RV6 downpipe install

[xmikedentx]

Bumping this thread to say, thanks for the write up, put my DP/FP in last night.

One thing I did was to let the 4 turbo/stock DP bolts/nuts soak overnight with the AmsOil penetrating oil. I used my 1/2" impact with an extension, and the top two fasteners rattled right off, no problems. The bottom two needed two extensions and a universal(swivel) joint to get around the coolant hoses, but they came off easily as well.

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[JuiceStainD]

You didn’t specify how long the extensions needed to be or the O2 sensor size.

 

[mclargehuge]

Super Kano Kroil is a wrench jockey's best friend. It beats every other penetrating oil I've tried hands down. I'm lucky because they have a plant here in Nashville and you can just walk in and buy a can.

Did you do a tune after install?

 

[Testudo]

I got a video of this as well I am putting together I will try and get up soon, for now just a write-up.

here's the tools I had with me, you could probably get by with less but I wanted it easy as possible for myself.

1/2" drive: breaker bar/ratchet/extension/u-joint/14mm socket

3/8" drive: breaker bar/ratchet/long extension/14mm socket/10mm socket/14mm deep well/O2 socket

10mm, 12mm, and 14mm wrenches

flathead and philips screwdriver

drill, 5/16 and 3/8 drill bits

pb blaster (NO BROKEN STUDS!)


first off you need to get the car in the air, and on jackstands because you NEVER work under the car on the jack only (of course you probably have, I have too but I don't like to and if I'm going to be under there for longer than just a drain bolt/filter I use jackstands)

FIRST STEP: REMOVE UPPER HEAT SHIELD AND SPRAY STUDS (I did this a day before actually, and did not remove the intake tube to get it out, but it was a pain!)

Use the flathead screwdriver to remove the intake tube. No need to remove the MAF sensor because you can just lay the intake tube back towards the firewall out of the way. If you really want to get it out of the bay you can pull the MAF with 2 philips screws. There are three 12mm bolts holding the upper heat shield on, I got them all with a open end wrench.

Once I had the bolts out I pulled the shield. To remove it hold it in the same basic orientation as it sits and then fish it down and towards the drivers side, below the radiator hoses/charge pipe on the firewall side of the hoses and then lift it out. It can be tricky at first but after you've done it once its easy.

STEP TWO: SPRAY THE STUDS WITH PB BLASTER

Not all studs/bolts could be sprayed in all 3 positions but the ones that could I sprayed the exposed threads/between the flanges/and the bolt head(or nut) side. I sprayed them the day before as well as again right before I started to remove it.

STEP THREE: WHILE IT SOAKS TAKE OFF THE BELLY PAN

Grab the philips and flathead screwdrivers and slide under the car. There are 2 philips screws at the front outer corners, 2 philips head machine screws center front, as well as a bunch of flathead quarter-turn locking clips around the rest of the perimiter. You just turn them 90 degrees counter-clockwise and they fall right out. Fasteners circled in red (not all are visible in pics), after they are removed then the pan slides towards rear of vehicle off of the plastic tabs/hooks circled in blue

STEP FOUR: BREAK THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DOWNPIPE/FLEXPIPE AND REMOVE LOWER BRACKETS.

First thing I did after removing belly pan was spray the studs w/ blaster. I then removed the 14mm nuts holding the flexpipe to downpipe (circled in red), removed the 14mm bolts holding the brackets on (circled in orange), and loosened the 14mm nuts holding the brackets on the downpipe. (2 studs came out of the DP on mine but it doesnt matter, RV6 DP comes with new studs/nuts)

STEP FIVE: DISCONNECT O2 SENSOR PLUG/HARNESS CLIP

I decided to just leave the O2 sensor in the DP and deal with it out of the vehicle so I unplugged its wiring and then pulled the wiring off of the bracket using a pick to push the tabs from behind so that I could get the clip off without breaking. From behind the bracket push the tab with the arrow pointing at it towards the center and rock the clip out a bit on that side, then 180 degrees from that clip there's another, push it towards the center and the whole clip comes out. You have to do it somewhat blind so it is a pain but doable.

STEP FIVE: REMOVE THE 2 NUTS AND 2 BOLTS HOLDING THE DOWNPIPE TO THE TURBO

It took me a different extension/u-joint setup for a couple but luckily nothing broke and the studs didn't come out of the flange on the turbo either.

STEP SIX: PULL DOWNPIPE OUT FROM BELOW

Grab the flex pipe and pull it towards the back of the car to get it over any studs that remained in the DP flange, pull it towards the drivers side to give you clearance to drop the DP down towards the passenger side and it will drop right out. Depending how high you have the car in the air, the DP might hit and will give you a bit more trouble and you have to mess with it/angle it a bit on its way out the bottom.

STEP SEVEN: SWAP OVER HEAT SHIELD, O2 SENSOR, AND BRACKETS

I don't know if its meant to be in perfect alignment when you receive it but I had to loosen the V-band clamp (14mm deep socket) and rotate the lower section a little bit to get all the heatshield bolt holes to line up. The one in the blue will need to be removed later to install the upper heatshield but since it doesn't line up perfectly I temporarily put the bolt in a couple threads as a place-holder. The ones in red have to be tightened now because you cant get to them when installed. the two in green you can get to once installed to tighten them up. I also enlarged all the smaller holes to 5/16 and larger holes to 3/8 just for a little extra clearance.

Pay attention to where the V-band clamp is positioned so that the threaded section doesn't hit anything. Don't tighten the V band right now anyways but if you put all the bolts in holding the heatshield you cant rotate the clamp the the right position so do it now. you want it to be oriented like the first pic, not the second.

STEP EIGHT: PUT IT ALL BACK TOGETHER

I don't have pics of this part, but just go in reverse order from disassembly

*Pull flex pipe towards drivers side, slide downpipe up on pass. side of flex pipe.
*Make sure not to damage O2 sensor/wiring while sliding it up into place.
*Go up above and line up the flange on the turbo making sure the gasket is still there.
*Loosely install the 14mm bolts/nuts just a few threads.
*Go back under car and loosely assemble the DP to the flexpipe, and bracket hardware.
*Snug up nuts holding flexpipe and bracket hardware but don't crank nothing down yet.
*GO above and tighten 14mm nuts/bolts holding DP to turbo.
*Remove temp bolt and slide upper heatshield back in, tighten down the 3 12mm bolts.
*Push O2 wiring harness clip back into place and reinstall plug into socket.
*Reinstall intake tube.
*Go below and with 10mm wrench tighten any remaining heatshield bolts that are still loose.
*With 14mm deep socket tighten V-band clamp
*Tighten down all hardware holding DP to flexpipe and DP brackets
*Slide belly pan back up into place and reinstall screws and locking clips
*Raise car, remove jackstands, lower car.

Looking down from above, it is nice that it somewhat appears stock with that upper heatshield but when anybody (dealer) goes to change the oil and removes that belly pan that shiny new DP is going to be staring them right in the face. BUT that goes for any DP and I don't care anyways.


I think it can be done without enlarging the heatshield bolt holes but it seemed like it would be a fight so instead of screwing with it I just drilled them a tiny bit oversized. In reality it hurts nothing and makes fitting it easier. 11/32 and 13/32 might even have been a better choice.

Video to come shortly as well as a little bit of testing/data. (nothing too crazy though so don't get too excited)

Link to video?

 

[maddmatt02]

Super Kano Kroil is a wrench jockey's best friend. It beats every other penetrating oil I've tried hands down. I'm lucky because they have a plant here in Nashville and you can just walk in and buy a can.

Did you do a tune after install?

Was just running the included ktuner maps and then pretty shortly went down to Vits shop and got tuned on the dyno because I wanted to run ethanol. It was so long ago I don't remember for sure but I think I was already doing it remotely and had a few revisions but I wanted to see what it would actually put down.

 

[Testudo]

Was just running the included ktuner maps and then pretty shortly went down to Vits shop and got tuned on the dyno because I wanted to run ethanol. It was so long ago I don't remember for sure but I think I was already doing it remotely and had a few revisions but I wanted to see what it would actually put down.

Many thanks man, helps me out a ton. I had no idea you’re Caraddict on YouTube! I have been studying your vid on lowering spring install for like the past few weeks (gonna do that install too soon). Great job on that one and this write up as well.

 

[rtypefk8]

Bumping this thread to say, thanks for the write up, put my DP/FP in last night.

One thing I did was to let the 4 turbo/stock DP bolts/nuts soak overnight with the AmsOil penetrating oil. I used my 1/2" impact with an extension, and the top two fasteners rattled right off, no problems. The bottom two needed two extensions and a universal(swivel) joint to get around the coolant hoses, but they came off easily as well.

Great tip on the install

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