Front Exhaust has a minor leak

[Milton]

just about to order.

if you take a look at the pic, id that a heat shield and do you know if the new comes with one?

also you have any idea what socket size i'll need for the nut as circled.

cat1.jpg

thanks

[Capncol]

Heat shield depends on manufacturer.
10mm is the normal socket size, and order a fitting kit as well. Those bolts often break when you undo them. Don't use exhaust jointing compound either.

[Milton]

while waiting for the parts to be delivered what i can use to clean the oily residue from the cables and sensors.

oily.JPG

[Capncol]

Brake parts cleaner.

[Milton]

got my catalytic converter yesterday.

wanted to change it today and i find out i don't have spanner for the O2 sensor.

would this be okay from Amazon "Draper Expert 55540 22 mm Oxygen Sensor Socket"

also
1. can i use copper grease on the o2 sensor threads as anti seize?

2. should i disconnect the battery before removing the o2 sensor (negative or positive or both)?

[Capncol]

1. Yes, but only on the threads sparingly
2. No need to disconnect battery.

Not sure on socket, as I use a spanner. Seems expensive for a one off job. Can you borrow a spanner?

[GrandadMonkey]

If it is 22m and you haven't got that precise size you'll probably find that an old 7/8" AF spanner will do the job. The latter is slightly bigger at 22.225mm so take care.

I often have to rootle through my old spanners and sockets for one that will fit. Doesn't HAVE to be a metric. My son broke his 19mm socket and said he needed to buy a replacement. Sorted through some old sockets and gave him a 3/4" AF which is nigh on a perfect match.

Just need to remember 1" = 25.4mm and do the arithmetic.

[gazza82]

Good over-night soak in plus-gas or penetrating oil (not WD40!). Tightly fitting open-ended spanner, and a few gentle taps with a hammer on the shaft of the spanner ... righty-tightly, lefty-loosey as they say!

Even with a proper socket it's not easy if the lambda has been in there a while. I had to stand on the pipe and use a breaker bar on the lambda socket to move one of ours and even then I could see it starting to slip.

It's much easier when the exhaust is off the car. If it's on the car the cable can get very twisted putting it back.

HINT: Tie a long piece of cord or string to the plug end of the lambda cable(s) then you can pull it back through from the top!!

[Milton]

sorry for no updates, my sister had a baby so been busy.

anyway i ordered a new front link pipe and and centre / rear link pipe as the other ones are all rusted.

fit the new cat and when i tried to fit the front pipe the old bolts are short by 10mm (forgot to take a photo).

is this bolt special or i can use the one below

bolts1.jpg

High Tensile Bolt

bolt.jpg

[Capncol]

Where are the springs?
You must use the correct bolts as they are designed to compress the springs until the spring cup bottoms on the shoulder at the end of the threaded bit. They are not short, you just need to compress the springs a bit to start the nuts. Also your new sealing collar won't have bedded in yet making the gap a bit bigger, so the bolts will seem short but they're not.
Look at your original pic to see what I mean




If you were to use your proposed bolt, the nuts will have nothing to tighten against until the spring becomes coil bound at which point it is no longer a spring and won't allow movement in the joint which is why there are springs in the first place.

[Milton]

only problem is the flange on the new CAT is thicker than the old one.

flange1.jpg

oldcat.jpg