I would still have a shop loosen them (including the O2 sensors with that handy-dandy tool they have). If they put 'em on with air, you'll need 'em off with air.
Like I said in the OP, 3 of 4 of my rear bolts stripped and they had 3,000 miles on them. And if you snap even one stud off at the manifold, and you go from the peak to the valley QUICK! [:@]
I'd still say let 'em do it. The added bonus is after you drive from the shop with everything loose, you can knock a cold one down while you're waiting for the pipes to cool. Multi-tasking!!
