gasket between cat and y-pipe- impossible?

[crankyjew2d2]

hey all

when i bought my truck it was loud as all hell. the egr tube was gone, and leaks all over the place. since then, I've replaced the muffler, the egr system, and sealed a leak between the y-pipe and manifold. all that's left is the gasket between the first catalytic and the y-pipe. it's the funky oval shaped one with three bolts/studs that hold everything together.
now i know i can replace a simple gasket myself, but my question is, how the hell do i do it? i can't figure out how i'm supposed to get to the top two bolts. i'm looking for some advice on replacing this gasket. am i better off just taking it to a muffler shop?

thanks

 

[jhammel85]

You just need to keep trying...It's possible! Trust me, I know how much of a pain in the ass this is.

Once you do get it off of there, get a new gasket and use some good ol' copper sealant on it. It'll hold very well.

These trucks are known to warp those flanges. I'm using two gaskets and the sealant on mine.

 

[crankyjew2d2]

cool. I appreciate the heads up. any suggestions as to special tools i might need? i still don't see how i'm supposed to get to the third bolt, the one closest to the frame. i can't hardly get my hand around to touch it, much less a wrench in there.

 

[adsm08]

Find someone skinnier and give them beer to reach it for you. I am a pretty small guy and I have no trouble reaching up in there to get that last bolt.