Ok could an average shade-tree mechanic install a catback in their driveway with the only resources available to him being 4 jack stands, socket set and wrenchs? More specifically an Edelbrock cat-back on a 1988 L98 GTA with a single Catco catalytic converter.

 

I put two flowmasters in my friend's Mustang in my parking lot without the help of jacks.

It can be done, but you might want to get a hacksaw to make the removal of the older stuff easier.


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89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

 

you will have to partially drop the rear...passenger side of the rear is the way to do it

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Originating member of the SJNEP Crew
Member of the Jersey Fbody Crew(JFA)
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Tony

 

You can do it, just make sure you have a breaker bar because the old parts are going to be rusted tight and you might be better off just cutting them off. If the edelbrock cat-back intermediate pipe is one piece like I think then it would be easiest to drop the passengers rear and I think you might have to unbolt the panhard if you can't lower it enough (shock might not let it drop far enough). I can't remember the best way but I think it was unbolting the panhard. This way you can just assemble outside of the car and slip it into position and then tighten everything up!

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

When i was sliding my cat back in i found that dropping the panhard rod and its brace made it 1000x easier to et the I pipe through there.
...ed

 

I agree!! I did two catbacks (one for myself, one for a friend) that had one-piece intermediate (cat-to-muffler) pipes. I raised the car dangerously high in the air, on jacks and wood (did I mention dangerous?) to get the i-pipe to clear the axle.

Then, when I replaced my in-tank fuel pump, I had to drop the axle down, which meant removing the panhard rod and it's brace - these are the two diagnonal pieces above the rear axle. I noticed that my whole cat-back could be pulled out from the back of the car.

When I put a new cat-back in my car, I dropped the rear axle down- much easier & safer than raising the car way up in the air. But if you've got a two-piece I-pipe, you don't have to worry about any of this.

Liquid Wrench is your best friend with this... before you start the install, for a few days, when the car's cold, spray the bolts at the back of the catalytic convertor with the Liquid Wrench. I've found that if I give LW a few days of a 'head start', it works much better.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Geh! tight squeeze. Bet your glad you arent claustrophobic(sp)


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• 83 Z28-- not a pretty site to look at, 200k miles and im sure it was treated like a rental car every day of its sad life(before i got it).. sold, thank the lord
• 74 Z28-- 383/400, green on black. pretty clean. FOR SALE!!!

 

Heck, I did the whole exhaust from headers to tailpipe in the parking lot of my apartment complex! For that matter, I did the rear end, brakes, shocks/springs, intake, water pump, fans/radiator, interior, subframe connectors, LCA/panhard rod, spark plugs, and multiple oil changes in the parking lot...

Two things are very handy:

1) Hack saw... don't be afraid to use it on the old stuff!

2) get some flat, flexible metal (some use coke cans...) and some 3.5-4.0" gator clamps (the things that tighten when you turn the screw like on your radiator hoses). These are very handy to put around any parts of the pipe so you can get to the shop and have them welded up.

Just an FYI, if you are dropping the rear, it might be a good time to replace those worn out shocks and springs in the rear too...



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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock with the exception of the Holley 750vac... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

If it's the 1 piece exhaust pipe (cat to muffler)it will be a B***h to get the new one in. barring measures like mentioned before. I wouldn't risk it with out a lift. Had race cars come off jack before, it's not fun. Muffler and tail pipes are no problem.

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'92 firebird t-tops
305tbi,670cfm tbi, 2 1/2" Dynomax catback, 9x3 K&N open element

 

You shouldn't have to worry about dropping the rear end, the i pipe is a two piece (my edelbrock is anyway). just put the jackstands on the body and the jack on the rearend so you can lower the rear down a little bit and get some room to work with. Its not too bad of a job, it should only take about and hour if you presoak all the old bolts.

Eric

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My 1986 Z28
GM350, T-5, 3.23's, lots of go fast goodies, 4th gen Firebird interior etc...
85 IROC w/ 1364 miles!

You'll always find what you've lost in the last place you look

R.I.P Dale Earnhardt

 

92blackbird, you should've seen me... I didn't want to get under the car when it was in the air like I did my first cat-back; I was pushing the i-pipe in with long pieces of wood (edit: so I wouldn't have to get anywhere near being under the car). I could push the car with my finger and it would rock back & forth... talk about dangerous!

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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

[This message has been edited by TomP (edited June 08, 2001).]

 

TomP I know what your talking about. We had a SS/EA 454 '70 Monte Carlo. I was uncorking the headers when it came off the jack. Still don't know how I got out of the way. That's a good lesson for all the young guys out there. NEVER NEVER work under the car with out jack stands as a minimum!!!

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'92 firebird t-tops
305tbi,670cfm tbi, 2 1/2" Dynomax catback, 9x3 K&N open element

 

I do most of the work on my Iroc, because it is a hobby for me, and I enjoy it. When it came time to Install my cat-back (this morning) I took it to a muffler shop. They took less than an hour, and charged me 50.00. I know this would have taken me all day. To me it was well worth the fifty. No skinned knuckles, no swearing, no sweat. Matt

 

I tried to put full exhaust on with jackstands, sockets, wrenches, crowbars, sweat, and cussing for 4 hours...all I managed to do was remove everything behind the cat...sure, call me stupid...but judging by the problems the shop guy had putting it on, I was WAY out of my league...stuff like all the welding, AIR fitting for cat, heck, header removal...took him 2 weeks because he couldn't get the intermediate pipe and the over-axle pipe to mate...what a mess. It cost me, but it was worth it...see if any of these guys are around you and maybe could help you out...otherwise, get yourself to you friendly neighborhood mechanic and be cruising in style SOON. Good luck, man.

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'89 RS LO3- 140,000 miles
14x3 K&N Open Element
Ram Heavy Duty clutch
Edelbrock TES (Jet-hot coated)
Catco cat
Edelbrock 3" Cat-back
Pioneer DEH-P77
Dual .50 caliber machine guns just under ground effects

Coming:
KYB shocks
Edelbrock Strut Tower Brace
South Side Machine subframe connectors

When your buddy reaches for a 10-pound sledge and says "I think we're gonna have to modify the floor pan, okay?" the answer is NO.

 

It is easy actually

This is the way that I do and I've put exhuast on many third and 4th gens

Jack the car up

Put the car on a good set of jack stands

Take off the rear tires

Take off the pan hard rod and track bar brace

Let the rear hang down all the way

Take out the 2 9/16's in bolts outta the cat

Take off the muffler

Then just pull it outta the passenger side wheel well.

Then put in the new I-pipe

Hang the muffler

bolt everything in loosely

Get it lined up to where ya want it and then tighten every bolt

Start the car and check for leaks

Then put everything else back on..

Just about every time I've done one it took me about..... 4 hours I wanna say todo it.

Lots of luck man

Kat