Guest prescience Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 This thread has been successfully followed by several UK members replacing the stock cats with Kinetix Hi-Flow Cats ( blue text with special thanks to Steve-B ) Right here we go then. I dont profess to be an expert and I am not saying the below is how the install should be done, just the way I found to be best. First bit of advice is do the cats at the same time as the exhaust. If I had to do it again that’s what I would do. If you have already fitted your exhaust it just make the job a little harder and bit more time consuming. The 2 bolts you can see marked (A) are easy enough to get at. The bolt you can’t see marked B should be removed with the bonnet opened and from the top. You will need a 14mm socket and an extension (or extensions) in access of 24ins reach to undo this one. The off side bolt is easy enough to get at. However to gain access to the near side top bolt it is favourite to remove the air intake pipe. Be sure to undo the pipe connected underneath it and you will also find a 10mm bolt onto the engine casing. It will take less time to remove and refit the air intake pipe than to try and undo the bolt from underneath the car. Unclip the sensors from position C. Do not attempt to remove the sensors at this stage. You will find a plate joining the cats together which is also bolted to the engine underneath the car (D) . Completely remove this plate. Undo the exhaust Y pipe from the cats and push the exhaust system towards the rear of the car to realise the cats.(it will move as it is on rubber mountings) A bit of jiggling and the cats will come away. Take them to a vice (or get someone to hold them) and using a 22mm open ended spanner undo the sensor from the offside cat. The near side cat will need the ali housing taping in with a hammer to enable you to get the spanner onto it. DO NOT DAMAGE THE SENSOR. Do not fit the sensors to your new cats yet. You are now ready to install your new cats. Fit the cats loosely to the manifold with the new bolts provided. Next fit the Y pipe to the other end. Make sure you fit the gaskets and they line up correctly. Tighten all bolts at this stage starting with the awkward top one on the manifold end. Re-fit the supporting plate (D). Fit this plate to the engine first. You will find that the holes on the cats may not line up correctly with the holes in the plate. You may also find that the cats are very close to, or touching the Ali heat shield. Get a bar (I used a small crow bar) and jam it between the ali heat shield and the cats. Applying some leverage to the bar will make the holes line up. This will also move the cats away from the heat shield. The hole is elongated so get as much pressure as you can to move the cats away from the heat shield. Fit and tighten the new bolts provided while keeping pressure on the bar. Once tight check around the cat to make sure it is not touching the Ali heat shield.( the heat shield is soft enough to bend away if still to close) If it is touching you will get a vibration sound as the cat and the Ali rattle against each other. Fit the sensors and reconnect them back into the sockets. Refit the air intake pipe. Jobs done. Enjoy. Please note that the supporting bracket labelled as 'D' in the picture in the above thread should now be removed during install. This is because the Kinetix Hi-Flow Cats have been redesigned by the manufacturer to resolve an occasional splitting problem with earlier models. Consequently, there is now no fixing point on the Cats for the supporting bracket ('D'). Also pay particular attention to the recommendations regarding access to the nearside top bolt in the thread - this WILL save time if accessed from the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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