Another DownPipe Question
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Medford Oregon
Another DownPipe Question
Earlier this week got the down pipe out .. yikes, I was so ticked off because my cut on the cobra head has about 1/16 inch short and it would not clear the up pipe. It would not come out from down under or top. Anyway finally got it out with another cut and am looking at the pinch welds.
I did check for placement on the new top half of the down pipe and it won't even begin to go through that small space. I can see at the top of the down pipe a pinch weld that should be easy to cut and bend, well nothing is easy in that small space. The site search indicates just to the left of that area towards the tire is the place to do the pinch weld bend but that is covered with maybe some thin metal .. heat shield?
So the question is should I blindly cut in that area to make more room. Don't know what is behind it. Rather asked now and not be sorry later.
I did check for placement on the new top half of the down pipe and it won't even begin to go through that small space. I can see at the top of the down pipe a pinch weld that should be easy to cut and bend, well nothing is easy in that small space. The site search indicates just to the left of that area towards the tire is the place to do the pinch weld bend but that is covered with maybe some thin metal .. heat shield?
So the question is should I blindly cut in that area to make more room. Don't know what is behind it. Rather asked now and not be sorry later.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Southern IL
I know it looks virtually impossible to fit into their, but DO NOT cut or bend the down pipe. It may take a couple of hours trying to fit it into their but i promise you it will go unless youve done turbo mods. Im no pro but ive done 2 of these and both of these were a b#$#@. If i remember right we put it in from the top down. I hate how ford did this myself.
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Medford Oregon
Guess that was my question. All the searches I've done indicates "bend". I'm not sure how to expose that tire side area without just slicing it open.
Thanks, at least I know I'm not the only one. I though a piece of cake, yea right. Unfortunately, after first cut on down pipe one is pretty much committed. It is the most incredible hard thing I've done to the truck to date. I thought the fuel pump was hard .. holly cow !! But then I'm pushing 60 and not as young as most of you. 
I know it looks virtually impossible to fit into their, but DO NOT cut or bend the down pipe. It may take a couple of hours trying to fit it into their but i promise you it will go unless youve done turbo mods. Im no pro but ive done 2 of these and both of these were a b#$#@. If i remember right we put it in from the top down. I hate how ford did this myself.
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Postmaster
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From: Medford Oregon
Jim
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From: Ft Scott
Nah! Just buy one good blade.
Milwaukee Electric Tool - 48-00-5789, Super Sawzall Blade 18 Teeth per Inch 12 in. Length. Demolition - Metal Cutting Blades, Accessories
My blade is close to 8 years old and has taken out 3 downpipes and anything else that I cant get to the chopsaw.
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From: Gladwin,Mi
Nah! Just buy one good blade.
Milwaukee Electric Tool - 48-00-5789, Super Sawzall Blade 18 Teeth per Inch 12 in. Length. Demolition - Metal Cutting Blades, Accessories
My blade is close to 8 years old and has taken out 3 downpipes and anything else that I cant get to the chopsaw.
Milwaukee Electric Tool - 48-00-5789, Super Sawzall Blade 18 Teeth per Inch 12 in. Length. Demolition - Metal Cutting Blades, Accessories
My blade is close to 8 years old and has taken out 3 downpipes and anything else that I cant get to the chopsaw.
Same blades I use.....also thought about seeing if I can get my die grinder in there.......that may only happen if Captain Morgan decides to visit from the freezer conveniently located next to the tool box,as he has alot of experience with it
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From: Ft Scott
Posting Guru
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From: Ft Scott
There's a few things the instructions don't mention that will make things easier.
If you peel back the heat shield on the firewall and make a few cuts in the pinch weld it makes it a lot easier to fold it over.
If you pry against the head to bend the seam be carefull of the fuel fitting on the corner. It'll break real easy and there's not much room to get an easy out back there to extract the broken piece
After you get the new pipe in place go ahead and install the rest of the exhaust but leave the clamps loose (the one on the turbo, the one in the center and the one at the lower end if you have one). Now take some wooden wedges (door and window shims from home depot) and insert them between the DP and the firewall, the DP and the uppipe and the DP and the transnmission. It just makes it easier if you use the shims to keep the DP from moving while you tighten the clamps.
If you peel back the heat shield on the firewall and make a few cuts in the pinch weld it makes it a lot easier to fold it over.
If you pry against the head to bend the seam be carefull of the fuel fitting on the corner. It'll break real easy and there's not much room to get an easy out back there to extract the broken piece
After you get the new pipe in place go ahead and install the rest of the exhaust but leave the clamps loose (the one on the turbo, the one in the center and the one at the lower end if you have one). Now take some wooden wedges (door and window shims from home depot) and insert them between the DP and the firewall, the DP and the uppipe and the DP and the transnmission. It just makes it easier if you use the shims to keep the DP from moving while you tighten the clamps.
Thread Starter
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,195
Likes: 6
From: Medford Oregon
Nah! Just buy one good blade.
Milwaukee Electric Tool - 48-00-5789, Super Sawzall Blade 18 Teeth per Inch 12 in. Length. Demolition - Metal Cutting Blades, Accessories
My blade is close to 8 years old and has taken out 3 downpipes and anything else that I cant get to the chopsaw.
Milwaukee Electric Tool - 48-00-5789, Super Sawzall Blade 18 Teeth per Inch 12 in. Length. Demolition - Metal Cutting Blades, Accessories
My blade is close to 8 years old and has taken out 3 downpipes and anything else that I cant get to the chopsaw.
There's a few things the instructions don't mention that will make things easier.
If you peel back the heat shield on the firewall and make a few cuts in the pinch weld it makes it a lot easier to fold it over.
If you pry against the head to bend the seam be carefull of the fuel fitting on the corner. It'll break real easy and there's not much room to get an easy out back there to extract the broken piece
After you get the new pipe in place go ahead and install the rest of the exhaust but leave the clamps loose (the one on the turbo, the one in the center and the one at the lower end if you have one). Now take some wooden wedges (door and window shims from home depot) and insert them between the DP and the firewall, the DP and the uppipe and the DP and the transnmission. It just makes it easier if you use the shims to keep the DP from moving while you tighten the clamps.
If you peel back the heat shield on the firewall and make a few cuts in the pinch weld it makes it a lot easier to fold it over.
If you pry against the head to bend the seam be carefull of the fuel fitting on the corner. It'll break real easy and there's not much room to get an easy out back there to extract the broken piece
After you get the new pipe in place go ahead and install the rest of the exhaust but leave the clamps loose (the one on the turbo, the one in the center and the one at the lower end if you have one). Now take some wooden wedges (door and window shims from home depot) and insert them between the DP and the firewall, the DP and the uppipe and the DP and the transnmission. It just makes it easier if you use the shims to keep the DP from moving while you tighten the clamps.
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,195
Likes: 6
From: Medford Oregon
Hardest part for me was getting that new upper part of the down pipe in there. I found I had to turn the pipe connection to the turbo towards the firewall then it slid down pass the transmission.
Once again just lack of experience on my part and or instructions from vendor.Bending the firewall seam was not as easy as I thought it would be once I figured out exactly where to bend it and not critically damage any other parts necessary to make the truck run. I did check Harbor Freight and local Rent All but they both had nothing so went with true and tried method of a 2x4 and pry bar.
I do have the CD pipe but am going to wait for my wounds to heal a bit and do it as another project. Thanks for all your advice and help.
Jim
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From: Gladwin,Mi
wait till you have to tighten that clamp when you put the 2 DP pieces together......a friend(SOB yesterday
) still has not returned my air ratchet.......so I was stuck doing it the old fashioned way,and make sure there is some clearance around the clamp or you will get a nasty rattling sound(found that out yesterday too).......all the others I just hit with the impact.