Hi guys,

Just purchased a second hand ZZP catted downpipe, and I'm looking to install it this weekend. I've never done it before, but I don't imagine it's too tough. I'm planning to use jack stands. I don't have any gaskets. Will I need new ones for this, and if so, how many, and are they a generic product I can buy, or do I need to buy them at the dealer? Lastly - any specific torques I should use, and any gotchas?

Thanks!

Mal.

 

Take the old gasket to a auto parts center and purchase the best gasket they have because some of the cheap ones then to 'blow out' if things are not fitting tight.

DO NOT!! Lift the down pipe up to the manifold from above the engine or you may crack the flex tube portion. Handle the flex section with care, they are not as tough as you might think. Get under the car and push the pipe up to the manifold.

 

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/how-...g-pics-160726/

Enjoy

 

^^^ Now that is a response!! Nice!!

 

The only thing I would change from that How-to is to leave the O2 sensor in the pipe. Just unwrap the O2 sensor wiring from the heatshield and uplug it from the connector, then leave it in the pipe. It is much easier to remove and install the O2 sensor when the downpipe is out of the car. It will keep you from twisting the wiring, which can break it.

You can reach it from the driver-side fender-well.

 

Orange RTV does wonders at making gaskets. I think its called copper or something? Not sure but I have it at my house.

 

I co-sign on this...makes it sooo much easier

 

Thanks for the awesome info guys! Also, is there only 1 gasket, or 2 that I need to purchase?

 

Just the one in the manifold. For my '08, it was this part:

 

Wow, even with a part number - nice! Thanks. What kind of gasket is this anyhow? In my admittedly limited amount of work on cars I haven't run into this type yet. Just head gaskets and the like.

Mal.

 

It's sort of a crush-gasket. It just clearance-fits inside the exhaust manifold coming off the turbo.

 

I was just going to ask if it was a crush-gasket. I didn't change mine out when I did my down pipe install and had no problems.

 

You don't absolutely have to change it. It's just for piece of mind. An exhaust leak can cause codes.

 

I prefer to remove or at least break the O2 sensor loose while it is supported. Breaking it loose when the DP is off the car sucks.

I've never had a problem doing it with the pipe on the car, but I make sure to pre-twist the harness before putting it back on.

Oh, and if you have a (real) flex socket, with a locking 2 foot extension, life will be much easier.

 

i reused my gaskets with no problems

 

I don't like twisting wires.

 

Enjoy your new beast when u get in installed. I just put my ZZP catless on 2 days ago and im blown away by it. Great part!

 

hoping to do mine this sunday...can't wait.

 

I tried doing mine today but goddamn are the nuts stubborn as ****. I got the 2 going to the catback loose and one on the turbo flange and it took a **** ton of torching and a ton of force to even manage that. Gave up when on one of the upper turbo side ones I half rounded off a nut.

I even had presoaked all the nuts over the last few days with pbblaster in anticipation. Debating what to do next...pay exhaust shop to break em loose? Get electric impact? More propane? Get MAP torch? Decisions....

60k miles and 3 winters were not kind to the fasteners

 

That many miles is going to make it tough. You can always drive it around for a while, then try to loosen them without burning your self. I impacted mine off, but that's risky.

 

Had to propane mine. 47k. Get em cherry red and they turn ok.

 

this isn't what i want to hear, lol.

i havent pb blasted anything in advance but i only have 34k miles on my car...

 

its usually a biatch getting the O2. when i took the Hahn DP off my buddies TC. we pre soaked it with WD40 and took a huge wrench and got it off. wasnt too bad but it is a biatch to get off

 

The O2 is cake, if you have an O2 socket. I use a crow's foot version.

The nuts on the upper flange can be tough. I use a Snap On cordless impact and it handles them with ease.

 

My o2 socket was too long to fit, I just heated the area around the threads a lot and then tapped the 22mm wrench with a hammer til it broke free.

I got the 3 cat-back nuts and 2 of the 4 manifold nuts broken free....the others (top 2 on the manifold) would not move even with a dozen or so propane/PB blaster cycles. I destroyed one completely...first with the 15mm scoket, then with the 15mm bolt out...then tried hammering on smaller sockets/bolt outs with absolutely no success. I now have a nicely tapered smooth rod as a nut....I'm not sure what else to do short of notching it with dremel and using chisel/hammer. At this point I'm just going to take it to exhaust shop and have them break free/replace the 2 I can't get loose. Probably should have gotten a MAPP torch...

Anyone know what the thread size/pitch is? M10x1.5?