,
And the second O2 sensor (also to be reinstalled) and flapper motor connector (not to be reinstalled).
To keep the flapper motor connector from slowing us down during our minivan showdowns, we tucked it up under the stock underbody panels.
Next up was the stock midpipe, which with no rust and V-band clamps was painless to remove…
But as usual for a VW, was a mixed blessing as to get the DPF out, the axle needs to be unbolted and the subframe dropped a little. Yes, you heard that right. At least the axle uses flanges so you don’t have to drain the transaxle fluid. Don’t forget that nearly every bolt involved here is TTY and should be replaced.
Next up is removing the nasty EGR system from the car. First you disconnect the tiny V-band clamp here…
Remove the EGR canister and hardware here…
Another PITA (of course) bolt near the top of the engine – best reached with a long combo wrench from underneath…
