I've read the posts on replacing up pipes but have a question. Has anyone installed the cast baby's butt manifold on the turbo first and then put it back and then installed the pipes? I spoke to a tech that's done a lot of them and this was his method. He said he puts the pass. side pipe in then the turbo with the crossover manifold already on and then puts the drivers side pipe in. His reasoning was knowing the crossover and clamp are installed correctly without that struggle.

 

I found it easier to snug the upper bolts on the passenger side pipe to the baby butt and poke it up there together…those bolts are too hard to get to after the baby butt is in there, but there’s a straight shot at the upper bolts on the driver’s side pipe you can get to later from underneath with a bunch of extensions. Leave everything else loose until the butt is lined back up and clamped.

With the collector installed with the turbo it would be tough to get that passenger side pipe fished up in there and tightened. I think the downpipe would definitely be in the way and need to come out.

Shop actually screwed this up on mine and left the upper bolts on the passenger side pipe loose and it would make a loud swishing noise under boost until I fixed it. Not a fun experience but at least the hardware was still pretty new and gave me no trouble. Old original lower bolts I’m sure they had to cut off, but they’re exposed so it’s easy.

 

that is also the preferred method that Gary uses in his AutoMedic YouTube channel videos.

this is his latest video

 

I bolted my babys butt and passenger side together and dropped that in place then loosely got the driver. I believe SJJ does it this way.

 

I actually installed both up pipes after putting the turbo and inlet in place and bolted down to the pedestal. Correct tools and patience are key plus a few tricks that I know for installing hard to reach fasteners in tight places. Good lighting is a must and I'm a light junkie.

 

@John in OkieLand I watched some of his videos, never saw him install the collector to the turbo first before installing the turbo.
​​@OldMechanic57 I have plenty of tools and tricks and every time I go to a store I look for new lights, can't have enough lights.
If the pipes can be slipped in with the collector in place it would seem to eliminate the trying to get the collector and clamp attached while in the truck.

 

Getting the collector lined up with the back of the turbo is the tricky part for sure. When it’s right you know it though. You probably could install the collector and turbo as an assembly and do the passenger pipe later if the down pipe was out. Although wrestling the turbo back in there by itself is already a bit of a chore, and probably even worse with the collector already attached. It’s a pain the butt job either way.

 

It seems like KC Turbos had a great video on installing up pipes n their website.

 

The worst part for me before I decided to do it my way, was getting that darn v-clamp on without the turbo being dislodged from the collector. Maybe some don't find that part a challenge, but I sure did!

 

Only video I saw from them showed an engine on the stand, pretty easy like that. All of the youtube videos I've seen show putting the collector and pipes in first and then they leave out the part everyone struggles with aligning the collector to the turbo and putting the clamp on.
I haven't studied the down pipe to see how it's connected and what it would take to remove it, anyone removed it? I could cut it and reweld it if it made the job that much easier.

 

if you're taking your turbo off, test fit the baby's butt. When I did mine, I rebuilt the turbo and did the up pipes at once. Test fitted the baby';s butt and was glad, as I was able to just smooth down 1 little spot. When I went to put it in for real, went in like butter. No struggles.

 

The test fit part with any parts is a given. Obviously doing it the way I was asking about it's not just a test fit it's a final fit on the bench so you know it's on right.

 

I worked around my 4” downpipe. No need to cut it, that would cause unnecessary work in my opinion.

I’ve not had any great struggles while installing a couple sets of the bellowed. Don’t remember my exact process, but did connect the baby’s butt while turbo was in the truck. I believe I started there while everything was loose. Don’t think I’d start the bolts at the manifold until the collector has been seated. You can reach all 4 of the top uppipe bolts from underneath by using crazy combinations of extensions.

 

Crazy combos of extensions and every size universal style socket is not a problem, I'm Snap On Tool poor.
I am still considering the install baby's butt on the turbo while it's on the bench.
I haven't ordered the up pipes yet looking at a couple on ebay. Looked at these today FORD F350 1999.5-2003 Stainless Up Pipe kit Bellow POWERSTROKE 7.3L Diesel Turbo | eBay
I've got too many vehicles and too many other projects going on but I want to get nthe up pipes before racing/towing season starts.

 

Here's what I did:

I could not see nor blindly reach/touch the passenger side up pipe to collector bolts with the collector sitting behind the turbocharger, so at least on my truck it would not have been possible to attach or tighten these bolts with the collector attached to the turbocharger. I did not remove the down pipe on my truck as it had been welded to the exhaust pipe leading into the muffler, perhaps if the down pipe had been removed I could have attached the passenger side up pipe to the collector with the collector attached to the turbocharger. I put about one thread of the bolts from the driver's side up pipe into the collector and about one thread from each of the bolts from the up pipes into exhaust manifolds- just barely enough to keep the bolts held in place but it gave me the maximum amount of slack possible. I then laid on top of the engine and was able to grab and seat the collector on the back of the turbocharger and put the V-band clamp on.I tried bungie cords and straps and that didn't work, I just had to grab the collector in my hand and lift it to get it into place. The Riffraff early '99 kit for my truck had 12 point bolts for the up pipe to collector, those take an 8 mm 12 point wrench or socket. if you use a socket, a 1/4" drive socket is required as a 3/8" drive socket is too fat to seat squarely on the bolt, it hits on the side of the up pipe. You could also lay on top of the engine and use a 12 point 8 mm box-end wrench to tighten the bolts too.