I think I figured out why this is so difficult. I removed the pipe and just squeezed it out from under there over the fuel lines. Putting it back up there I figured out how to get it close to position but just can't get it that last 1' as it binds up on the transmission, fuel lines, driveshaft, gas tank, floor, t-bar etc.... I removed the slave cylinder and crossmmember. I think what happened is that I was able to do everything with the flange off and now that added flange is making it impossible to put into position.

I think I have to call it quits and bring it to the exhaust shop, that way they could put on a flex pipe at the same time.

Do you guys think I could drive this truck with just a manifold on the left side? My concern is the heat on the slave cylinder hose and the many rubber vac hoses for the 4x4. They are right near where the exhaust will dump out. I think it might melt em... Maybe I could get a tow...

Disconnecting the fuel lines would probably do it for me but I can only remove the rubber return hose, the supply hose is siezed on the pipe on both ends it seems...

Another shot is cutting the pipe in half and using a sleeve over a straight section and clamp it back together but the pipe is so twisty that this doesn't seem to have a straight section long enought to do this. There are two big bends, a cat and 2 02 bungs. I removed the 2 oxygen sensors from the pipe but the bends and the cat in it are making this next to impossible.

Can anyone check if the FSM shows a particular method to remove and replace this pipe?

Also anyone have a source for 2 1/8" ID flex pipes? Can't seem to find any online that small (if I can get it installed I can weld on some flex pipes another time...)