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YOUR RESEARCHFisterD's Video (Page 2 - Post #17)
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now spooling it up
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My only problem is now spooling it up for the sound and ******* my gas mileage.
Leading evidence: 'now spooling it up' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'now spooling it up' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Install with a hacksaw blade' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I cut the old bolts with a reciprocating saw fitted with a hacksaw blade.
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I used a 14 inch length of PVC pipe to add leverage to my socket wrench when cracking the cat bolts.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I used PB Blaster to soak the old clamps before removal, and that made it much easier.
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Suggestion
I recommend doing it yourself just for the confidence it will give you to tackle other projects.
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I've been in the queue for a while and finally, they're on way. I need to get the before video done this weekend to document discernible differences.
Question is, should I install or take to Indy/dealer? I dont' have the jack or stands, but if I purchase them, I should still save $ and have for future use. Not sure about the complexity of the operation. Anyone who's done, is it pretty straightforward? Do I need to replace clamps, etc? My pcar is 2001 C4 with tiptronic.
Pretty easy install. I didn't remove the bumper or wheels. Just get new C clamps for the muffler->tip connections, they will be pretty hard to get off without breaking. Soak with some penetrating lube for at least a few hours before you start the project. Should take you 2 hours.
It's an easy and fun project. As Marc said, you do not need to remove the bumper. I did remove the bumper when I did mine, and it still didn't take too long. I used PB Blaster to soak the old clamps before removal, and that made it much easier.
You'll love the new mufflers.
You are gonna LOVE the sound!
Now that it's warm enough to drive with the soft top down, I can really hear it and the exhaust sounds perfect--not too loud but like it should. My only problem is now spooling it up for the sound and ******* my gas mileage. But at least I have my priorities straight...
You don't need jack stands, and don't need to remove the bumper. If the bolts on your cat clamps are not rusted solid, it's a pretty easy swap. Get some Rhino ramps if you don't have ramps. They're cheap, available at any auto parts store, and work great.
Find a nice piece of cardboard to lie on.
You'll need a short extension and a long extension for your socket wrench and a 13 mm socket. The cat bolts are 17mm and a deep socket helps. For some reason, the cat bolts on my right side were 16mm and rusted solid, but that's another story. I used a 14 inch length of PVC pipe to add leverage to my socket wrench when cracking the cat bolts.
Once you loosen the cat clamps, just slide the sleeve away from the muffler until the end of the muffler pipe is visible. You may have to wiggle it a bit to get it to slide.
The trickiest part is figuring out where to position the socket wrench when removing the muffler bracket. I found that the top two nuts were easy to access with no extension and with the end of wrench (non-business end) pointing toward the front of the car. The bottom nut was a bit more difficult and required a short extension and access from between some supports. The bottom nut is the most problematic, as you can only go about an 1/8th of a turn with each move. Patience is the key here.
Transfer the muffler brackets to your modded mufflers. Reverse the two long bolts. This will make it easier to swap out the mufflers in the future. Then you can remove the two bolts instead of the bracket.
I didn't replace my C clamps, just the nuts and bolts. I cut the old bolts with a reciprocating saw fitted with a hacksaw blade. This is easy to do because it's done after the mufflers are removed from the car.
I recommend doing it yourself just for the confidence it will give you to tackle other projects. Even if you don't do it yourself, you will love the sound!
The C clamps are about $35 a piece. New stainless bolts and nuts are a couple of bucks from Home Depot or Ace hardware. There will be nothing wrong with your C clamps.
Its been about 10 weeks. I was in no hurry due to a late winter here in CO. Weather is still a little cool. It was warm during the day but got pretty cool this evening.
Thanks for the great tips!!!! I was looking at the sears jack & stand, but I may opt for the rhinos as you suggest. I have one neighbor who seems to have everything and I may walk over to his chalet this weekend to see what I can borrow...
I did check out the connections this afternoon and everything looked pretty clean. I may spray everything down with WD 40 after the weekend to get rid of sludge. Worse case will be to cruise over to Home Depot and get the nuts and bolts. I'll see if I can figure out what size I need up front.
If there is no rust/frozen drama, this is a good DIY for a first attempt. You'll feel good about it and your neighbors will be impressed. This is far easier than doing an exhaust replacement on any other car since everything is stainless steel. I'm not much of a mechanic and I thought it was pretty easy. My problem was that I had 1 cat bolt that was frozen and stripped and I couldn't get it off until I bought an angle grinder.
the stock sound so Lexus.... you hear the engine more than the exhaust.
But if you want a bit of a growl with a bit of performance..... 200 cel x-pipe with the stock cans.
Completed the install. Prestige Imports in Lakewood CO did the job. I was in TX when they showed up, so my wife took the 996 down for the install. They ended up having to take off the rear bumper to complete. Also, bolts were rusted. I don't know how long they tried to remove.
Here's the before and after video. Definitely louder and deeper sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nk5mQL78TY
I may have to have my neighbors get used to the sound of this mod first, before I switch to the bypass pipes. These are plenty loud for me right now and a bit of a change to my normally non-intrusive driving habits...
