|
|
| Exhaust |
 |
|
Allllllright...this was the stock exhaust system on my car. The piping is 1 3/4" in diameter and crush bent. Now, I had planned on just going in and getting this muffler installed on the car. As an aside, I try to do everything I can by myself, so I can learn as much as possible from the process, messing up, trial and error, etc. However, installing a muffler is one thing that just about everyone I asked said to take to a professional. And from watching them go through the installation, I too suggest NOT doing this one by yourself. At least not unless you have a welder, a powerful cutting saw, and a nice lift. Like I said, I went in just to get the muffler installed. I asked the guy who ran the place if they did mandrel bending, and he said no, but they did do custom bending of pipes for exhausts. I asked how much it would be to get a cat-back system (piping run from the catalytic convertor back to the muffler), and he said it would be another $50. I thought that was a great fucking deal, despite the piping being crush bent, so I decided to just go ahead and do it all at once. So, the whole installation of the muffler plus the cat-back piping would cost $75. Fine by me.
|
The first thing they did was to cut the exhaust system off at the catalytic convertor. I think the tool they used to cut all the piping is called a reciprocating saw. It basically cuts back and forth REALLY fucking fast and saws through stuff reallllly well. I told them I wanted to keep the resonator since my mom had fixed it recently and if somebody decided that getting it taken out was a big fucking deal, I could just get it rewelded in.
|
Next, they got a straight length of 2.25" pipe and marked off where to make the first bend. I thought for a minute what it would sound like with just a big fucking straight pipe on there. I'd like to see one day, but I thought it would probably be a dumb idea at the time...Hehhehheh.
|
After marking the spot where to bend, they took the pipe over to the bender and bent it, as you can see here. Basically, they put different steel "templates", for lack of a better word, into the bender, depending on what kind of bend they were making. The strength of the hydraulic equipment is amazing. The lift, bender, and pipe expander were incredibly powerful. Don't put your arm in any of those, kids. It will hurt...a lot......I think......they wouldn't let me try...:>(
|
Each time they made a bend in the pipe, they would check if it was the right length and angle to fit the exhaust pathway on the bottom of the car. Sometimes they would have to adjust it a little bit. They were quite careful about this. I have a feeling the guys who were doing it were pretty damn good.
|
After the pipe was bent properly, they welded it to the catalytic convertor. Don't look at welders while they're on. It's fucking bright. See the mask? He's not wearing it to be a trend-setter.
|
Finally, they welded the muffler to the piping. They had to adjust the angles of a few bends, cut some pieces off, and use a pipe expander to get the correct end diameters for the pipes and muffler in order to get good connections between all the pieces and align the muffler in the proper place. I was happy they weren't going to leave it hanging at a weird angle or too far in or out from the bumper, like you see a lot of peoples' mufflers. They got it in the perfect spot.
|
This is a shot of the completed cat-back system and muffler. Looks pretty fucking good, I say. These guys really did a fine ass job. I also appreciated them letting me take their pictures. I must've looked like a fucking weirdo....well, more than usual, anyway. I'll tell you what, though. Don't stand too near when a piece of metal gets cut off with the welder. They welded the piping to the exhaust supports under the car and then cut off the excess support metal and when that piece hit the ground, some BIG FUCKING SPARKS flew off for a few seconds. One of them hit me in the ass after I turned around to protect my face. Mmmmm...hot metal burning a hole in me. Stand back, kiddies. By the way, the shop where I had this done is called Alan's Discount Muffler, and their phone number is 352-377-6833. Give them a call if you're in the Gainesville, Florida area. They do quality work. One final word...make sure you reset the PCM after installation. Disconnecting the negative battery terminal for 30 minutes should do the trick.
|
|
|
|
|
|
