darn... btw whats the "flex" ya keep mentioning? that something only on diesels? like a flexible pipe or something like that? as ive said im new to trucks and here to learn...

 

Glad to help, good luck with the job tomorrow and if you have one, use a 10mm timming wrench to hold the up bolts from the manifolds, it will make the job easier.

 

So, here is my experience so far:
I've got my turbo, and the Y pipe out in less, than 2 hours, but I'll tell you, it is a b***h!
It was time, to replace the old one, I took some pictures to show you.
I tear the netting apart to see the problem.

The crack is longer, than I thought, the flex pipe separated from the solid section over halfway around...

 

That is the exact spot on the flex that all of mine broke!

 

Job's done. It took me a couple hours to pull the old Y pipe, but putting the new-one back was a PITA. It wasn't the pipe itself, but the bolts on the passenger side. One of them was kind of easy, but the one behind the heat shield.....Oh boy!!!
I managed to put the bolt in, but putting the nut on it.... Well I found a way to stick my arm up in the hole ( I didn't remove my exhaust, because there are little welding spots beside the clamps to make sure it stays in place ) , and I could reach the bolt.... But nothing was holding it in place, so I couldn't screw the nut on it.
After one hour of trying, I gave up. So I looked through my shed, and I found a coke cap shaped magnet, I placed it on the top of the bolt, and that was holding it for me to put on the nut.
With the same way, I could put the driver side together also.
Bottom line is, it's not a one person job for sure, and if you ask your buddy to help, make sure that he also can work without seeing the object. Even though the HG/ stud job takes more time, but I think that is easier, than this. I still love my truck, but today I did the hardest job on it so far. No bad feelings, just the scars on my arm will remind me in the next couple of days......
Thank you guys for the info, and the replies!

Forget to say, I removed my 6 Gun, it's on Ebay now. The truck is so .... not "wild" anymore. I can't wait to sell it, and get my SCT X3 with the Extreme Power files from Innovative....

 

thats always the PITA part... when i had the exhaust outta the stang the studs in the manifold came loose and wouldnt stay in there anymore... i actually had to cut one of them off the y-pipe cuz the nut got froze on there and couldnt get it off... i replaced all them studs with regular bolts... and used a bunch of washers as a spacer... since the factory studs had a small spacer molded on them..

 

I'll be honest with you, work on any gasser, or the 7.3 is a dream, beside these 6.0-s. I've had a big-block Chevy, and it was easy. I've had an SS Camaro, and that is a filled up engine room, but that is still a dream. This 6.0 engine room is something else!!!

 

my brothers corisica's engine was literally Wedged into the engine compartment... it was never fun working on it.. you couldnt even get a ratchet in there to pull the tentioner back to change the belts in there.. ya had to use a very long crow bar... i agree.. there are alot out there that are easy to work on.. but some are still a pain.. specially when they wedge them engines in there... the one thing i hate on my mustang is they put the air box and battery right behind the headlights.. so you have to remove both to access either of them.. sometimes i wish we could make the people who engineer these cars replace every single part on them with everything in place so theyll start redesigning these vehicles with roomy engine compartments again.. i use to sit in the engine compartment of that 79 surburban when id work on it.. ive acutally literally sat on the intake manifold of a vet once to work on it...

 

Oh, I'm with you on that!!!

 

You will be 100% happier with the SCTx3....truxt me. I did the same thing you did. I would never look back. My flex pipe was craked in the same spot too. Are you running an engine break. I have the same isue as Brickie. Luckily I have had them replaced under warranty.

Sarge

 

I don't really know what you mean by engine break. If exhaust brake, no I don't have that. I barely tow with my truck, she's just my DD beauty.
Honestly, I think my pipe cracked a long time ago, but it got worse in the last couple of months.
Yes, I'm really excited about the SCT tuner, I can't wait to get it!!!

 

Yeah thats what I meant. Sorry. I dont know if thats what did it with mine but I think so. Good luck with the move hopefully it goes well.

Sarge

 

My truck never had exhaust brake, and I ended up with the crack on the pipe. I'm sure the exh. brake gives the final "smack" to it, but I think it's more like a design problem. I mean I've seen a turbocharger glowing before ( not a 6.0 ), and EGT goes way over 1000* on these trucks, so it can't be easy on those flexes.
Well, finally the house prices dropped to the level in my area, what I'd call reasonable, so I decided it's time to own one. My closing date is coming up real soon, so I'm getting really excited about it....
Thanks Sarge!

 

sorry toolman you are all wrong. EGT is our best way of guessing what the in cylinder might be. the turbo can take just about any amount of heat the truck is capable of throwing at it. when we see too high egts what generally fails is pistons. that said if you wrap the flex pipe it will retain more heat. which would be very slightly better for spoolup, but i would be concerned that it would increase the stress on the flexpipe which we know is a weak part already. do the research with some of the guys that really know and you will see that they are using ceramic coatings to retain as much heat as possible to the turbo. the wrap is cheaper and quick but has much less gain than coating which should also last longer. Personally i think in terms of increasing performance the wraps benefit is so small it would only be psychological at best. although with the reduced weight in you wallet you might see better acceleration, teehee

 

Nitro, I work on alot of powerstrokes and you're theory is correct for NON Variable turbo's when people install the egt sensor on the downpipe, I have seen more than a few 6.0 turbo's melt their vanes and it's never a good situation. stop thinking gas engines! And by the way the best way to monitor the egt's on a diesel is to install the sensor in the exhaust manifold, that's how us diesel techs do it.....