Getting 3" RNR turboback to fit O2 housing?

[honclfibr]

I bought an RNR 3" turboback exhaust about a year ago, realize now that I should have gotten an O2 eliminator but I didn't know this at the time. Right now it's bolting (poorly) to the stock 2G o2 housing, along with a stock T25 turbo. I've got a small 16G that I'll be bolting up soon and I'd like to fix the fitment problems at the same time.

The issue is, there's not enough room to get the nuts on the downpipe studs and tightened down properly with the stock O2 housing stud spacing, so I'm leaking like a sieve at the O2/DP connection. Originally I thought I'd just buy an evo III o2 housing with the wider stud spacing (RNR turboback is slotted and there's plenty of room for wider studs), but I just did a search and it seems that there's some fitment problems with the RNR TB due to the angle of the EVO III pipe.

So what's the best route to go here? Buy the EVO housing and make it fit? Buy some other housing with wider studs but the stock angle? Bash in the end of the downpipe until the nuts fit right? This is a daily driver car and I'm not likely to go much past the small 16G, with the 3" exhaust I'm also a bit concerned about boost creep (though I have the 34mm flapper done), so I'd really like a solution that is both inexpensive and not likely to cause me to creep.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated

 

[honclfibr]

It was suggested that I try a 19mm crowsfoot wrench, I'm going to try that, not sure whether a flare end would fit (would rather use this, less chance of stripping the nut) or if I'll need to use an open end though, guess I'll pick up both and try the flare first.

Would still like to find an O2 housing with the stock (non evo) angle and wider studs than the 2G, if there are any out there please LMK.

 

[98TsiAWD]

hmm, I never had an issues. But I do remember having to use an open end wrench on one end and a ratchet with a longass extension on the other end. Then reverse for the other bolt. The open end on the top side for one side, and on the bottom for the other side, know what I mean?