Okay - I was really trying to refrain from doing this but I'm left with little choice. I need to ask you guys for help. Hours later I have my car in pieces and stock DP still on it. I've searched the how-tos but apparently I'm mechanically retarded. So here's where I'm at...

IC is off. Heatshield is off (at least the top part of it is). 5 bolts holding the DP on to the turbo is off. 2 spring bolts under the car as well as the one bolt attached to the hanger thingy is also off. DP won't budge. What am I missing here?

If any kind souls are near San Jose and don't mind lending a hand, I have all the beer you can drink if you could help me finish this install. I know to some of you, this is cake... I'm a tuning noob, sue me.

 

If all bolts are out, bash the dp with a rubber hammer to knock it loose without damaging it. If I were you I'd take off the entire heat shield and make sure no other bolts are holding it.

 

When you say "bolt on the hanger thingy" are you talking about the one on the downpipe itself (about 1/2 way down) or on the downstream exhaust underneath?

I've found loosening the hangar on the next exhaust section helps a lot, allowing it to move and freeing up the downpipe.

 

He's got them all, 5 at the turbo, 1 hanger attached to trans, 1 o2, and 2 to the cat back. That's all of them, just did this job today. Try beating on it with a mallet or using a pry bar. Is the TBE pushing forward on the DP?

 

Yeah I wasn't doubting his ability to count. More from the view of.... It's stuck and he can't see under the top of the shield. The gasket may have cooked and stuck everything together. Liquid gasket may have been used which can gum stuff up. Op, make sure you use a new gasket once you finally get it off. You're probably going to compromise the existing one when you get the dp off

 

Yeah, didn't mean that to come off as rude or anything, more of just going over it myself as I was posting. Seems odd to me that it is bound up. I had problems with the bolts breaking different times, but never had a DP that wouldn't come out easily once the nuts and bolts were removed.

 

It looks like the DP is separating from the turbo - I can see a bit of a gap between the two. It's just that it doesn't budge much further than that. I've tried prying it a bit with a flat head screwdriver making sure I don't mess up the gasket in there but it's still not budging. It's almost like there's some super secret screws/bolts still left SOA installed just to make my life miserable...

If only I could PB Blaster the whole damn thing and it just falls off instantly

 

I don't see the 2nd bolt from the transmission(closer to engine) mount in your pics... but then again I don't know if 2011's have it... mines an 02 LOL

 

if i recall correctly, the hanger near the tranny is u-shaped and the downpipe will hang there even if the bolt is out. so you have to sort of "lift" it off. maybe try pushing the downpipe up with a jack near the rear flange to see if it budges?

 

Yeah from underneath the car push upward on the downpipe and lift it off that bracket.

 

Yep - I've already "lifted" the downpipe off that. Right now it's floating... magical...

 

Maybe the flange on the downpipe is binding on the studs attached to the turbo? I would get under the car and try to jostle it. If you can move it, you can probably feel to determine what it's stuck on, otherwise I would just inspect it visually some more.

Just wait until you try to finesse the up pipe out

 

Since you were able to get it to separate, there shouldn't be any more bolts holding it in... But check 1/4 of the way down from the top flange and see if there's an extra mount. I had an 02, and when I tried to install my friend's 04 stock down pipe, there was an extra mount, so I hammered it back to get it to fit.

You can kind of see it here. Look at the 9 o'clock position in the picture.


I'm also not sure about the newest down pipes, but are they two piece like the older ones? If so, take it apart so you can get more wiggle room and start yelling at it!

 

Doesn't the bottom of the downpipe clip on the transmission cross member? Right were the downpipe bolts up to the frame?

Check to see if that is hanging you up or not.

 

listen to old.guy