Overpipe removal

[Andrew Smith 156]

Just trying to get the overpipe out so I can remove the manifold. Looks like if I take the mani off first the pipe will come out easily and when refitting I should be able to balance the overpipe in place first and put the mani in around it. 

Can anyone confirm that this is possible?

Cheers A

[rob275 1817]

Not done myself but from what i've been told the engine has to be lifted slightly. This may or may not be the case though, i'd wait for a second opinion.

[Andrew Smith 156]

Cheers Rob,  I have been watching ytube vids of folks doing this on their drives....didnt look so tricky but now I have the pipe loose I realise that they were LHD cars and the weather is beautiful. Looks like if the mani is out the way the pipe should come out of the place where they bolt together.....hope so 

[Tareim 343]

I have had the manifold and overpipe removed without lifting the engine, perhaps it might make things easier if the engine was lifted

[Andrew Smith 156]

So here is the answer to my question..... yes, take off the mani and overpipe comes out very easily, however if there is no need to remove the manifold then I would imagine that loosening the engine mounts and lifting the motor a bit would be the simpler way to go

[Rich 378]

Stock overpipe won't come out without removing at least one heatshield, even with the manifold off. Aftermarket overpipes should just slide out once the manifold is off. Manifold side is much easier than front pipe for getting the overpipe in or out.

[surrey86 352]

Does that mean if I want to change out the Oem manifold and overpipe I don't have to go in from the back and take off the mid-pipe first for clearance? 

If someone could confirm would be great, I presumed it was a bigger job.

[Tareim 343]

you will need to unbolt it first but other than that no you shouldn't need to completely remove the front pipe

[Andrew Smith 156]

12 hours ago, maurice said:

Does that mean if I want to change out the Oem manifold and overpipe I don't have to go in from the back and take off the mid-pipe first for clearance? 

If someone could confirm would be great, I presumed it was a bigger job.

How I have done it today...... unbolt 2nd cat from overpipe then 2 nd cat from catback. Remove the bolt that fixes the cat to bracket and loosen the bracket bolts a bit to remove cat. Unbolt over pipe from manifold then remove the mani. With no heat shields on the overpipe it is easy to draw it out of the gap where it was once bolted to the mani.

I had no shields on my pipe but you are going to have to remove them at some point, probably just before you remove the mani although if you can get the mai off first it would be easier.

It is easily doable on the drive with basic tools, the biggest struggle I had was removing seized bolts and dealing with already stripped threads. I sprayed all nuts and bolts with wd40 the day before and most of it came apart without a struggle

 

[Deacon 1357]

What did you do about the striped threads?

[Andrew Smith 156]

4 minutes ago, Deacon said:

What did you do about the striped threads?

The whole system has been a hotch potch of random nuts and bolts and after getting a quote for around £300 from my local dealer for all the genuine nuts bolts and gaskets and anothet 300 for labour I decided to bring my exhaust mod plans forward and do it myself. The stripped threads are on the mani studs and overpipe studs so I am replacing with Tuning Developments mani and overpipe that will come with their own nuts bolts and gaskets.

[Rich 378]

3 hours ago, maurice said:

Does that mean if I want to change out the Oem manifold and overpipe I don't have to go in from the back and take off the mid-pipe first for clearance? 

If someone could confirm would be great, I presumed it was a bigger job.

You can do it from the front; manifold just drops straight out once you unbolt it, then wiggle the overpipe out of its slot after removing heatshields.

I had severely seized nuts on the overpipe heatshields and on the catback (the latter required some serious air powered impact gun action).

[Andrew Smith 156]

9 hours ago, Rich said:

You can do it from the front; manifold just drops straight out once you unbolt it, then wiggle the overpipe out of its slot after removing heatshields.

I had severely seized nuts on the overpipe heatshields and on the catback (the latter required some serious air powered impact gun action).

What I meant to say maurice was most of mine came apart without a stuggle. I am getting on a bit with arthritis and should know better at my age to be scrabbling about under cars. I had a couple of seized nuts on the overpipe to cat so I just put a ring spanner on the nuts, used another spanner to extend the first one and used my foot instead of my hand to free them off. The only other thing we havnt mentioned is that the under trays need to come off. Very simple, bolts and several plastic clips. Pry the clips off with a screwdriver or similar being careful not to damage them as they are reuseable

[Kodename47 446]

The heatshield refused to come off my OP. It was completely siezed on one of the bolts which made it an absolute PITA to do, however I left the manifold in place and could see that removing it would help. Being RHD the space is limited, IIRC I maneuvered it out the rear of the subframe. It's also quite common for threads to strip on the OEM stuff, but most aftermarket stuff comes with nuts and bolts anyway.

[surrey86 352]

Thanks both, very useful to know. 

Know what you mean about watching videos of Californian youtuber's, it's not quite as inviting outside here at the moment! 

[Rich 378]

I only got half the heatshield off my overpipe; that is sufficient to get it free of the car with a little perseverance...