Good luck Loftust!

IME, as soon as you get a bar & socket within 3' of an exhaust stud, it snaps off of its own Accord.

 

Mine came off using very careful leverage, 4 days and half a litre of WD40 prior to it and a 4 foot aluminium leverage bar on a socket and 1/2" drive - it was touch and go whether it would turn the bolt / snap the stud or rip the entire cat off the car. Apparently a fine line between BFI and a firm but sympathetic touch.

 

Quick related question is it OK to use stainless nuts and bolts? Only thing suitable at halfords at the time I put on my decat were some M10s

 

I am sure ( from memory) that dissimilar metals will react in the presence of an electrolyte, in our case, salty water from winter gritting.

As much as the rust is an issue, you're probably better off using galvanised bolts or even just plain Honda ones and cleaning up the stud thread / changing the bolts at the start and end of each winter.

 

But this is on an S2000

 

get some copperslip on the new bolt threads

 

A cat stud! are you talkin about a Cat that gets all the girls

 

hammered mine out, got stainless nuts and bolts in now