Removing the rear precat from above on a 2nd gen?

**Modern 3kGT** · 01-11-2011, 06:27 PM

I have a 97 vr4 and am looking to change the plugs and wires out next weekend. I was wondering if while I have the plenum off and what not would I be able to also get to the rear precat and remove it from above? Or can it only be done from below?

If I can do it now that would be awesome as I am not totally confident with my mechanical skills yet to remove the cv axel to get to the rear precat...

Thanks, John

**dbest671** · 01-11-2011, 07:45 PM

I know somebody once said it can be done without doing anything special, but I think that person was just an exception.

First you will have fun getting that damn heat shield off, it is a b*tch. I got my out from the top on the 94. I tried for like two hours and it kept hitting the hard lines on the firewall. So since I was changing out the oil pan anyways, I decided to jack up my engine. I undid the driver's side mount and jacked the engine up until I could pull the rear cat out, probably about 3/4" to 1". Then I had to put it back on, when I sold the car, I VERY VERY carefully jack up the engine again, by the oil pan but not on the bowl part, and put it back on. Other than jacking up the engine, I don't see how the rear cat would come out from the top.

**DocWalt** · 01-11-2011, 08:03 PM

You need to jack the engine up, or at least I did.

**Modern 3kGT** · 01-11-2011, 11:32 PM

Man I was hoping I this would be easier!! Oh well, thanks for the responses guys.

John

**Modern 3kGT** · 02-15-2011, 07:12 PM

I just purchased solid motor mounts from maximal so I plan to install both the new motor mounts and the rear precat at the same time. What added protection did you use to not dent the oil pan? How much can the engine be lifted before you damage anything else? Which of the stock mounts should be removed first in order to allow the engine to be jacked up the easiest?

Thanks, John

**dbest671** · 02-15-2011, 07:17 PM

I only undid the driver's side. Only had to jack it up about an inch if that. The first time I didn't care about denting the oil pan because I was replacing it and the strainer. But I used a thick ass phone book as to not do to much damage. It didn't dent the oil pan at all. When I had to put the rear precat back on, I used a little 2x2 of wood on the edge of the pan, not the center where the bowl is. It worked like a charm.

What I did was slowly jack the engine up and try to get the cat out, I knew that I couldn't jack to much without undoing some more motor mounts.

**Modern 3kGT** · 02-15-2011, 08:01 PM

Well it sounds like this will be advantageous to change the mounts at the same time then... if you were going to undo another mount to allow for more clearance which engine mount would you unbolt?

Thanks, John

**dbest671** · 02-15-2011, 08:07 PM

Well considering the rear mount is a b*tch, any of the other ones would be sufficient. But I was able to do it with just undoing the driver's side mount.