Can I remove the muffler?

[farmerjon]

Hey guys, did a search first, but nothing really on how to remove the muffler...

I found a rusty hole in my frame, between the muffler and the frame, right in front of the horizontal rear suspension arm (forget the name of it at the moment)... I will save like $50-150 if I can get it off before I take the frame to be welded up.

Keep in mind, I need to be able to put BACK the muffler, myself. It has a lengthwise opening in it from rust/age, but I don't care, as I don't have smog here and I don't want a new muffler either.

Anyway to take it off easily, just the muffler?

Thanks guys. Much appreciated. :hatsoff:

 

[Doc2012]

You can't take JUST the muffler off, unless you cut it off.....

The cat-back can be removed.

Unbolt the exhaust from behind the cat.

Right after the muffler, where it turns up, unbolt that too.

That whole section, includinf the muffler, will come out.

SPRAY that shit with PB Blaster to get it to come loose.

When you put them back together, make sure they are STRAIGHT. Those are some of the easiest bolts to strip.

Ask me how I know....

Now, you're going to throw a CEL because your rear O2 sensor is gone, but if you can live with that for a little bit, you'll be fine.

You can always just have them cut it off, then weld a new one in. I got mine from O'Rielly's for like 40 bucks, and I think it sounds pretty damn good....

 

[farmerjon]

You can't take JUST the muffler off, unless you cut it off.....

The cat-back can be removed.

Unbolt the exhaust from behind the cat.

Right after the muffler, where it turns up, unbolt that too.

That whole section, includinf the muffler, will come out.

SPRAY that shit with PB Blaster to get it to come loose.

When you put them back together, make sure they are STRAIGHT. Those are some of the easiest bolts to strip.

Ask me how I know....

Now, you're going to throw a CEL because your rear O2 sensor is gone, but if you can live with that for a little bit, you'll be fine.

You can always just have them cut it off, then weld a new one in. I got mine from O'Rielly's for like 40 bucks, and I think it sounds pretty damn good....

Thanks a LOT, Doc2012 for the info! So, right after the cat, unbolt it, and the whole thing will come down?

Not sure what you mean by my rear O2 sensor, - as in it will throw a CEL from 4 miles of driving (2 miles to drive to fab shop and 2 miles home again)?? Or will the code go away after I bolt everything back together?

Is the mufflers at O'Reilley's any good? I'd like to get an OEM one if I'm gonna replace it... I'm deaf and I don't care about the noise, and the exhaust leaking is all the same to me, as long as it doesn't affect my MPGs.

Thanks again, man! MUCH appreciated!

 

[mikebontoft]

who is doing the frame fix? Easiest way besides unbolting that section is to just cut it off real quick with a reciprocating saw and weld it back in after the frame is fixed.

No matter what though, you don't have to get a new muffler.

edit: of course it doesn't help if you need to do it yourself. But of course, if you can get it unbolted... just slap it back on after.

 

[farmerjon]

who is doing the frame fix? Easiest way besides unbolting that section is to just cut it off real quick with a reciprocating saw and weld it back in after the frame is fixed.

No matter what though, you don't have to get a new muffler.

A fab shop down the street from me that can pretty much make anything you can dream of. They do SOLID work, have done smaller stuff before. I like them a lot.

Hmmm, maybe they should do that. I'll try taking it off first. I'm surprised the guy I talked to at the fab shop didn't suggest taking it off?

OH, duh. They don't weld mufflers. They said it gets too hot and changes the weld.

 

[mikebontoft]

"it gets too hot and changes the weld... " I'm sorry, but unless you start to heat a weld well above 1,200* AFTER it has already been through the cooldown stage, then no. 350* isn't going to affect it. We're not building tinfoil exhaust here either. Sounds like they're full of themselves and welding in a muffler is beneath them.

 

[Doc2012]

Quotey Quote Quote

Your rear O2 sensor is after the cat, after where the flange is. You're going to have to take it off, as in disconnect it from the harness, before you drop that section of the exhaust. That's going to cause your ECU to not read the sensor, so you're going to throw a CEL. If you're just going a couple miles, you should be fine. When you get home, bolt it back up, and clear the code. Or, just drive it around and it should clear itself.

I got a Thrush Welded muffler from O'Riellys. Seems pretty strongly built, and sounds nice to me.

Look at my build thread, last page, and I've got a couple things on there driving it around.