One of the fuel pumps has been leaking and the exhaust has been getting louder and louder. Last week from FLAPS I laid in a new exhaust from the cat back and a replacment pump.

This am, bright and early, I adjust the bus clutch cable to make sure I have a good parts runner while the Benz is out of commission. Takes about 15 min. to do. Next, figuring the exhaust removal will require some grinder/sawsall work, I whip thru a fuel pump replacement after getting the car up in the air. All goes well, pump replaced, nor more leaks. Takes about half an hour. Its 7:45 am. I'm on my second cup of coffee and ready.

I start in on the exhaust, and cut off the bolts with said sawsall, and grind away enough flange to get the middle muffler off leaving the cat pipes nice and clean. Proceed to drill the bolts out of the loose flange on the cat, using every drill size from 1/16 on up to 9/32 before the bolt remains come loose. Clean up the cat ends, get it all ready for shiny new parts. By this time its 1:30 pm. Mmmm... that took a while longer than I'd have thought.

Start test fitting and realize something just is not right- the ends of the new middle muffler pipes are reversed. Wha? And looky there- the pipes are way shorter than the rusted remains. Hmm. Compare the original middle muffler to the new one- funny, the parts numbers are different.

Yup, the new one is for a 2.3, not a 2.6. Sigh. Put away tools, lower car back to earth, and move it outside out of the way. Go for a consolation cruise in the bus and think of the bright side- hey, the rear muffler is the same for both cars!

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95 E300D working out the kinks
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, gone away
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 145k miles, summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k miles
12 VW Jetta- 160k miles