Best way to get at up-pipe donuts?

[KPSquared]

I did both sides of mine with about 3feet of extensions and a wobble socket wrapped with electrical tape. Did not have to remove anything but the turbo. It took about 2.5 hours

How did you manage to get the turbo past the spider and IC pipes? oke:

Actually, now that I've done it, I would say 2.5 hours is a reasonable time to get this one done it. I just was not having fun lying on the motor, trying to wedge that turbo back in place. I have some fairly large fingers and forearms and the backside of a 7.3 is no place for them...

Now that I know what I'm looking at, next time should be easier... and being as I used OEM donuts, there will be a next time...

Thanks for all the advice guys.

 

[Tom S]

Well, that sucked. That may have been the most unhappy experience I've ever had under the hood. I have large forearms and big hands... that's not a place for a guy like me.

When I pulled the up-pipes, I noticed that the new gaskets were bigger that the pipe. I'd seen something about expanding them so I clamped a piece of tube in the vice, slid the up-pipe over and hammered the ends until they fit nice and snug in the collector. Hopefully help with future leaks.
Spraying the PB Blaster all week must have helped because I got all the bolts loose with no issues at all.

Some guys have taken those to the muffler shop and had the pipe expanded just a tad.