Muffler Swap Today - Finally completed!
 

Update: April 2, 2011 - All is well in mufflerville. See my last post for the postmortem.


The temperature is expected to hit the low 40's this afternoon, so I think I'll give the muffler swap a go. MY2000 C2 Tip Cab (3.4L). I have my FisterD's on hand. I intend to use Rhino ramps to lift the rear.

I've read some posts that recommend removing the rear wheels and others that say that it's not necessary. I'd rather avoid the extra steps of jacking the car, setting the jack stands, and removing the wheels if possible.

Will a standard socket wrench do or should I buy a ratcheting wrench?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

ramp is fine. standard socket wrench set with long extensions (about 8-10") should do.

once the bolts are removed, just wiggle the muffler out of the bumper cover. take your time to reinstall the muffler tips properly aligned

Rhino ramps are the best maintenance investment i did for the porsche...great stuff especially if you lowered.
Muffler swap is easy,just take some wiggle to remove .

No need to remove wheels. I couldnt get the mufflers out the first time w/o removing the triangular brackets they are attached to. When Installing them back, I flipped the long bolts so that the nut is on top and the bold can slide down. 2nd time (badspeed to fister) was much easier, undo the nuts, slide the bolts down and done.

i would first spray down the bolts with some penetrating fluid to make the removal easier... pb blaster works great... spray and wait a few minutes especially if there is rust otherwise you may have some broken bolts.. no need for bumper removal...

Throwing in the towel. I got the driver side can out but can't get the tip off it. I installed the new can and now I'm going to see if I can cut off the clamp that holds on the tip. Of course the Porsche parts dept is closed.

The cat bolts on the passenger side are frozen solid.

I have positional vertigo which means that while I'm on my side trying to mess with the bolts, it's like I'm in a centrifuge.

Update: The driver side is done and I'm not going to attempt the other side. I'll have my indy complete the job.
The car is now a hybrid (FisterD on one side, stock on the other) but the sound is much better already.

Lessons learned:

1. The removal and replacement is pretty straight forward if the the nuts and bolts are in good shape. - Probably the easiest mufflers to change of any car.
2. Removing the wheels is not necessary if you use ramps.
3. Have a short socket extension and a long extension on hand.
4. Getting old sucks.
5. Winter sucks.

dont give up! have a beer relax a moment, and get back out there! :-)
Mine was a pain in the ass too... I just did it in steps, that made it easier... I like mentioned above put the bolts on the brackets backwards upon installation making it a 10 min job next time. :-)


just read your lessons learned.. still laughing. :-)

To make it easier and less frustrating I recommend:

1. Spraying the bolts beforehand
2. Jack stands (obviously a lift makes it MUCH easier)
3. Taking the back wheels off
3. Removing the the 3 bolts on the bracket rather than the two vertical bolts.

I did reverse the bolts when I moved the bracket over, as I had read that suggestion in many posts. I am still very nauseous from the vertigo so having a beer and giving it another go is not an option. It's supposed to rain like hell on Sunday and snow on Monday, so I'm not going to continue.

I was pretty amazed how easy the removal/installation of the mufflers is with the car on ramps. I found the tip clamp removal and replacement to be much more time consuming than the mufflers.

The vertigo is the show-stopper, not the rusted bolts.



Thanks for the support.

4 + 5 = stiff joints, at least in 15 degree weather... ;)

Ok, so it's warm enough today and my vertigo has lessened, so I decided to give the second side a go. I sprayed the cat bolts with PB Blaster and waited a few minutes. The nuts on the driver side that came off easily were 17mm and had no rust. The nuts on the passenger side are completely rusted and are 16mm or maybe smaller. I'm guessing that somewhere along the line someone changed the bolts and didn't use stainless steel. A 16mm socket doesn't hold. What is the closest size in SAE that might fit? Any other ideas would be appreciated.

5/8" is close. If you are talking about the bolts on the muffler clamps then just cut them off-they're rusted anyways and a grinder or metal cutting blade whould get in there.

I've installed my mufflers about 6 times and it is much easier if you remove the muffler with the bracket attached.

I'm talking about the sleeve that connects the cat to the muffler. I'll have to see if 5/8 works. Thanks.

5/8 is too small on mine. 11/16 works.

An air impact wrench makes short work out of it. Also, you might try heating them up a little if you have a propane torch. That sometimes will make them let go.

Just see this thread and I am about to swap my muffler today as well.

Do I need to replace the gasket or I can reuse my old one? people told me I can reuse it since it's metal.

Anyone know what's torque spec? or I don't really need to torque it just make sure it's tight?

Thanks in advance.