Does anyone have experience with removing the upper cat heat shield. I am looking for advice on how the remove the heat shield (it rattles like crazy) without damaging the O2 sensor that runs through a hole in the center of the shield.

My first thought was cutting the heat shield with a whiz wheel or tin snips.
- I don't know if I will be able to use tin snips or have enough room for a whiz wheel

unplugging the O2 sensor and removing the shield.
-will this possibly ruin the sensor?

Anyone have any experience with either method or have suggestion on a better method?

 

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I'd drop the exhaust so it'd be easier to get the heat shield off (unless its attached the body, I'm not too familiar with '94+ models). Removing your O2 sensor should not ruin it if you're careful. When I installed my header I had no problem taking the O2 sensor out of the exhaust manifold and putting it on the new exhaust header.

 

Just take the rubber hangers off so that you can move the exhaust around a little more freely. That should give you enough room to access the bolts holding the heatshield on. Unplug the O2 sensor harnes, remove the heatshield, and reinstall the hangers and harness. That should do the trick for you.

 

Cutting it without at least moving the exhaust piping will be near impossible...that metal was difficult for me to even bend when the pipe was in the way...youll save a lot of time by removing or at least taking the piping off the hangers and trying to unbolt it...then you can cut to where the 02 sensor is and slide the shield out w/o unpluggin it...

 

Thanks for your input everyone.

Jim