X pipe and cat back are on the way but...

aar0s · Sep 28, 2010

The car is up in the air and hopefully i can get some time in the next few nights to start taking the stock parts down and out. Shimmied my fat ass under it to see what i was getting into and right off the bat i noticed blue RTV on the oil pan gasket ill have to point that out to the FIL who thinks the wal-mart oil change is great.
Next i noticed that the top bolts on the x pipe are going to be a pain not only to get out but put back in, not much room in there but how do I unhook the O2's?
Im going to be replacing them so could i cut the wires then when everythings out of the way unplug them, then i have the problem of fitting my fat hand in there to hook up the new one with a larger pipe in the way.

crazystang25 · Sep 28, 2010

There is a quick disconnect plug-in that you undo or else it would possibly tear up the wires.

joshjwc9 · Sep 28, 2010

Stock Hpipe removal is a pain in the butt, but don't stress out. With the car on jackstands as high as you can go, with a decent extension and a swivel, you can get to the hpipe to manifold bolts. Remember to get a new xpipe to manifold gasket as well. Installation of a aftermarket xpipe is easier than removal IMO.

The o2 sensors can simply get unplugged from the harness, remove them once the stock Hpipe is out.

There is no need to replace the o2 sensors unless you are having an issue with their response times.

Winters98GT · Sep 29, 2010

with a decent extension and a swivel,

+1. It makes it much easier if you have the right extension and swivels ready.

aar0s · Sep 29, 2010

you guys must all either have 5 speeds or really really small hands! Wifes car is an auto, i tried for about twenty min. to get to the drivers side harness and couldn't even touch it.
Do i unbolt the factory H from the headers then unhook the o2's, using a jack to take the weight of the H off the wires or is there another way ?
I should probably update the sig sometime...

Flghtmstr1 · Sep 30, 2010

aar0s said:
you guys must all either have 5 speeds or really really small hands! Wifes car is an auto, i tried for about twenty min. to get to the drivers side harness and couldn't even touch it.
Do i unbolt the factory H from the headers then unhook the o2's, using a jack to take the weight of the H off the wires or is there another way ?
I should probably update the sig sometime...

I had the same problem. I solved it by asking someone with smaller hands to unclip the driver's side harness. The rest of the removal was a piece of cake.

SteedaGT9150 · Sep 30, 2010

passenger side header studs are a bitch....

Maxpowers · Sep 30, 2010

Stock mid pipe removal was simple. Just have to be patient. I put mine up on stand in the front and changed it over by myself in a little over an hour.

aar0s · Sep 30, 2010

Flghtmstr1 said:
I had the same problem. I solved it by asking someone with smaller hands to unclip the driver's side harness. The rest of the removal was a piece of cake.

what did you do about the passenger side? you cant even see the connection there.

crazystang25 · Sep 30, 2010

ya mine is a 5 speed.

sneaky98gt · Sep 30, 2010

aar0s said:
you guys must all either have 5 speeds or really really small hands! Wifes car is an auto, i tried for about twenty min. to get to the drivers side harness and couldn't even touch it.
Do i unbolt the factory H from the headers then unhook the o2's, using a jack to take the weight of the H off the wires or is there another way ?
I should probably update the sig sometime...

I have an auto, and it wasn't that big of a deal for me, but I am a relatively small guy (5'10", 160ish). Yes, you could drop the pipe a bit (get someone to hold it) and unplug the connector then. Just don't let the weight of the pipe hang on the wires.

+1 on the new gasket. I examined mine and it looked alright, and I knew someone who reused theirs and had no problems, so I figured I'd try. Big mistake. Leaked like a mofo. Had to redo it all. Just spend $12 and get a new gasket.

+1 on the extensions and swivel. It is actually really easy to do. The first time I removed it, from turning the car off to cranking it back up, it took me 3 hours, and that was completely by myself with no lift (shop floor, FTW!). When I had to replace the gasket, it look me an hour start to finish by myself on the floor again.

Offroad midpipe install is much easier than stock midpipe removal because it's a LOT lighter. Stock midpipe is freaking heavy!

aar0s · Sep 30, 2010

yeh, scraped the poo out of my arm and my fingertips are raw and still couldnt get the drivers side undone. If only the front two were as easy as the back two...I dont think that if i dropped the H i could get my big arm in there to unhook the passenger side.
Im either going to cut them off, drop the H and install new ones as i put the X in or have a shop do it I think. Screwed up my elbow at work yesterday packin some drywall so unless i can get a extra pair of hands it might go to a muffler shop. Im going to wait and see what the kit looks like.
I may try to take the front wheels off and go though the wheel well, see if i can get it from there. they had to have a way to do it at the factory that wasnt such a PITA!

joshjwc9 · Sep 30, 2010

Wish you were close to me in Tampa! I don't mind offering a set of hands (which I just got true mechanic's gloves, so I'll dive into anything). And although there are certain things I shy away from, doing exhaust is some of the easiest stuff you can do, as long as you are patient and have the right tools for the job.

aar0s · Oct 13, 2010

I got the cat back on while my FIL worked on the stock H pipe two weekends ago. we got it down to the last bold on the passenger side (you know the one) and could not get a good bite on it. so instead of really ****ing my self and striping the bolt off i took it to a shop and had them install it. now that the other issue with the car has been lined out i can tell ya that the magnaflow setup sounds great. car seems to have a little more grunt, dont have any dyno pulls to back it up. going to try and get it to the track this weekend if i can talk the wife into doing it, its her car and she has the final say with it.
Thanks for the help with this guys!

Night Shifter · Oct 13, 2010

we need vids

Winters98GT · Oct 14, 2010

going to try and get it to the track this weekend if i can talk the wife into doing it

That sucks. I have been banned by mine from going anymore.

Glad you got it taken care of!

aar0s · Oct 18, 2010

Winters98GT said:
That sucks. I have been banned by mine from going anymore.

Glad you got it taken care of!

Mines not so picky, as long as she gets to take me to church on sunday morning before i go and theres nothing else pressing to do or anywhere else we need to be then she's coo with it. I dont usually stay too long, pay my test and tune money and make 3 more passes then im usually happy till the next week.

Night Shifter said:
we need vids

Sorry, couldnt get any vids but did get the car (auto hardtop, bone stock other than the x pipe and cat back) to a 9.17 1/8th mile, two tenths faster than my fox vert
what should be my next mod on this car. she dont care much what i do with it but it is her car and she said no gears and no lowering springs. i was thinking a tuner or bigger mass air meter but know nothing about them, my fox is a SD car so ive never had to mess with them.
how about a throtle body? are they worth the money on these cars?

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