I'm changing the oil sump on my 3.0L estate and have nearly everything off to be able to change it, but I have hit a problem, I can't get the exhaust pipe off away from the front catalyst converter, (the pipe that goes under the sump itself). I have undone the clamp on the cat and the two nuts the other end of the pipe, I then try and get the pipe off, but every time I try to move it, it slides back to where I started.

Is there any trick or way to do it without having to remove the front cat?

 

I'm assuming the exhaust on my 2.5 and your 3.0 are close, or the same. I remember some trouble with this as well. I think I had to get a bit aggressive with it to get it to come off. I'm trying to remember if there is another bracket that has to be removed. I don't think there is. And no reason to remove the cat. It can stay where it is.

Did you already separate the front and rear pipes? I got mine off all in one, front and back pipes together, but I had to separate them anyway to get them back on.

 

Hi, thanks for the reply, I separated the pipe from the front cat to just before the rear pipe that goes up to the rear cat.

So are saying that you undid the pipe off the rear cat too? If you did how did you get that part off, because it's cramped back there!

 

You have to remove the bottom of the inner plastic fender then remove the one bolt on the heat sheld allowing you to move it back just a bit. You can then get your hand with a socket wrench on the bolt for the clamp on the back Cat.

It is real tight but you will have to get it off to remove the pan.

 

Yes that's how I did it. And I'll tell you getting it back on that way was pretty dang hard to do.