Re: Cat stuck in the bag

[QSHIPQ@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-10-29 13:46:01 EST, you write:

<< 
 >The bolts on my socal 82 were not too bad.  The
> bottom two are easy, but the top one is a pain.
> Only work on a cold car (duh!).  You may need 
> some funky socket extentions to get to the top
> bolt set.  I used a wobble and a couple of straight
> ones.  The bolts are some trick high temp number, and
> I suggest you save all the pieces, because replacing
 >all the springs and washers is hard without the dealer 
> (ouch!).  I could find bolts at a local specialty hardware
> store.  Anyone know the metalurgy of those things?
> They look like copper, but I'll bet they aren't.
  >>
Those goofy nuts allow for some expansion of the bolt without popping the
connection all together, they are a suppose to be a one time thing and quite
common to both BMW and audis.  I find that a LOT of time can be spent messing
with this, so I piss off the local muffler shops with the following:

*  Get new hardware from the dealer (with 44 chassis cars you might as well
get the donuts for the cat while you're at it, it adds credibility to
touching the cat at all, every shop gets nervous about doing that)
*  Go to unsuspecting carx, midas or whoever else isn't wise to you yet (not
many for me anymore)
*  Hand over the bolts and get a quote to "throw them in" (I have yet to pay
over 20bux), warning:  Make sure they don't crank on them too hard on
install, or you have to get new nuts.
*  Go home pull them off and do what you want with mucho ease.

BTW, this works for the WG to downpipe bolts as well.  Spent many hours
underneath q's with dremel and fire, trying to save that 20bux.  Not worth it
if you pay yourself more than a buck an hour.

HTH

Scott Justusson
'87 5ktqwRS2
'87 5ktq
'86 5ktqw
'84 Urq