of procrastinating I finally got off my duff and dived into installing some SpecialtyZ DP
and TP. I think the consensus of opinion here is that installing DP is more easily done
with the transmission out so I read the FAQ and some other write ups about removing it.
But after getting the main cats and X pipe out, I decided to take the precats out with the
tranny still in. I “searched” some more and scanned about 50 posts looking for tools and
strategies to use to get the precats out with the transmission in place.The info I gleaned on tools to use, regardless if the tranny is in or not, was brief and
limited to a nut or bolt here and there. So I thought I’d throw together a description of
the tools I used to remove every one of the eight nuts and bolts that hold the precats on
to the stock turbos. I’m not suggesting that these are the only tools that will remove the
precats, and, again, I was dealing with the tranny still in the car. These are just tools
that might come in handy if you get stuck during this task--one that’s kind of puzzling the
first time around--along with comments on how I used them. The sockets and wrenches I used were all 13mm except I did use a ½” gear wrench at
one point because it happened to be shorter in length than my 13mm. So, it’s
important to note that 13mm is the virtual equivalent of ½” and the tools are
interchangeable. 
To get bolts 1 and 2 off of the PS precat you’ve got to remove the battery, and the wires
to it will probably be in the way, also. The AC lines make for a small swing angle and
limited accessibility, too. I used a long handle flex head ratchet and a deep socket to
remove these two bolts, but a long handle ratchet would probably work just as well. A gear wrench worked great on nuts 3 and 4. I had to remove all the bolts on the inner
(transmission side) heat shield to get to nut 4, but this may not be necessary if a wrench
with an angled end is used instead. 
To remove bolt 1 of the DS precat I took the rear precat heat shield off. With the shield
out bolt 1 can be accessed from underneath the car using a long handle flex head
wrench and a deep socket. With the tranny in, the flex head feature is required here.
Maintaining proper socket bolt head alignment is a bit tricky although jamming
something between the firewall and the back of the ratchet’s head will probably keep the
socket firmly on the bolt head when more torque is needed. With the tranny still in the car, I had to remove the brake master cylinder to get bolt 2
out. Once the BMC is gone, a gear or box end wrench may be adequate, but I had to
resort to a breaker bar with a standard length 12 point socket to get the bolt loose.
Interference with the brake booster was avoided with the socket/bar angle adjusted to
just under 90 degrees. With nuts 3 and 4 you are hemmed in by the side of engine compartment. A gear wrench
worked great on nut 3, and a box end wrench may be fine as well, but with either design
long handles may be a problem due to space constraints. Wrench length is critical for nut 4 because the entire swing of the tool (straight ones
anyway) must be between the precat and the engine compartment side. A stubby box
end worked for me here, and will probably also suffice for nut 3, depending on the
torque required. If a stubbly wrench can’t generate enough force for nut 4, a crescent
shaped box end will provide a longer wrench (more leverage) and might extend below
the engine compartment and have enough swing for the job.
 Chance favors the informed |
Removing precats with transmission still in. After months - 
