Got home today to a big box on the porch. Any advice from those who have done their own installs before I roll up the sleeves and start wrenching?

I do have available the exhaust swap thread that Stephen Kaspar put together.

 

Call me when you get the old exhaust off

 

Stephen, thanks for getting this out so quickly. Based on your experience, can I do the swap by driving the rear end up a couple of ramps? I have a couple of 6-8" ramps that I use on my Alfa. If the weight needs to be off the wheels to get access to some of the areas, I'll chase down a jack and stands. Also, if I am doing this without a lift, do I need to remove the bumper?

 

I got it installed few weeks ago at the shop and they didnt touch the bumper. Good luck

 

Yeah, I stuck my head up under there and couldn't see specifically why the bumper would need to be removed.

 

Had a couple of hours last night, so I pulled the current exhaust and cats. My plan was to set the new system in place this evening. I was going to replace the copper nuts holding the cats on the turbos, but I called every hardware and parts store around Detroit this afternoon and couldn't find any copper nuts. The ones that came off looked like they came off okay, so I going to try and use them again.

My biggest problem, though, was getting the O2 sensors out of the old cats. I ended up bolting the cat to my work bench so I could get some leverage on it.

 

Get the wrench on there good and solid and whack the wrench with a mallet. I've always done it that way.

 

I needed some copper nuts when I put back on my PSE and went to dealer parts window for them--like $2.00 for 6

 

Well,, the FS Gen 3 is installed with the exception of the tips. Went to put a tip on to check the alignment and found my dual-style Eisenmanns are about an 1/8" in diameter too big for my muffler exit pipe. Argh!!

 

^^ I had the same exact problem: Eisenmann tips that fit the factory exhaust were too large when installing a Fabspeed exhaust.

I made a sleeve using strips of sheet metal, and it worked like a charm. I'm not sure what it is called, but it is sold in a roll, such as is used to strap a hot water heater into place. Any hardware store should have it.

 

Thanks jt2. I had to run a few errands this morning, so I stopped by Pep Boys and they had these nice compressible sleeves that worked perfectly. So when I got home, I buttoned everything up and fired up the car.

Sweet sound! I got this sort of gurgling sound when the car was at idle. Hope it isn't just a new muffler and cat thing, because it sounds great! Getting the car out on the road, I found all the droning gone. The exhaust is so much quieter from the cabin. Exactly what I was looking for. I think it is a little quieter as well from the outside, but it still has a great, wanting-to-be-heard sound. I think I am really going to like it.

 

Can you post a video? I'm also considering something a little quiet (for the Cab) but still throaty with minimal drone.

 

Arju, I'll see what I can come up with. Had the car our driving for about an hour and am really pleased with the exhaust. Took a buddy with me who has a pride of old Jaguars. He had never been in anything so powerful, and I had him gripping with white knuckles a few times I noticed I have one cannister hanging a little lower. I need to fix that. But otherwise, I think I'm set.

 

Glad it worked!

Even after break-in, I definitely get a gurgle on initial start (kind of like popcorn popping). I figure it is a super rich mixture at start igniting in the cats. It goes away as it warms up. Not that I wouldn't mind if it didn't, I like the sound!

 

The burble is acutally the secondary air injection pump kicking in and leaning the system out. After two minutes it stops.