Replacing Muffler/exhaust line... '85 300D
 

My 300d's exhaust line snapped today while going over a speedhump.
Broke right under front seats. I've found some mufflers but have not
figured out how to do the replacement. Is it as easy as it looks?

There seems to be nothing holding it up but the muffler brackets
and the connection at the downpipe. Am I missing (rusted out)
a bracket in between?

Is it just the muffler mounts and the single C bracket at the downpipe?

[the fun of speed humps in the city and having an exhaust pipe
hanging down pointing forward... POLE JUMP! I made it home due
to the use of a CAT5 cable sling... :) ]

I bought replacements and took it to a muffler shop. They charged me 40 bucks to get it all put together. Worth it, if you ask me.

Yes, the middle resonators are supported then the muffler past the down pipe.

Scrap it and go to a 3" straight pipe that dumps right behind the front tire......

haha, dude. that would waaay too loud and you'd lose power after like, 3000rpm. trust me, tried it with my 190e 16v. doesn't work too well. unless that's not what i think you meant

I had the exhaust redone on the SD, you should be able to see the pipe straight back to an Ansa muffler.

Just talked to Phil-
He helped me realize that I am missing my Center Muffler.
I'm going to replace it, But I am curious why it would have been
removed and what effects I may notice with one on...

The exhaust system on your 85 is 3 pieces. down pipe, center muffler section, and the rear muffler.

Very easy to hook up by your self.
connect the two sections together, clamp loosley so it can be adjusted after mounting.

set rear up on a jack stand.

connect the front end to the down pipe. two long bolts and a flange.
. leave a little loose.

raise the rear muffler, and connect the 4 rubber donuts.

you might have to twist the center muffler to align things so it doesn`t bump against the body.

clamp the center. then tighten the front section to the down pipe.

the center muffler could be eliminated and just use the rear section w/o any additional noise.

no need to pay someone to install it. this is a DIY Forum I think :confused:.

Charlie

I am not sure how true is this statement. If I read the forum correctly, quite a few members use indy or stealership. I, for one, would do this muffler job.

I replaced my muffler and would say that it was not much harder than working with legos. On mine I was replacing the original muffler so I had to cut the pipe going back from the center resonator, as it appeared to me that the original equipment was one piece from where it clamps to the down pipe, all the way back to the tail pipe.

I found that the muffler clamps available at the auto parts stores did not fill very well so ended up ordering one from this site. I should have done that when I ordered the muffler.

Make sure you leave adequate space where the muffler bumps up against the body at the rear of the car, otherwise you will hear it, well, bumping up against the body at the rear of the car.

Anyway, I would say that it was a very easy job on the difficulty scale.

apples to oranges comparison.
i dont think you would lose much if any HP.
if you did it would be in the lower rpm range would wager and would bet that it would be 5hp or less.i will take a mild hp loss down low for mild up top gain anyday on a passenger car.
turbo wants to exhale more than that 16v does if compression is good.
go read about the guys modding there turbo diesel trucks and straight piping it.

Dont straight pipe, unless you like a horrid bass vibration like drone noise at 1500 to 2000 RPM I would just take out that resinator and leave the muffler in.

All three pieces of my exhaust (well four including the snapped bit)
are welded and too rusty to mess with.


How hard is it to replace the down pipe?
I cant get a look at it very well in the street
and can't really tell what I'm dealing with yet.

Would like to get an idea...

Down pipe is a piece of cake.

Three copper nuts connect it to the turbo. 12mm

One clamp that mounts it to the transmission bracket. 12mm

Two long bolts hold the rear section to the down pipe. 14mm & 12mm

spray some penetrating oil on the nuts at the turbo end before cranking on them. let it soak in good.

You don`t want to snapp off the studs.

PB Blaster is worshipped here a lot, I have good results with Kroil.

Might have to use a drift to. whang on the edge of the down pipe to dislodge it from the turbo,........ after the nuts are removed.

After everything is loosened up, don`t grab the end of the Down Pipe and try to wiggle free the turbo end from under the car.

The flex piece in between can get fragile and crack :rolleyes:...... been there, done that :eek:.

Also use Anti-Seiz compound on the fasteners when replacing things.

Charlie

I didn't replace the center resonators on mine, added weight and cost. The engine is somewhat louder, yet hardly obtrusive, the muffler does it's job.