What started as a simple muffler replacement turned into a "well, as long as I'm down here..." job and now I'm removing the smog pump and air injector hardware. Mission Creep is a b*tch...
A couple of quick questions about the job. The search function here turned up a LOT of answers, but a few things about the under-tin half of the job are flummoxing me.
1. What's the best tool to use to get the 13mm nuts off the exhaust studs, and the allen-head bolts? There is no room to work there. Maybe a dog-leg box-end wrench for the nuts? I've got the nuts soaked in penetrating oil, along with the bolts for the crossover, so I'm planning to tackle it tomorrow, or the next day depending on how long it needs to soak.
2. There was a 1/4" vacuum line plugged into the top of the "splitter" that went from the pump to the spider, and it appears to head under the airbox, somewhere around the fuel head. What does this do, and what should I do with it? Just plug and stow it? I figure it's unnecessary at this point.
All the above-the-tin work went easy, with the pump and air line coming right off. (After I pulled the intercooler and an intake pipe elbow). Now I just need to pull the spider and plug the heads. I'm not looking forward to dropping that heat exchanger, but it's gotta happen.
Are the only real benefits from this job that the car loses about 20 pounds from the rear, and the heads run a little cooler? Anything else?