cover or fill the hole (weld, braze, sheet metal screws, hose clamps and hi temp hose, etc.).

A replacement air tube cost me $44 plus the air valve didn't come with it - another $17, so reuse when and where possible if your money is limited.