Newbie having trouble pulling mufflers: help, please.... (PICS)

Newbie Mawgie here. It is 5 degrees above zero here in Central NY. So, bundled up like a Yeti, I went to the storage unit, where my '02 Carrera Coupe is up on jack stands, and tried to pull the mufflers to be Fisterized. Flange bolts: no problem. Three of them obliged me by shearing off almost immediately, and the fourth was ultimately coaxed off with a breaker bar. If I am on the right track, there are three remaining bolts on each side that hold the muffler bracket to the car, and require a star drive socket to remove. I easily removed the two closest to the center of the car, which require you to thread the socket in between header pipes. The third, that nasty sumbuck lurking up above and inside of the inner fender well and heat shield, is the problem. The closest I got was with this wrench set up: star drive socket to 3/8" universal extender to long straight extension to ratchet. I just couldn't get enough torque on the nut to budge it, and the socket kept slipping off. The cement floor in the unit was also 5 degrees above zero. After an hour it got a little cold. Can anyone give me some inside dope on how to finish this up? Pics attached to prove the coldness, and show how far I've gotten. Thanks.

You don't have to completely remove the bolts on the clamps. Just loosen them and use a large flathead screw driver to pry them open a bit. Looks like you used some penetrating oil to help. Thats good. The muffler pic has me confused. The 3 nuts (the muffler bracket has welded threaded studs...no bolt) are a hex drive. Forget what the size was. 10mm or 13mm? But your pic doesn't look like what I saw when I took mine off. Others will chime in.

DOH - HOLD ON... no need to pull the headers... lemme grab a pic of the bolts to remove! you should have 3 nuts/side and the clamp... thats it

that bracket is not the Headers it is the support frame for the mufflers... and you do not need to remove them... You have 3 bolts that are holding the mufflers onto that frame you should remove. Wait for the pictures...

https://rennlist.com/forums/5023678-post7.html in Tims write up.. you dont even have to remove item 22, 24, 25, 28 just 16 and 29.... get the *** up plenty high or you wont get them out the bottom

It looks like you are removing the headers in the last pic. There are 3 10mm nuts on each side to remove on a bracket, not the headers. There is a schematic showing precisely what you need to remove and where...search for muffler/exhaust removal and you should be able to locate it. GL

you are right.. I see, thats the bracket... no need to remove! and the clamp doesnt need to come off either, just slide it out once the 3 nuts are off

you are fast Ed...that's the one I was eluding to.

I am making eggrolls, have to be fast!

You also can give me a call and I will stop over too assist. It is only a 10 minute job...

+1 on all counts.... 3 of these nuts and a clamp to the cats is all it takes. BTW.... you're nuts for working on the ground at 5deg. But, I do remember those days....

Thanks, guys- Tim's write up has me squared away. Before starting, I extensively searched for tutorials on how to do this, and got the RennTech one, but, for whatever reason, did not turn up Tim's excellent write up. I am embarassed, but, fortunately, all I have is a cold a** and a skinned knuckle. I can, and will get this handled. The flange bolts are all off and the flanges are slid toward the cats. They are done. I'll be back on this later this week, and will post pics of the trophy cans when they are "gear down." Thanks, and I hope to suck less as I mod more. I truly appreciate the assistance. -Mawgie

A picture of my crucible is attached.........

Mawgie will you be joining us next Sunday at Steve's house for the region meeting... Lots of food and great conversations... 409-3500 if you lost my number. Chris

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Two things - I like your new avatar (but I'm not exactly sure what it is), and please post your recipe for eggrolls.

LOL - Thanks That is my car in wide ange from the rear mounted camera coming around a cloverleaf onramp to the freeway as it heads under one freeway and into the light before the second freeway overhead (right about where the tip of the arrow is on the little map second... the egg rolls.... well I do a lot of the chopping and rolling but my wife has the ingrediant list in here head, I'll have to work on translating it Here's me rolling! (not like rolling was when I was in High School

my wife will take a copy of that when you gleen it out of your wife...

can you roll them one handed like in highschool? Do you have to lick the edges to "seal" them??

LOL made 150 today... will finish the order (another 150) tomorrow...no licking - raw pork in there !

Mawgie. I see you are a new member that has a 2002 911. I am also a new member in your area (Brewerton). I just purchased a 2003 911 C2 and would like to talk to people in my area. I see there was a posting from someone in B'ville that mentioned a meeting. Is this a Porsche club meeting? If it is, I would be interested in getting more info. I see you are doing the Fister conversion. I would be interested in seeing how that turns out. My number is 247-9168. Thanks Eugene

Eugene, Yes Sunday is the CNY PCA club meeting at Steve Turco's house in Pennellville. We would love to have both you and Mawgie join us for some wine, laughs and conversations... Give me a call 409-3500 Chris

ahhh its so nice to belong to the club in the burbs

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Was that before or after meeting " The Man" at Dixies BBQ?

LOL - that guy! a good way to ruin my BBQ sandwich! (used to work 2 doors west of that place and eat there more than I care to admit) I miss the "520" - pulled pork with a hot link !