Test pipes install, fail. Opinions and advice please!
 

So this past weekend I installed my new ark grip v2 exhaust. I have to say it was a simple install with not much hassle. I'm paring the exhaust with some cnt resonated test pipes. I thought I might as well get them done while installing my exhaust.

I've read a lot of threads from past experiences with the dreaded bolt that is inaccessible under the car. I went through the intake, through the engine bay to by pass the bolt (what people have done). The bolt did not budge at all. We tried so hard that we ended up striping the bolt. I even had the bolts sprayed with penetrating oil the night before and still no go. I didn't try to attempt the other side.

Now my question is, what are my options? Somehow get a grinder in there and cut the bolt? I don't want to damage my headers and cats, I want to be able to switch the cats come smog time.

Any help with this much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Bigger breaker bar,
Or if you can heat the crap out of the bolt with a blowtorch (not sure if operating temp is high enough) to almost red hot, then splash some water on it

If you do the second way, the bolt will come out with 0 problems

make sure when going after super tight bolts like that, to use 6 point sockets (no 12 point!), and if it fits, a strong impact socket even if not using an impact gun.

If you stripped it with a 12 point, you can usually pound on a 6 point socket. It will have some less bite than an undamaged bolt though.

Whatever you do... dont make it worse!

I agree! When i rounded my bolt, it was because i used a 12 point socket... A 6 point is a must! You literally have 100% surface contact, and makes rounding the bolt almost impossible.

Now what you need to do is get something like this
Irwin Bolt-Grip Extractors/Expanders — 5-Pc. Set | Multi-Drive Specialty Sets| Northern Tool + Equipment

I just did a fast search online, there are much better products out there, but you get the idea. Use that to remove the damaged bolt. A lot of people strip this bolt because the only deep socket in their set is 12 point. Remember to use a 6 point socket!

Let us know how it goes! Good luck!

That tool that you posted is what I had to use to fix an exhaust shops mistake. I took it somewhere to get my HFC's installed and they told me they couldnt get it and didn't want to break it. Me and a few friends tackled it a few days later and sure enough they rounded a bolt. With that tool, we were able to get break it off.

That one worked good for you? I had a set that looked a bit more aggressive, and it was still a task getting the bolt. Mind you it was not on a car though, and was a bit bigger than the one on the cats

I'm waiting for my F.I. HFC and CBE, one question. Is it possible to remove the cats from underneath the car, or do I have to remove the intake pipes to get the cats out?

You CAN do it from only the bottom, I've swapped them out 3 times now from only the bottom... But I had a lift

Nice, thanks. We'll see how I do...:eekdance:

How did you do it with the lift?? I had a lift and still didn't work for me?? I tried turning the wheel to the left and right but barely even had enough space with my hand. I will look into buying a bolt extractor now. What penetrating oil did you guys use??

There is a certain angle the from the bottom you can get a wrench in their (not a socket wrench)

And I used PB blaster for all of them except the demon bolt, that I used the heat/water technique

I also had a six point socket and still stripped it?

I tell you this, on the demon bolt, I first used a damn 3 foot breaker bar, broke 2 extensions and bent the breaker bar... Didn't come loose...

Then, GOD BLESS Jorge (at the ghetto *** muffler shop I went to) brought his acetylene torch and poked a hole in a 7-up bottle filled with water...
He heated up the bolt to red, have it a sec, sprayed water with the 7-up bottle, it obviously fizzled and steamed, then he kept spraying until it got cold to the touch, and I bullshít you not, undid the bolt with his hand...
From that day on, I learned...

Can somebody post pics of that demon bolt? I'm having second thoughts about doing this my self :icon14:

Well god bless Jorge I need to take my ish to him haha.

Kabestro, I've only seen problems with older z's 09's and 10's. new z's like the 13' should be easier they haven't had time to really seize.

LMAO!!! Jorge was back in Dallas

I hope so, thanks.

when i broke the demon bolt i ended up drilling it out. yes driling! took about an hour but its out!!

Did he just head the bolt? The stud? Or both?

heat*

The demon bolt can be any of the 6 bolts.......Hell 4 of my 6 were demon bolts lol.

I came in from the top with two 12" extensions and one of those swivel things attached to a 3ft breaker bar. Of course it was on tight but I'm a pretty big guy. Just put some muscle behind it and it'll come right out. Must use a 6pt socket! No exceptions!!!

Use 14mm 1/2" equipment only.

pound a turbo socket on there(those irwins are the same thing) they have saved out butts many times. IT HAS to be 100% on there or it will come off.

I used multiple extensions with a 1/2 impact from the top, zipped off real easy, I was wondering why... that lead to me finding the motor was replaced before I bought it used, never showed on the car fox, oh well, and it still uses some oil.

He heated the bolts, once one piece gets red hot the rest is hot enough

i did all mine from underneath. i think i tried the one from above and had less luck than i did when i tried from below. took me about a hour per cat to get off because of those stupid demon bolts. there may have been a sawzall in there somewhere :wtf2: lol

i used a six sided socket along with a couple of half-inch extensions. I was able to get a few off underneath and one off going through the bay.

it's a nightmare for sure

one of the screws i had to go at with a dremel to get it off.

Im glad I took my headers/cats off in one piece :-) when putting the tp's on (only had to install the driverside seperate) I used I regular wrench. With a u joint you can access the "demon bolt" by taking the tire and wheel well liner out. But I broke a 3/8ths u joint doing so...

I'm tackling this tomorrow (round 2!! Ding ding!!) I'm bringing my friend from that's a mechanic from Toyota. He's bring his nice tools, we'll see how it goes. I have my bolt extractors, torch and last plan of action my dremel. We'll see who the victor is by the end of tomorrow. Will post pics of the aftermath.

Thanks for the info fellas.

I thMine took about 4 hours top to bottom. I had a lift and I went in from the top to tackle the bolts. Both mine broke completely off. The remaining 4 were ok. Test pipes and catback all fit in nicely and everything was smooth sailing from there... except the 14 impact socket that I never found and ended up paying 22 dollars for it. lol... I pulled my cats and everything else from the bottom of the car with no problems. I have a couple pics up on my profile.

I think I remember a angle wrench with a slit cut in it as well....... hmmm.. it is still blurry.. lol

Slay that b*tch! I find that you have to sweet talk the bolt a little bit... If that doesn't work, than being verbally abusive can also yeild good results! Nissan bolts really respond to using the F word every other word :tup:

My 12 had problems.

Not only that, it appears two bolts are facing the engine bay in our newer models. The second bolt wasn't as hard to turn, but it is very hard to snake a U joint down there.

To the OP, get a socket extraction kit. That, in the end, saved it for me. Each time rock the socket back and forth applying as much pressure as possible so the teeth dig in. Then VERY SLOWLY start to crank with tons of pressure. It will creak creak creak until eventually it snaps. Also use impact sockets for everything. They are more expensive but they are not as soft and they don't give as much.

Worst bolt ever IMO. Took me around 8 hours. 4 of which were just getting two bolts off.

:icon18::bowrofl::roflpuke2::icon18::bowrofl:
:icon18::bowrofl::roflpuke2:

Ok so another fail with with the demon bolt. I didn't try the torch or dremel because I wanted to try with out and i was running out of day light. The bolt extractors gave me a really good bite on the bolt but the bolt extractor began to get dull and it started slipping.

I think I'm gonna have to give up on this and take it to a muffler shop to work on this bolt.

Here are a couple pics of what I did this afternoon.

You can see the bolt now is pretty stripped.
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps38d476c3.jpg

I took off the pasenger intake to gain more access, didn't do much.
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps5f23f717.jpg

I know some people are unclear about what bolt it is. It can be any of the 3 on each cat. My demon bolt is the top corner, most difficult to access.

Just cut that fcker off haha honestly my hands were all cut to shreds after I got mine off. So were my friend who owned the shop I was in, and my dads haha the demon bolts are evil and destroy hands, tools, and lives lol

Damn man, I'm already planning how I'm gonna get this off and I still haven't got my HFC :eek:

On mine 2 of my 3 bolts on each cat is on the top. All 4 of them had to be broken off. None of them came off clean. I still have yet to dremel them out of my cats lol. Don't take your car to a big name manifold shop, going to have to go to a small muffler shop. Bigger shops cant touch anything emissions related. Especially if your HFC's say "Off-Road Use Only". I have a feeling a cut cat is in your near future unless you drop the motor and torch that bastard out.

Could always take your header off and cat in one piece :-P But that is more of a PITA, and time consuming :-P. Actually is it just the passenger side that is giving you problems? Taking the header off that side is cake. Would probably add an hour on to your install time to take it off and put it on

That way you could drill the bolt off, or use vice grips and a breaker bar, or even do the torch method a lot easier

I haven't even attempted the driver side yet. I was thinking about taking off the header and accessing it that way.