thebiglad

Well-Known Member
Hi all, I'm wanting to prepare for a de-catt downpipe install on my Disco TD5 and I'm looking for some specific answers. I've done this job 6 times on TDi 300 and all has gone well.

So, to my questions:

1. When doing this on a TDi, I jack up the front chassis to give working room and then just do the job without removing anything else. On TD5 there is an additional small crossmember, aft of the engine - do I have to remove this, or will jacking the chassis be enough?

2. Do you feed the old pipe forwards out the front as per TDi? And feed the new one in the same way?

We've had 6 inches of snow overnight so it won't be getting done today, plus we're of out to a mates for Christmas lunch (he works in Saudi) so I'd better not touch anything technical for a couple of days:D:D

Any advice would be much appreciated, especially as I've had this pipe in my shed for 2 months now but due to illness and bad weather not got it on yet.

Cheers
Dave
 
remove 8 10mm headed bolts that are holding bar below the downpipe. remove 3 15mm poss 14mm nuts downpipe to turbo. is easier if you remove turbo heatsheild all though can all be done from underneath with a long extention remove 2 17mm bolts downpipe to centerbox, remove exhaust mounting rubber. and remove downpipe from under the vehicle. you may struggle only jacking the vehicle up.
 
Thanks very much for that, just waiting to see what the weather is going to be for tomorrow.

Cheers
Dave
 
UPDATE:

Yesterday afternoon I had a go at doing this simple job that I have done loads of times on TDi's.


Those blĂ´ody stupid little 10mm bolts that hold the crossmember in place - they really are made of chocolate :mad::eek::doh:

I tried shifting one and it started to round off the bolt so stopped immediately.

My pal is bringing a blowtorch round so I can get some heat on them and then hopefully get this daft little job done.

I hate the quality of LR fixings.
 
Be carefull id put WD-40 on them and leave them soak for a long time, because they also bloody snap easy too. Oh yeah when its done it'l be worth it. Sounds nice too, can hear the turbo working.
 
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i managed to break a weld on the cat, which made getting it out easy without removing the crossmember. it is possible to get a straight through pipe in, though its a close fit, without removing the crossmember. i have just come in from the drive having finished doing the exhaust, although so far getting the radiator out has alluded me...
 
Further update:

Ok guys, here's the latest and we are moving forwards honestly !!!!


Tried to get the crossmember 10mm bolts undone with a std socket and it wasn't having any of it.

Yesterday my mate bought me another socket, the type that grips on the faces rather than the corners and has six 'lumps' inside it, rather than twelve - MIRACULOUS !!

The first crossmember was off in tens mins, the manifold 3 nuts come off from the top easy peasy.

The two nuts that hold the downpipe onto the centre box came off no probs.

The rubber hanger that supports the downpipe was a bit of a tinker but finally gave in. Still couldn't get it off !! So took the second crossmember of as well and now have plenty of access - but no light !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will finish the job tomorrow morning, greasing all fixings before reinstall, so hopefully that should be it.

Bigger job than on the TDi's, but now that I know I just have to take the crossmembers out, it's straightforward.

Hope it doesn't rain tomorrow morning ??
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What's the technical term for the miracle spanner?



Hi Bill, I'm sorry mate but I don't know. If you look inside any ordinary socket you will see 12 ''lumps" that do the gripping on the edges - this one has only 6 and it grips on the faces, so it doesn't slip.

Any good tool shop will have them as they are well-known apparently. I'd not used them before hence my excitement !!
 
Sorry to but in, but when you say remove the cross members for more room do these have to be replaced once all the pipes are fitted?
 
Sorry to but in, but when you say remove the cross members for more room do these have to be replaced once all the pipes are fitted?


Yes mate, they do. You remove them for better access to the job, that's all.


Just realised what a noobie I sounded three years ago. It's amazing what you can pick up in that time. Have much more confidence now to tackle nigh on anything on a Landy.
 
Yes mate, they do. You remove them for better access to the job, that's all.


Just realised what a noobie I sounded three years ago. It's amazing what you can pick up in that time. Have much more confidence now to tackle nigh on anything on a Landy.

Thank you soo much, I currently am a noobie but I will hopefully get there in the end
 
Just thought I would add that I fitted my Decat pipe without removing the cross member! This is how I did it...

Undid pipe to turbo bolts 15mm x 3
Undid the 2 bolts that join to the centre pipe and box 17mm x2
Undid rubber thing that supports the pipe
Swore lots when bolts rounded on cross member, tried cutter, chisel, gave up
Swore more when I couldn't get the pipe out
Got disc cutter out and sliced pipe just in front of the cat
Pulled both parts of down pipe out easily

To get the new pipe in I ended up removing the heat shield on the turbo
Threaded the pipe down through the engine bay with lots of swearing
The welded on bit that hooks onto the rubber mount was snagging
Pipe back out and trimmed it slightly to make it shorter but not too short
Thumped the pipe down through the space between chassis and clutch cylinder, not much clearence. I just thumped it with my hand
And bobs your uncle, it worked!!

Seems ok so far.
 
Then sockets by the way are hexagon rather than the more common bi-hexagon, although I suspect that the "magic" socket used was a Snap-On socket which works on something called "flank drive". Other quality makes have started to use this type of design.

Basically, the socket is pushing on the flats of the bolt head or nut, rather than almost on the corners, thus minimizing the chances of the head rounding off.

Sadly, they are not magic enough to stop the bolt head shearing off.......
 

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