Thadeus13

Hey all,

Just wondering if any of you have taken the front pipe off for any reason off a 2007 Tahoe/Suburban. By the front pipe, I mean the pipe with the cats on it that goes back to the Y and connects the flex coupling right before the muffler. I may have to remove one for my friends Tahoe and I'm just wondering how much of pain it would be for a DIY weekend event .

They seem to be bolted together with the headers with two bolts. The drivers side I can see from inside the engine compartment, but the passenger sides seem to either be further down or there is just a lot of congestion blocking my sight. I'm hoping the bolts will be easier to get to from under neath.

Thanks!
-Thad

EvansBlue

You'll be able to reach them from underneath. It doesn't look hard to get to from the pic I'm looking at, but you'll have to reach around the crossmember to get at it.

Thadeus13

Thanks Euro! Care to share the pick you're looking at? I've haven't been underneath just yet, planning on doing that this weekend.

Thadeus13

So I took a look underneath and can see the three bolts holding the front pipe to the headers. However, it's not a standard nut a bolt. It looks like a nut with a threaded stud passed through it. The stud end has a 9/32 socket end on it. Is there a special socket that will help with this removal? It's a tight enough space as it is. I can reach two out of three of each of the bolts. The third bolt is going to take some contortion of my arm to get to, so I'm worried that I won't be able to get both a wrench and a socket in there.

73shark

That 9/32" stud with the nut sounds like the way my '73 Corvette pipes were attached. The nut threads on the stud. The hex on the end of the stud was used to install the stud in the exhaust manifold. Not sure w/o looking if that's the way the Tahoe is set up.

Thadeus13

Yeah that's exactly how it looks to me, 73shark. The nut is threaded on the stud. I'm just trying to figure out what the stud is actually installed onto. It looks as though it's installed on the aft end of the header. If that's the case then removing the front pipe shouldn't be such a big deal.

Thanks for verifying!

EvansBlue

The stud is affixed to the exhaust manifold. It won't move. you can just loosen those barrel nuts with a deep socket or wrench if you can get one on it. Just be careful not to lose the donut-looking exhaust gasket that will come down with it. That thing will raise hell if you leave it off.

Oh yeah. I don't have a scanner, so I can't share the pic... sorry. Its just a pic of theundercarriage of the vehicle on a frame lift, so you can look underneath yours and get the same effect.

Thadeus13

Awesome. Thanks Euro. I had no idea where that stud was attached. Thanks for clarifying!

73shark

Two things, one is probably a good idea to put a new donut gasket in instead of reusing the old one cuz if it has any cracks or grooves in it, you'll be replacing it anyway. Two, don't be surprised if one or more studs come out of the exhaust manifold when you try to remove the nuts. No problem as you can remove the nut from the stud and reinstall the stud in the manifold. Just be sure to use anti-seize on every thing when you put it back together.

e

heating the nut before removal will help to get it off and also aid in keeping the studs in the manifold. CAUTION the nut will be hot......use gloves.
If you dont have mini torch, a lighter will work, it will just take longer.....