- Aug 25, 2006
- 4,436
Well I am here to say that the post made by another member last week stating that the OEM muffler could be removed “without” removing the clamshell is completely true.
I was skeptical as to what exactly was involved and attempted to garner as much information from his post as possible; I even went so far as to PM him for better details and never heard a response so I said …. "what the heck lets try it".
Because the notes were not clear (at least not to me) it took me a bit longer and add to this my gal still has never been on the road so I remained anal to a fault protecting everything from the slightest possibility of a scratch.
BTW; I installed one of Ford Racing's transaxle coolers at the same time; this was a piece of cake, no installation issues at all.
Now back to the removal of the OEM muffler in preparation of the AccuFab exhaust installation.
FYI; I did not remove the bellows from the supercharger; only the air box.
Now the process of removing the OEM muffler begins;
I removed several of the lower belly pan Torx #27, as I recall the earlier post stated eight whereas I removed ten (all the same length) which in fact gave me reasonable access to the twelve 10mm (all of which are the same length) bolts that secure the lower half of the screen; this which resides under the muffler tips and is approximately 3 feet long. Once the bolts are removed it comes out very easy. Then I removed the six 13mm nuts that secure the OEM muffler to the up sweep portion of the cats; again no issues. Then I removed the twelve 8mm headed bolts each with a 13mm nut and one 13mm nut that secure the OEM muffler bracket into place and together as an assembly. In order to get the cross brace out it needs to have all of the hardware removed and then everything slides out without any issues. Once the panel was removed I reinstalled (temporarily) two of the under body panel Torx just to keep it from needlessly hanging down.
It was at this point that I spent the time to wrap fricken everything; I placed blankets over the areas (basically the entire engine bay not knowing what I was in for) that I thought might become the candidate for the muffler to temporarily reside on or touch during the removal process as I prepared to methodically remove it and then I also used blue painters tape (several layers) on any exposed painted surface in the exit path, this included the heat shields along the frame rails so not a mar would be created. I even wrapped the top and ends of the OEM muffler with a towel so there was no chance of contact with the rear body section or the clamshell.
Now I should say that all of this is being done in my facility however I have no warm bodies for assistance; in fact by this time it is approaching the witching hour furthermore my goal is to see whether this can be a loss risk one person job.
My next step was to move the shift lever; first you push it straight down and then forward. Now I crawled under the gal and slowly lifted one corner of the OEM muffler carefully observing what was happening it was during this time that the studs popped out of the flange holes so the muffler was free. After numerous careful attempts and each time recognizing that there was in fact a clearance issue with the transaxle I elected to call this day a wrap and approach it again when I was fresh.
In the morning I assessed the situation and realized that one of two things would have to happen; either the transaxle would have to be lowered which was going to be difficult because I did not place her on blocks or on the 4 post lift for that matter but rather this entire process was done with her completely on the ground so my ability to reach the remaining under body panel bolts was nil. As such I revisited the notes from the earlier poster. He shared that he had to remove the upper screen; meaning the mess that is located above the muffler tips and is approximately 2 feet long. Before removing this panel I placed some painters tape on the side of the frame rail extensions to make certain that once again no cosmetic damage would be caused. This panel is secured into place with 2 small Phillip head screws located just above the exhaust tips that are easy to remove with a small 90 degree screwdriver in my case I have a small 90 ratcheting style regardless fix or ratchet head would work fine. Then there are two Tork #27 one at each outer corner of the panel next to the heat shield. The use of a 6” extension on a 3/8 ratchet allowed these to be removed very easy. Once all 4 fasteners have been removed it will rest on the exhaust tips and then it can be slid out in-between the bumper and the body from on top with absolutely no issues. I then, just for safe measure placed a strip of painters tape along the painted body edge that this panel mates to. I also wrapped the exhaust tips with a shop rag and tapped them in place and tucked the end into the tips. I also removed the plastic black trim that surrounds the OEM exhaust tips. Now I do not know that this was necessary however it is simple to remove and gave me piece of mind. To remove it there are two small Phillip screws immediately above the OEM exhaust tips that require the use of the 90 degree Phillips again and then at the back side (meaning towards the front of the gal) there are two holes within each is a small Phillip screw that is easy to remove with a short Phillip screw driver. Once removed the surround pops out easy.
Now I was ready to try again so under the gal I crawled and rather than lifting one corner and then the other I simply lifted the OEM muffler and let her roll slightly so as when the OEM muffler is coming out (meaning being lifted and pushed towards the front of the gal) the exhaust tips are rotating at a downward angle; maybe 45 degrees or so (this happens naturally as a by product of the process) and then to my wonderful surprise the OEM muffler slide out and was able to be blindly set on the center perch that the OEM air box resides. There was no resistance during this process “HOWEVER” the OEM exhaust tips did in fact slide up next to the body panel where I placed the painters tapes and then add to this the rags that were wrapped around the tips made this a painless no concern situation. Once I had pushed the muffler up and forward it seemed to find a natural place to rest; keep in mind that I am under the gal so there are no eyes above however I was comfortable because I had wrapped and covered “everything”. While still under her I maintained control of the muffler and shook it around to make certain that as I crawled out it was not going to come sliding down and there were truly no concerns.
Now that the muffler was in fact out all I needed to do was grab it and “wholla” I would be done.
I took a couple more of the moving style blankets that we use to protect fenders etc and completely covered the supercharger, the frame down tubes etc with a double layer. and then methodically sat myself on the supercharger (no concerns with this I assure you) and then simply grabbed both ends of the OEM muffler and brought it up to the area of my lap. Then once confident it was stable I methodically got off the gal and simply lifted the OEM muffler out and placed it on the ground.
Aaaah… that was the long story.
Here is the short version that may make the process clearer besides this could be printed and used as a step by step.
Yes you can remove the OEM muffler as a one person job with the gal sitting completely on the ground in a few hours “WITHOUT” removing the clamshell and without lowering the transaxle.
“These steps in the short version “DO NOT” include the recommended wrapping with blankets and or towels and the use of painters tape on everything in the OEM mufflers removal path so that no cosmetic damage is caused. I went into detail with this in the long version above.
1. Remove the OEM air box; it is not necessary to remove the bellows portion; keep it simple. Remove the one OEM electrical plug, loosen the stainless steel worn clamp, the two 10mm bolts (one at each end of the box) and then simply pop it out
2. Move the shifter arm by pushing straight down approximately 1/2:” and then pull/swing the arm towards the front of the gal
3. Remove the ten #27 Torx that secure the rear portion of the under body panel in place. “DO NOT” remove the three located in-between the air fins at the immediate rear center. They do not have any securing value at all; they are apart of a stiffening brace.
4. Remove the lower mess grill by removing the twelve 10mm bolts (as stated earlier it is likely that a few of the panel clips will fall out so keep track of them for use when installation commences; this is nothing to be concerned with as they will go right back into place however I would suggest that they be pinched a bit before installing them so they remain in place during the installation process)
5. Remove the six 13mm nuts that secure the muffler to the cat up pipe
6. Remove the twelve 8mm bolts each has a 13mm nut on them and one 13mm nut on the OEM muffler securing bracket assembly and then remove the three bracket pieces
7. Remove the mesh grill located above the OEM exhaust tip by using a 90 degree Phillip screw driver to remove the two small Phillip screws located above the OEM exhaust tips and then remove the two Torx #27 one located at each end of the panel. Once removed the panel will come out from above in-between the body and the bumper.
8. Remove the black plastic trim piece that surrounds the OEM exhaust tips by removing the two small Phillip screws visible above the OEM exhaust tips with a small 90 degree Phillip screw driver and then remove the two small Phillip screws located inside the recessed holes at the rear (closest to the front of the gal) with a short small Phillip screw driver. Once the hardware is removed the black plastic trim piece will slide out easy.
8. From under the gal push the OEM muffler up and towards the front while allowing it to rotate slightly and it will reside perfectly on the air box mounting area
9. While sitting on the supercharger (if one person) grab each end of the muffler and bring it close to you and then once stable get off the gal and then grab the muffler assemble and set it on the ground. With two people the removal maybe easier however after doing it I think it is an easy one person job.
Takes care
Shadowman
I was skeptical as to what exactly was involved and attempted to garner as much information from his post as possible; I even went so far as to PM him for better details and never heard a response so I said …. "what the heck lets try it".
Because the notes were not clear (at least not to me) it took me a bit longer and add to this my gal still has never been on the road so I remained anal to a fault protecting everything from the slightest possibility of a scratch.
BTW; I installed one of Ford Racing's transaxle coolers at the same time; this was a piece of cake, no installation issues at all.
Now back to the removal of the OEM muffler in preparation of the AccuFab exhaust installation.
FYI; I did not remove the bellows from the supercharger; only the air box.
Now the process of removing the OEM muffler begins;
I removed several of the lower belly pan Torx #27, as I recall the earlier post stated eight whereas I removed ten (all the same length) which in fact gave me reasonable access to the twelve 10mm (all of which are the same length) bolts that secure the lower half of the screen; this which resides under the muffler tips and is approximately 3 feet long. Once the bolts are removed it comes out very easy. Then I removed the six 13mm nuts that secure the OEM muffler to the up sweep portion of the cats; again no issues. Then I removed the twelve 8mm headed bolts each with a 13mm nut and one 13mm nut that secure the OEM muffler bracket into place and together as an assembly. In order to get the cross brace out it needs to have all of the hardware removed and then everything slides out without any issues. Once the panel was removed I reinstalled (temporarily) two of the under body panel Torx just to keep it from needlessly hanging down.
It was at this point that I spent the time to wrap fricken everything; I placed blankets over the areas (basically the entire engine bay not knowing what I was in for) that I thought might become the candidate for the muffler to temporarily reside on or touch during the removal process as I prepared to methodically remove it and then I also used blue painters tape (several layers) on any exposed painted surface in the exit path, this included the heat shields along the frame rails so not a mar would be created. I even wrapped the top and ends of the OEM muffler with a towel so there was no chance of contact with the rear body section or the clamshell.
Now I should say that all of this is being done in my facility however I have no warm bodies for assistance; in fact by this time it is approaching the witching hour furthermore my goal is to see whether this can be a loss risk one person job.
My next step was to move the shift lever; first you push it straight down and then forward. Now I crawled under the gal and slowly lifted one corner of the OEM muffler carefully observing what was happening it was during this time that the studs popped out of the flange holes so the muffler was free. After numerous careful attempts and each time recognizing that there was in fact a clearance issue with the transaxle I elected to call this day a wrap and approach it again when I was fresh.
In the morning I assessed the situation and realized that one of two things would have to happen; either the transaxle would have to be lowered which was going to be difficult because I did not place her on blocks or on the 4 post lift for that matter but rather this entire process was done with her completely on the ground so my ability to reach the remaining under body panel bolts was nil. As such I revisited the notes from the earlier poster. He shared that he had to remove the upper screen; meaning the mess that is located above the muffler tips and is approximately 2 feet long. Before removing this panel I placed some painters tape on the side of the frame rail extensions to make certain that once again no cosmetic damage would be caused. This panel is secured into place with 2 small Phillip head screws located just above the exhaust tips that are easy to remove with a small 90 degree screwdriver in my case I have a small 90 ratcheting style regardless fix or ratchet head would work fine. Then there are two Tork #27 one at each outer corner of the panel next to the heat shield. The use of a 6” extension on a 3/8 ratchet allowed these to be removed very easy. Once all 4 fasteners have been removed it will rest on the exhaust tips and then it can be slid out in-between the bumper and the body from on top with absolutely no issues. I then, just for safe measure placed a strip of painters tape along the painted body edge that this panel mates to. I also wrapped the exhaust tips with a shop rag and tapped them in place and tucked the end into the tips. I also removed the plastic black trim that surrounds the OEM exhaust tips. Now I do not know that this was necessary however it is simple to remove and gave me piece of mind. To remove it there are two small Phillip screws immediately above the OEM exhaust tips that require the use of the 90 degree Phillips again and then at the back side (meaning towards the front of the gal) there are two holes within each is a small Phillip screw that is easy to remove with a short Phillip screw driver. Once removed the surround pops out easy.
Now I was ready to try again so under the gal I crawled and rather than lifting one corner and then the other I simply lifted the OEM muffler and let her roll slightly so as when the OEM muffler is coming out (meaning being lifted and pushed towards the front of the gal) the exhaust tips are rotating at a downward angle; maybe 45 degrees or so (this happens naturally as a by product of the process) and then to my wonderful surprise the OEM muffler slide out and was able to be blindly set on the center perch that the OEM air box resides. There was no resistance during this process “HOWEVER” the OEM exhaust tips did in fact slide up next to the body panel where I placed the painters tapes and then add to this the rags that were wrapped around the tips made this a painless no concern situation. Once I had pushed the muffler up and forward it seemed to find a natural place to rest; keep in mind that I am under the gal so there are no eyes above however I was comfortable because I had wrapped and covered “everything”. While still under her I maintained control of the muffler and shook it around to make certain that as I crawled out it was not going to come sliding down and there were truly no concerns.
Now that the muffler was in fact out all I needed to do was grab it and “wholla” I would be done.
I took a couple more of the moving style blankets that we use to protect fenders etc and completely covered the supercharger, the frame down tubes etc with a double layer. and then methodically sat myself on the supercharger (no concerns with this I assure you) and then simply grabbed both ends of the OEM muffler and brought it up to the area of my lap. Then once confident it was stable I methodically got off the gal and simply lifted the OEM muffler out and placed it on the ground.
Aaaah… that was the long story.
Here is the short version that may make the process clearer besides this could be printed and used as a step by step.
Yes you can remove the OEM muffler as a one person job with the gal sitting completely on the ground in a few hours “WITHOUT” removing the clamshell and without lowering the transaxle.
“These steps in the short version “DO NOT” include the recommended wrapping with blankets and or towels and the use of painters tape on everything in the OEM mufflers removal path so that no cosmetic damage is caused. I went into detail with this in the long version above.
1. Remove the OEM air box; it is not necessary to remove the bellows portion; keep it simple. Remove the one OEM electrical plug, loosen the stainless steel worn clamp, the two 10mm bolts (one at each end of the box) and then simply pop it out
2. Move the shifter arm by pushing straight down approximately 1/2:” and then pull/swing the arm towards the front of the gal
3. Remove the ten #27 Torx that secure the rear portion of the under body panel in place. “DO NOT” remove the three located in-between the air fins at the immediate rear center. They do not have any securing value at all; they are apart of a stiffening brace.
4. Remove the lower mess grill by removing the twelve 10mm bolts (as stated earlier it is likely that a few of the panel clips will fall out so keep track of them for use when installation commences; this is nothing to be concerned with as they will go right back into place however I would suggest that they be pinched a bit before installing them so they remain in place during the installation process)
5. Remove the six 13mm nuts that secure the muffler to the cat up pipe
6. Remove the twelve 8mm bolts each has a 13mm nut on them and one 13mm nut on the OEM muffler securing bracket assembly and then remove the three bracket pieces
7. Remove the mesh grill located above the OEM exhaust tip by using a 90 degree Phillip screw driver to remove the two small Phillip screws located above the OEM exhaust tips and then remove the two Torx #27 one located at each end of the panel. Once removed the panel will come out from above in-between the body and the bumper.
8. Remove the black plastic trim piece that surrounds the OEM exhaust tips by removing the two small Phillip screws visible above the OEM exhaust tips with a small 90 degree Phillip screw driver and then remove the two small Phillip screws located inside the recessed holes at the rear (closest to the front of the gal) with a short small Phillip screw driver. Once the hardware is removed the black plastic trim piece will slide out easy.
8. From under the gal push the OEM muffler up and towards the front while allowing it to rotate slightly and it will reside perfectly on the air box mounting area
9. While sitting on the supercharger (if one person) grab each end of the muffler and bring it close to you and then once stable get off the gal and then grab the muffler assemble and set it on the ground. With two people the removal maybe easier however after doing it I think it is an easy one person job.
Takes care
Shadowman
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