My AWE cats showed up today with damage to the outside box. I bought these from Ken( keninirvine ) and they were packaged great! He included the clamps and nut and bolts finger tight to the flange. Well I remember Ed (NorthVan) and Stacy(Justatoy) saying that they were gonna have Ken send Ed's instead. They also stated that I would not notice the rattling of the worn out cells! When I took these out of the box and shook them and they rattled like crazy, u should of seen the look on my face I thinkin those MFr's sent Ed's. Then I realized it was the finger tight bolts on the flange! LOL Oh well I guess the install will start soon.......just not sure if Im gonna remove the bumper or try from under. I installed the AWE mufflers from under the car.....no big thing. Time willl tell

 

You will love them. The install isn't too difficult. I removed the bumper when I did my install from under the car, but if you don't plan on removing the heat shield as well, removing the bumper doesn't help all that much. Enjoy!

 

I DIY on these, too, and without rear bumper removal, and jacking up the rear (chocks at front wheels) you're in for a treat, LOL! Its doable, as that's how I did it, but it will take three times as long.

One tool you may need and not have is a 22m open wrench. This is needed to remove the O2 sensors from the cats.

Call me if you need advice. You will also want to unclip the O2 sensors inside the engine bay, so they don't get all twisted.

I assume you got the EVOMS CAI done right, too? I wanted to give you one tip, which is to ensure the lone bracket which holds it in place is set with the short end horizontal, othewise, the box sits too far back and will hit the pulleys.
CATTMAN

 

You're gonna love them! AWE cats are such an excellent mod for the 997.

 

+1

After looking at a number of different exhausts, I went with AWE (cats, headers, mufflers) and absolutely love them. I can't even remember what my car sounded and felt like before. Great quality and I'm sure you'll find the install to be easy and the fit will be perfect.

 

One addition to what cattman states regarding the O2 sensors. I, and many others had to pull slack so the O2 sensors could reach the bungs. I had to pull fairly firmly to get enough slack for mine to reach.

Also, good tip on disconnecting the O2 sensors as cattman suggests. I did not do this and it made it more difficult to screw them back in place.

 

Jim, you will love my, I mean Ken's old cat's. Don't worry about the CEL light, it is only a flow past failure from the first to second O2 sensor!

Mine are still on my car, and the car is with me today, I haven't done any work on my car since the last track days, including washing it. The monsoon that we had this morning, was like a pressure washing, so it looks OK!

 

Jim,
I encourage you to DIY. It's little projects like this that gave me the confidence to do the SuperCharger installation myself- if I can ever get a day off with childcare to get started, LOL!

I will go out to the garage and write up a DIY guide with pics for you on this. I assume you have a jack, stands, 22m open wrench, and lots of sockets and torx bits. Most common sizes on the 997 are 10m and 13m. I find that having a couple, in different lengths, with different joints helps. I really like the socket wrenches that have a ratchet and articulated head. About $10 each at Lowe's.

In the meantime, here are some pics of the tail light harness, the screw you need to remove to take out the tail light, and the O2 sensor where it attaches inside the engine bay. There is one of these on each side of the bay, and the wires dangle down and connect to 2 spots on each cat- disconnecting them the sensors from the cats you'll need a 22m open wrench. Be careful with the sensors- try not to touch their ceramic ends.

Also, you will need an extra pair of hands when removing the rear bumper, as the fit is tight, and lining up can be tricky since you can't see both sides at once. Also, there is a wiring harness (for the license plate frame lights) that you will need an extra pair of hands to unclip.

Finally, I find that snack-sized zip-lock bags, labelled with a Sharpie, are a great way to keep removed screws, nuts, and bolts organized. This ensures you don't lose anything, and that you know which pieces go where when it's time to put everything back together.

Consider this my gift to you, LOL! If it's valuable, you know what to do
You can do this!
CATTMAN

 

Here are the flex head ratchet wrenches I like.
Sockets are great, and you need a full set of them, but for some of the tight spaces in a 997 these are great.
CATTMAN

 

Great advice here. Do yourself a favor and remove the rear bumper and heatshield. Its not hard at all... just about a dozen screws. Your knuckles will thank you.

 

Thanks for the write up....I actually thought you removed the bumper with pics when I saw how long the write up was! LOL I will tackle this job. I am a little intimidated by the European aspect of the car. I did a resto on my 67 (Signature) and it is gorgeous! ......but its a Chevy , ya know!

Jim

 

Thanks for all the replies (Even Ed's). I have the AWE cans, the cats, and I think the headers will be next Not sure if I will do the x51 instead.......keep flippin between both.

 

LOL....Ken's,I mean Ed's...NO hang on...Ken's cats...I think are in great condition......or at least they were when they left Vancouver !

I am not sure that you should be attempting the install yourself....after-all you are JUST a jeweler,LOL!!!!
And IF you have any questions my friend....Do NOT hesitate to ask someone else!
GL and Call IF you do need help!


Stacy

 

+1, get your wife to install them, she wears the pants in the family!

 

Stacy,

I was gonna ask someone else for help........Your wife! She is use to working with small tools in small areas! ROFL

Jim