Ex Mod Defender 90 (1992) - Front Exhaust Down Pipe Installation Issues

I'm in the process of installing a reconditioned 2.5na engine into my ex Mod Defender 90 (1992).

I had to remove the old down pipe to allow clearance for the removal of the old engine and installation of the new one.

I struggled removing the old downpipe from the engine bay and am now struggling installing the new section of downpipe (standard 90 part) , there's not enough room to thread the pipe from the area of the manifold down under the bodywork, the exhaust clashes with the crossmember assembly-chassis frame and engine. The crossmember assembly-chassis frame is round on my defender.

Comments please / whats the secret for installing the downpipe or should drop the chassis frame, install the exhaust and the refix it?

Mart

I had to lower the crossmember, I did d not remove it I just pushed it down kept it inside the frame.
there was some inventive technique to move it down evenly & I believe I jacked it back.
you just cannot install that pipe without moving the crossmember.
I have a 87 should be similar.

Seaswood said:

I had to lower the crossmember, I did d not remove it I just pushed it down kept it inside the frame.
there was some inventive technique to move it down evenly & I believe I jacked it back.
you just cannot install that pipe without moving the crossmember.
I have a 87 should be similar.

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Thank you for your response, I've done that and the pipe went straight in, I now know why there's a dent in the cross member, someone's jacked up in the past to put it back in position without a piece of wood to spread the load.

You can carefully use a bottle jack and length of wood between the chassis rails to gently ease apart the chassis rails so the crossmember falls out.
Any dents in the crossmember are probably caused by driving over hidden rocks.

GRATCH said:

You can carefully use a bottle jack and length of wood between the chassis rails to gently ease apart the chassis rails so the crossmember falls out.
Any dents in the crossmember are probably caused by driving over hidden rocks.

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Second this method, doe snot need to be spread much for it to just drop out and back in. I have a specially shaped correct length of fence post that sits securely into the discovery bottle jack I carry just for this purpose. Also it depends on where the dents are, the dents on mine are definitely form a previous monkey just beating it in with a hammer rather than spreading the rails.

I believe that I spread the rails just enough to lower the crossmember Jack with a block of wood.
from the large collection of wood blocks.