Hi All,

I could not find an answer using the search function. I lifted my car yesterday to try and take off the stock muffler in order to remove it and replace it with a Skunk2 setup. I was unable to access one of the top nuts that are holding the OEM pipe to the CAT which is closer to the side of the car. Any tricks to remove that nut? What tools would I need that is not available in my tool box? I also looked up Youtube but could noot see how they take off those nuts, and when they do, looks easy enough.

Thanking you in advance for your assistance.

 

Drop the cat as well as exhaust and undo on floor, replace cat then exhaust,
if doing that be sure to connect correct wires for sensors

 

Good idea, I did not think of this for fear of screwing something up, My reference point is my Mazda MX5, for which I had only replaced the back box because they had an OEM joint right before the Y juncture to the canisters, made life so much easier.

 

As you've discovered the S2000 exhaust is one piece behind the catalytic converter and the top bolt is difficult to remove even when the bolts have been soaked for a couple of days with PB Blaster. The bolts are part of the cat so try to not break them. A few years ago we were unable to separate a cat from the exhaust even with soaked nuts, air tools, and the system on the floor -- it was that rusty. Not a big deal as it was being replaced with a high flow cat as well as a cat-back exhaust.

-- Chuck

 

Any normal multi point wrench should be able to reach it.
Maybe a slightly angled one would be preferred, like this for example

 

Just to wrap this up, I gave up and went to a shop that put the car on the lift, glad I did because they had to spend a lot of time adjusting the alignment, and the car had a leak at the rear joint as the supplied gasket did not seal it properly, something which I would not have been able to discover had I installed it on my own.