What's the secret to installing the up pipe

[MKeeney]

Rebuilt the turbo and got it back in place. Now I'm finding out that the passenger side up pipe bolts are nearly impossible to get to. What's the secret? Special tool? Do I have to drop the downpipe? Sacrifice a virgin?

Help me Mr. Wizard.

[rascal]

I've heard dropping the down pipe makes it a whole lot easier...

Good luck!

[dieselcrawler]

The secret is ZEN... you must become one with your truck... meditate... deep breaths...

[MKeeney]

Anyone know for sure how to get this done?

[rascal]

A lot of the sites that sell up pipes have also posted instructions. I think Riff Raff is one of them.

Please let us know what your solution turns out to be.

Good luck!

[Schnot]

I don't think there is an easy way unless you drop the transmission.


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[rascal]

I'm reading the instructions from Riff Raff and they say you need several extensions.

[7.3Lariat]

We did mine with two people, a lot of cursing and a number of different tools. Extensions, flex ones so you can get better angles etc.

[blue99stroker]

i tried to remove the downpipe but its clamped together with the next section of pipe. and after removing the clamp it didn't want to come apart.
i believe i cut off the top bolt with a die grinder.
then when i re-assembled i pulled the fender liner back as well
the top bolt i put on backwards from how it is supposed to go.
it was much easier holding a shorty ten millimeter cresent to hold the top bolt.
then i just used an air ratchet to tighten it together.
it was a pain in the but for sure.
but thats how i got it on.

i did remove the clamp from downpipe to turbo so i could atleast push the downpipe over.
but if you can remove the downipie that would make your life a whole lot easier.

[MKeeney]

So here's the plan of attack I used. We mounted the turbo, with the up pipe housing attached, then installed the up pipes into the housing and to the exhaust manifold and tightened everything we could get a wrench on. That meant the exhaust manifold side of both up pipes and the top donut on the drivers side were aligned and clamped firmly in place. Then we unclamped the turbo from the back housing and took it out. The thinking was, with the turbo installed and the drivers side up pipe bolted firmly in place on both ends, and the passenger side bolted on the manifold, everything would be secure enough to remove the turbo, giving us access to the top bolt on the passenger side. I also found a path to the bottom bolt that could be reached with a long extension and a swivel socket. It's behind the wheel well, looking up from the bottom of the truck.

It's a real pain in the *** to do, but it's at least doable. Unless you have the kid I'm using. We went through the steps, got everything aligned, snugged what we could, pulled the turbo and tightened the passenger side bolts all the way. Then when we put the turbo back and it didn't ligne up with the housing. That's when the kid told me he never tightened the top bolts on the drivers side. That meant the up pipe housing wasn't being held securely in place and moved when we were tightening the passenger side. Now I get to take it off and do it all over again. The best part is, I get to pay him twice.