EA-sports

Hi guys, newbie to Vette here so go easy on me. How hard would it be to change the stock Ti exhaust on an '03 Z06 with a Corsa axle back exhaust using jack stands in my home garage? Obviously a lift would help tremendously but I don't currently have access to a lift so jack and jackstands are it. Any link to some DIY guides to do this? Anything I need to keep an eye on? Anybody know of a place where I can rent a lift in the Metro DC area? Thanks guys.

Last C5

Bad plan. The pumpkin has to be about 39" off the ground for the TIs to clear. First thing you'll find as you start jacking it up it that the front nose is going to hit the ground long before the rear gets near the 39". So first you jack up the front about 8", then you jack the rear to 39" using everything you can find in the garage as blocks , then in the process of breaking the 10 year old, rusted, frozen exhaust bolts loose it falls off your house of cards and we lose a forum member.

Seriously, it's a 20 minute job with a lift and a pain in the butt without.

Forrest_H

Mine isn't a Z06, but I did manage to pop off the axleback using jacks. That said, I do not recommend it I was curious as to how loud it would be if I just went with straight pipes instead of the Ti mufflers the previous owner had thrown on.

Took lots of swearing, lots of precarious jack positions, and about an hour or two. I'd listen to Last C5, a lift would make the job a lot easier.

EA-sports

That's what I heard..the thing is when I called a shop they quoted me 4 hours of labor to change the exhaust ..I wish there is a way to rent or borrow a lift around here...

grantv

4 hours!? Call another shop...

c4cruiser

A quote of 4 hours for labor? Any reasonable shop could do the entire job in less than one hour. The first thing they would do would be to cut the old exhaust off and that would take no more than 15 minutes tops. They would probably use a cutting torch or a sawz-all.

Installing the new system (pipes and mufflers) will be fairly quick to do and then just some more time to make sure everything is lined up before tightening all the nuts and bolts.

There's always a chance that somebody in your area may volunteer to help by using their lift. Might want to post the same question in the Northeast section in the Regional Discussion sub-forum.

feeder82

Dont let them cut the ti exhaust off as suggested above they are worth $350 or more anywhere

2003RedVette

Have done this several times in my garage, BUT, the trick is you need the right jacks, Jack stands, blocks of wood, and I chose ramps for the front, etc., to do it SAFELY. Bought most of my stuff from harbor freight because I knew I'd be changing the exhaust more than a few times. Here is another option, I did it, but it is best to take your time and have a spotter. As you can see, things could go horribly wrong very quickly...

On my phone, not sure if video loaded.

bluestreak63

Try Tony's corvette shop in Gaithersburg. Haven't been there, but have seen them recommended.

And don't let anyone cut the Ti's.

EA-sports

I wasn't planning to cut the Ti since I know it's still worth some money and when or if I install a header and Xpipe I may put it back on. Let me ask around the regional forum to see if anyone local know of a place where I can rent the lift. There used to be a DIY shop around here, a couple of them actually, but they don't do it anymore. Thanks guys.

imlowr2

The DIY shops are a thing of the past because of law suits and insurance costs if someone gets injured using their equipment. Most muffler shops will install them for $100 or find a friend who has a lift and willing to share. Might cost you a case of beer BTW- if you cut titanium, you'll need a person who can weld titanium. You can't just weld it like standard exhaust pipes.

Darrell98

I had my T1 exhaust installed for $80.

SS2001SS

It's not that bad to do yourself. You only need 30" of clearance from the ground to the bottom of the exhaust tips. I've done it twice in my garage on jackstands.

73Corvette

If you have your stuff ready and a good idea on what you are doing... I saw where someone backed up on a loading dock and did it... only takes about an hour at the most, if your ready to go....

Gordy M

Curious why you would want to replace a TI exhaust system (about 16lbs) with a heavy exhaust system (24-32 lbs). If you want to make it louder you could add cut outs, or the "by pass" method.

imlowr2

I can speak for my friend who had ti's and got rid of them for the reasons that titanium is difficult to weld in addition finding a by pass tube made of titanium. He didn't like cut outs and they need to be wired in. I guess he felt is was better to keep the Ti's in original condition and switch out the exhaust.

2003RedVette

That may have been me. I posted a video or pic several months ago. I've done it twice (before I got the big Jack stands, etc.) and also helped another forum member. Definitely easier than the garage, but I did get a few people give me the "wtf" look.

73Corvette

Yup that was you... very creative solution... who cars what other people think. Good job!

Vetteman Jack

Check with a number of trusted muffler shops - they should be able to make the swap in about an hours labor - I paid $50 to have a B&B catback installed on the '00 I had.

SaberD

I'm able to get them off with the correct maneuver with the car 21.5" high at the rear rocker jack points. I had to remove the wheels and the sway bar. Put down a blanket to protect the tips in case they hit the ground (as they most likely will because it takes some real fishing to get them out this way).