cruisinrn

Hi, I'm new to the board and have a question that has probably been asked before so please excuse me if this is a repeat. I'm currently replacing my exhaust on a 98 Z28 from the engine on back. I have everything removed except the right manifold. I cannot get in to remove the #8 plug and don't know how I'll remove the manifold bolts, there's just no room. I do have AC which complicates things and have tried from below with no luck. Does anyone have any suggestions, I'm sure someone here has done this. Thank you in advance, Mike.

fast377

iTrader: (52)

There is room...just very little. If you take your coil packs and brackets off, you should be able to get to the plug and bolts. It's not fun/easy though. If your cats are off, you can try from the bottom too.

DeadLifter

iTrader: (1)

crawl up under hood with your knees on the battery and reach your left arm down there. Was the only way I could do it.
And Fast377 was right about romoving coil packs.

98childsta

iTrader: (5)

I am also new to this site, many people told me about it but and i had a 98 trans am with a salvage title, am taking everything off that and now I have a 99 camaro z28 clear title so I have a little knowledge. Either way i dont have cats and if you go behind the passenger front (of course lol) side tire and bring a shop light with you just in case and try to see if you can wedge your fingers up that way. of course taking the coil packs wouldnt hurt as well.

camaroguy26

iTrader: (21)

yeah I've done it a few times now on my 98. There really is hardly any room but like these guys are saying. Remove the coil packs and also the AIR pipe from the manifold. That gives you enough room to reach back there when you're kneeling on the front radiator support and battery. No need to remove the AC lines but if you are ripping it all apart you can for extra room. But I have to put the plug socket with a 1" extension on the #8 first then put the ratchet on it, and vice versa pull the ratchet off first then the socket and plug. The manifold bolts aren't as hard to get to. When you go to put the coil brackets back on install the wires at the same time, one at a time back to front. Oh you also have to remove the oil dipstick to get the manifolds off since it snakes through the manifold, so you may as well remove it now for even a little more room. It's only one bolt then it pulls right out.

cruisinrn

Thanks for all your responses. I finally got it off. Like you said, I had to remove 3 coil packs, the dip stick and the AIR tubing to get to bolts and plugs. I dropped my 10mm wrench and it fell between the motor and the mount and I can't get it out. Oh well, it ain't going anywhere. Now my newest problem is the headers aren't fitting when I try to install from the bottom! They hit against the tranny and the body. I'll try again later after I cool down. LOL!

DeadLifter

iTrader: (1)

Gotta have the car pretty high up and you bout have to have the back end of the header pointing not too far from straight down and it slides right in.