Removing exhaust downpipe

[dhali7376]

Any special tools required to remove the downpipe from the turbo on a RS2 ?
Was trying to fit my milltek catback exhaust today. Managed to remove the old exhaust but have two bolts ( one on each ) left on the cat flanges that look like they are welded on one side. I managed to cut the bolts and seperate the flanges but there is whats left of each bolt on the cat flange. And typically its the top one on both of them !! There is no chance of fitting any socket or spanner on the nut side as it looks like as there is a blob of weld on each one.
I was going to unbolt the cats from the downpipe side but bolts on that side looks even worse with corrosion with some bolts only having half a head. So have thought of removing the downpipe with the cats connected so I could have better acess to the bloody things and replace all 6 of them.
Or am I going about this totally the wrong way

[Fat Audi 80]

Those are captive weld nuts designed to make life easy in the restricted transmission tunnel. If you have the shank of the bolt left in, you need to get some mole grips or similar and wind what's left of the bolt out of the captive nut in the cat.
HTH
Cheers
Steve

[treebirch]

I did exactly what you are doing a few months ago and ran into the same issue. I used a Dremel to remove the studs from the flange thus making a flat surface, I then drilled out the stud, starting with a small drill and getting bigger until I reached 8mm. I the ordered some good quality M6 stainless bolts and used those to bolt up the flange. Not ideal, but its got me through the last 10,000kms!

[Monkeymagic]

Get the angle grinder and a cutting disc out:-)

[dhali7376]

Re,
Fat Audi 80 not enough shank left tp get any sort of grip onto

Re,
treebirch did you remove the cats completely from the downpipe ? As I cant see how you managed to drill them out with so little access .

[treebirch]

Re,
treebirch did you remove the cats completely from the downpipe ? As I cant see how you managed to drill them out with so little access .

No, I managed to do it in situ, I remember that I had to use a very short set of drill bits and still couldn't get the holes completely straight hence using an M6 bolt in an 8mm hole.

[dhali7376]

No, I managed to do it in situ, I remember that I had to use a very short set of drill bits and still couldn't get the holes completely straight hence using an M6 bolt in an 8mm hole.

Thanks for all the advice. Will have a go at it today.