I cannot get the VAP x-pipe tubes to go into the rear muffler tubes. Advice please? The drivers side is where I'm having the main problem. It just won't seem to fit in. (that's what she said!)

Rich if you are out there I think I need you to come over and rescue my car.

 

Pics could help to see your problem ;-)

 

Sometimes the old exhaust clamp can deform the inside diameter of the muffler pipe just enough to prevent the x pipe tube from going in. There are devices that will open up the pipe diameter. Try the local automotive part houses, they will sometimes rent these tools.

 

Yep.. ^^ what he said. "Advance Auto parts" or "O'Reilly auto parts" will loan you a "tail pipe expander" tool for nothing typically. It's a devise used to expand the inside diameter of exhaust pipes. You just insert and crank on the nut to expand the tubing a bit. It'll make a deformed piece of tubing nice and round again and give you a little bit more slack and clearance to more easily slide the sleeved pieces together.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll get it.

 

Thank you guys I really appreciate it. I was working on that for about two hours yesterday getting absolutely nowhere. And I have to tell you, one of my least favorite places to be is under a car on jack stands.

 

Why is one side shorter on the new xpipe vs the old original center section? Look at the end that goes into the where the secondary cats connect.

 

Stuart solved this one for me. The end piece on the original part comes out and is installed on the xpipe. So simple!

 

Got back last night and doing a lot of catching up... did you get it sorted out then? Everything installed and good to go?

 

This is the decat pipe passenger side attached to the manifold. Do you see the angle of that top stud? I can't get a nut on there because of the angle of the pipe. The RH marking on the pipe does mean the passenger side, right? Assuming it is installed in the right place, what am I supposed to do?

 

On another note, some installation instructions would have helped me along the way.

 

Yes, RH is right-hand, which is passenger side.

Pull the pipe back from the manifold a little so that you can work the nut on, then you can push the pipe closer to the manifold once the nut is threaded enough onto the stud.

 

Just reverse the bolt to have the nut on the header side...

 

You can't do that, it's a stud attached to the manifold. I wish though. It was hard. I was working this, and my day job also as the day went on

 

Hi John,

You just need to get the nut onto that stud when there's just a bit of thread poking through. Then you can start the other nuts/bolts and cinch it all up.

 

Well I got it. That top nut is a real bear. Luckily I have a set of crow foot wrenches and I was able to attach the 13mm to a short socket wrench extender and use that to gain a bit of leverage on the nut and hand tighten it as best I could.