I just received my Otto Racing FSTB this week for my 2K max. I will install it tomorrow but when i poped my hood open I noticed that under the three bolts on both side of the strut there seems to be a black bracker bolted down. I didn't loosen the bolts yet but do I have to remove the black bracket if it is removable. The reason why I am asking is because on the black bracket there is a tiny tab on the passenger side that is sticking up which seems to get in the way of the Otto Bracket.

In the pics on this link you could see the passenger side black bracket and it seems that the little tab on that bracket is flatened.
http://home.earthlink.net/~maxfaq/stb/#install

The next pix shows the Stillen bar (Otto Exactly the same) installed and I can't see the black bracket any more. Not sure if it was removed before installing the Stillen bracket or is the stillen bracket installed right on top of the black oem bracket. Any help would be appreciated.

 

remove the black bracket. the bracket on the fstb replaces it.

 

So when I remove the three bolts that black bracket can be taken out and it is ok to take it out?
I've read that on the 2k3, the use washers underneath the FSTB bracket to prevent the bar from rubbing with the manifold. IF thats the case would leaving the black OEM brackets on and bolting the FSTB brackets right on top solve that problem (just have to flatten the tiny tab on the passenger side)?

btw, are the photos working in that link. When I was first looking at it the pictures was working but now I'm clicking to that link and I don't see the pics anymore.

 

Remove the rings and install the mounting plates from the Otto bar. On the drivers side, there is a small bracket that may need to be bent down a tiny bit to clear, otherwise, the Otto bar has plenty of clearance on the 5th gens.