Crossover Pipe Replacement Difficulty

[Stratosurfer]

All,
I'm steering toward 2 new exhaust systems as cats are needing 'servicing'. My one and only local muffler shop (says it's a dying business with SS exhausts...) says he's not sure he wants to tackle the crossover pipe. He's worried he might have to do some dis assembly (tranny loosening, crossmember removal?) I told him I thought I had read it was straightforward, short of the manifold flange bolts might be a little rough.
Anyone like to comment on the general difficulty of replacing the exhaust crossover pipe. I will have to do it on the Tahoe and Suburban.

THX

[DaveBr]

I took mine off to weld a bung on it for the pyro and it was straight forward with no other disasembly required. It was a 3/4 ton truck. I don't know about the Burbs.

[suburbanK-2500HD]

I have had mine of, and it was no hassle.... 1994 K2500

[ronniejoe]

All your muffler shop guy has to do is look under the truck to see that it's almost as easy as falling off a log. Remove the six flange bolts and it will fall off.

[JTodd]

I replaced mine a couple weeks ago. Biggest issue was rusted bolts. Area is wide open, no need to remove anything else - at all.

[jerry598]

Agreed, its easy. Use lots of never-seeze compound on reassembly. On mine, the two ends of the pipe on reassembly were to far apart and did not match up well with the manifold. A little work with a vise and hammer fixed that.

[Kennedy]

Keep in mind the crossover gains you very little on the 6.5. Size is something we see many want to increase, but this is dictated by the manifold throat diameter.

Also most muffler shops have press benders which do a very poor job of bending high flow pipes (usually 3" max) so there is no real flow gain versus stock. A good 3.5" mandrel bent system is the best for performance.

[Robyn]

The biggy issue with changing the Xover pipe is getting the bolts to come out.

These have a nasty habbit of breaking off in the manifold.

Other than that, the pipe will almost fall off.

Need to drop the front driveline is all to get the thing out.

Lots of skunk piss on the bolts and maybe some heat right before you go after them.

If they break, its drill them out and then clean out the threads with a tap time.

The stock pipe (as long as its not one with the nasty wrinkles inside) is about as good as your going to get.

If the pipe has the wrinkled corners then a good mandrel bent one is nice.


Missy.

[Stratosurfer]

The crossover on the Tahoe is damaged fairly bad. A few rock/log hits in it's life with the Forestry Service. Thanks for all feedback, I'll leave the stock one one the Suburban for it looks great, I'll just replace badly dented one on the Tahoe.
I know someone out there at one time sold a two piece, slip fit crossover pipe: I don't think it's you John, anyone refer me?

THX
S

[Kennedy]

When we were making them we went one piece as there is too much pressure in this pipe (IMHO) to jack around trying to seal a slip fit joint.

One piece requires pretty darn good precicion though.

Torch and glow the manifolds or you'll most certainly break off the bolts.

[jhornsby3]

Taking the cross over off to do the head gaskets, I just sprayed the crap out of the fasteners with PB Blaster and they came off no probelm. Spray the night before and then again in the morning abotu 2 hours before I put a wrench on them and they came off with little fuss.

John H