So, I have my new catback all ready to go on and I can't get the freaking bolts off the cat/pipe flange. I tried and tried with no luck at all. I thought they might break, but can't even get it to do that lol. I had to give up today b/c Im unsure what to try. It's hard enough to apply pressure straight on the ratched when your car is like 10 inches lifted off the ground haha. It's probably more, but not a lot of room to work.

What do you guys think a shop would charge to get those off? Or do you have any ideas? The socket just twists off at this point b/c I can't apply pressure straight on.

 

hold up are you trying to take stock one off?

 

Yeah, The bolts on the rear of the cat that connect to the "stock" pipe. Not sure if it's really stock but it looks very old and nasty. My new kit is still in the box wrapped up. It would be on if I could have gotten those three bolts off.

 

had the same problem if you can get a wrench or socket and breaker bar on the nut and tap the end of the wrench or bar witha rubber mallet and use lots of wd-40 oh and lots of patience too lol youll be good if not try to find some place that u can use a lift and do it yourslef id hate to see u have to pay a shop to do that

 

use 2 wrenches one on either side, apply some wd40 maybe?

 

So let me ask this. Is either side mounted to the flange? B/c there is a hex head or whatever it is on the front side, which is hard to get to b/c of the cat shield, and then there is the nut on the other side. To me, both flanges, and the bolt/nut look to be connected together completely, but that is probably just 15 years of crap on there that makes it seem like it is.

Are you saying to put a wrench on the head side?

 

I might go out and try the two wrenches really quick. It would be so much easier with a lift haha.

 

in my case the stud\bolt was connected to the the cat and locked into place so all youd have to do was get the nut off on the end but if this isnt the case on urs the two wrench idea may be more fitting

 

I think it might be like yours. THere is a shield thing over the cat which is in the way of getting the second wrench on. So maybe they are connected. I tried getting the shield off and it is just as difficult.

And it hurts my collarbone when I put a lot of pressure where my metal plate is in my shoulder. This sucks. I haven't tried just the one wrench. It fit better than the socket so I will try that and see what happens. I can't get both wrenches on though.

 

it jus comes down to patience try using extensions on ur ratchet or wutever u need to get the best grip on the nut as not to stip them out becuz then ur fookd

 

No luck. wd40 and wrench do nothing. I seriously can't seen any gap between any of the parts. It's on so tight it looks like one piece. I can't really get a ton of pressure without using my bad shoulder so I am probably going to have to go to a shop. They weld on mufflers for 30 bucks so hopefully they will just put this on for the same price.

 

here's what i did for mine. LOL mine were really stuck... i use to just go down to my old high school and use the lift, but my old teacher left.

ANYWAYS.... for my last catback. i took the cat off the header and just pulled it all out. i stuck the cat under a washer so the whole piece would hold (i guess you can use a clamp or whatever you got around. LOL i had a washer outside that we were getting rid of)... i tried using just my ratchet, but it wasn't going. i then stuck my ratchet into my gsr strut bar and i then was able to break the nuts loose in an instant. REMEMBER the longer the lever = the more torque you got.

if you break the bolt threads, you can actually hammer them out of the cat and put in new oem ones

 

So which part is actually connected to the flange? The nut or the bolt? Or neither. B/c the more I look at it the nut looks like it's connected.

To get the cat off the header, do you use the two wrench method?

 

use pb blaster and let it sit for about 10 min. and it should break loose. that stuff works like a charm

 

I'm about to do mine, and i know the 3 bolts on the back of the cat are going to be a bitch...

I would take off the entire thing.. cat and bpipe in one shot...

the 2 bolts that attach the header to the cat are easier to take off, imo...

with the cat, and bpipe on the ground... and soaked with pb blaster... i would then take off the bolts... cause its not hanging, its easier to apply more torque...

then bolt the stock cat, on the new b-pipe, and re-hang everything again.

WD-40 isn't as penetrative as pb blaster, so get a can of pb blaster.

 

Ok, cat and pipe are off the car. The car sounds like a mean V8 with straight headers haha.

But now I still can't get them off. They seriously seem like they are welded from the heat. The wrench will just eventually slip off. I have a 2-3 foot cheater bar and no luck. Any suggestions at all at this point. I just have the whole thing sitting in my driveway but just as many problems with those 3 pesky bolts. I might go buy some pb blaster but last time that didn't work.

 

So, I have it soaking with PB blaster now. Hope that does something.

 

on the 3BOLT side, the bolts are stuck into the cat. the nuts are what you need to break loose.

like i said, put your ratchet into some kind of long pipe and it'll break the nuts loose after you spray some wd40/pb blaster. the longer the lever, the more torque you have... so it'll be easier to break the nuts loose.

 

Longest pipe I have is off my jack. No luck. I need to find a place to put the cat so it will hold it down while I try to pry. I just can't think of a good place to do that. I don't have a spare washer haha.

 

hahaha. hmmm... how about a big rock or something? HAHA those big heavy clamps would be good.... maybe a table? LOL

 

Few options

-Big impact gun
-Torch
-Buy a new cat

 

Sawzall, grinder, drill with a good 3/8" bit + a lot of cursing= fastest way.

 

I'm considering grinding that nut off, but I still don't know if it will come apart at that point lol.

 

careful with a wrench...

soak it with more bp buster... just let it soak.. for 15 mins, re soak, wait again... try again..

hopefully you don't end up stripping the bolt...
you need to get a gator grip or those sears sockets that can take off stripped bolts...

 

Dang, forgot about that gator thing. I have one. THat would help a ton if it fits. They are already sort of stripped from the wrench slipping off. I seriously hate bolts, screws, and anything like them. I can't do one thing to a car without having some kind of issue with them.