Downpipe Question

[jlanny]

Quick question guys. I have a 92 GTS-T and I will be installing the JapSpeed bellmouth downpipe. I have access to a lift. Can I do this job completely under the car? Or will I at least need to undo the heat shield from overhead before moving to working under the car? I can see all 6 elbow bolts by the turbo from underneath the car, so I feel like I can do the install without having to remove the heat shield. Thanks!

[GeeDog]

It would be hard to do from underneath. The top 2 downpipe bolts also secure the heat shield bracket, so would probably be hard to get back in from below.

You'll probably want to confirm that the wastegate flap doesn't catch on the dump pipe, which means you have to remove the actuator arm circlip. This will need the heatshield off anyway.

[jlanny]

3 hours ago, GeeDog said:

It would be hard to do from underneath. The top 2 downpipe bolts also secure the heat shield bracket, so would probably be hard to get back in from below.

You'll probably want to confirm that the wastegate flap doesn't catch on the dump pipe, which means you have to remove the actuator arm circlip. This will need the heatshield off anyway.

So even if I worked completely from the bottom and undid the 6 elbow bolts and undid the 2 bottom downpipe bolts to remove the assembly like that, it wouldn't work? Sorry if this is a rookie question. It took 3 hours just to remove the rusted cat and replace it with a decat last week, so I'm trying to make this downpipe install as smooth as possible aha.

[GeeDog]

I had mine off the other day, so the process is fresh in my mind. I think it would be harder, and take longer, to do it all from underneath, but it is probably doable (is that a real word?). If you want to check that the wastegate flap doesn't foul on the new dump pipe, you'll have to take the heat shield off anyway.

[Ben C34]

Why would you have to do it all from underneath? Are you going to make the car get up so high and not be able to reach for the whole job?

I can understand wanting to do it all from the top if for some reason you had no jack or lived on the side of a hill

[jlanny]

Thanks for the input guys. I appreciate it. We'll see what happens later this week.