How to get the Y pipe loose?

[code.mafia]

I'm doing an EGR delete on the little womans F250 (2006) and I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the Y pipe loose from the drivers side manifold (pass side doesn't look a whole lot better). I can get on the bolts but not on the nuts on top. I've pulled the inner fenderwells out and am having a he!! of a time. Everything up to this point has went very smooth. Why didn't they just thread the flange on top so a nut wasn't required?

[my0460]

I had to use a short wrench to get to mine. It was a pain. But you can do it.

[Fox Hunt]

I did this when I just blocked my up pipe. To get those top bolts my forearm took a heck of a beating reaching back there but I eventually got it. Beer and patience.

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[dazdillenger]

The bolts break a lot of the time, which can be a blessing. Use a 6 point wrench, they strip easily. I find that removing the inner fender helps significantly. Good luck.

[code.mafia]

Got the drivers side loosened up finally and passenger side bolts out where it meets the exhaust manifold, with the help of a buddy...been doing it all by myself all day till then...now trying to figure out how to get to the top up-pipe bolts. They are rusty and crusty. I soaked them in PB and gonna let it sit overnight. I'm thinking they are gonna break, which I guess is OK since they aren't threaded in the flange. Why o why didn't Ford use v-band clamps at all these joints...would have been SO MUCH easier.

Only problem I've seen so far is the silicone boot that comes out of the turbo to the CAC tube, it had two cuts/tears on the bottom that you could only see when you took it off and at least one of them went all the way through, so I picked up a new one from Ford today.