1969 Side Pipe Muffler Inserts
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
1969 Side Pipe Muffler Inserts
Hey, I just got a 69 and it’s sidepiped with muffler inserts and has hooker headers. I would like to remove the inserts, which from what I’ve read is pretty easy. I was wondering after I’ve removed them, if I want to put them back in would it be a lot of work or fairly simple??
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,797
Likes: 304
From: Charlotte Area North Carolina
I have Hooker Header side pipes on a '66 which should be similar. Fairly simple. The muffler insert comes right out once you remove the side pipe from the collector.
You will probably want the inserts on the car. Will sound kind of like running open headers without the inserts, which your neighbors might not appreciate.
You will probably want the inserts on the car. Will sound kind of like running open headers without the inserts, which your neighbors might not appreciate.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,740
Likes: 2,583
Hey, I just got a 69 and it’s sidepiped with muffler inserts and has hooker headers. I would like to remove the inserts, which from what I’ve read is pretty easy. I was wondering after I’ve removed them, if I want to put them back in would it be a lot of work or fairly simple??
Get a large block of wood and holding the inlet side of the side pipe down, drop it on the wood to dislodge the insert.
As stated above why would you want to remove it other than to replace the insert, open exhaust is not suitable for any kind of street use.
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,376
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Easy is a relative term depending on how long they have been in there.
Get a large block of wood and holding the inlet side of the side pipe down, drop it on the wood to dislodge the insert.
As stated above why would you want to remove it other than to replace the insert, open exhaust is not suitable for any kind of street use.
Get a large block of wood and holding the inlet side of the side pipe down, drop it on the wood to dislodge the insert.
As stated above why would you want to remove it other than to replace the insert, open exhaust is not suitable for any kind of street use.
For me, that didn't work, so I wound up sitting the open end of the side tubes on the wood, to prevent damage, and placed an old broom stick in the outlet end, against the insert, and beat the broom stick until it dislodged the muffler.....
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,740
Likes: 2,583
I had the Hooker Header set-up, back in the late 70s, but on a Pontiac T/A, rather than a Corvette. I started out with the "glass pack" inserts, later changing to the "reverse flow" inserts. I agree, "slipping them out" is indeed a relative term. The inserts that I had, both sets, in fact, slipped in rather easy, but after being in place for a while, they damned near froze in place. When I did the first swap, I did as you suggest, dropping the side tubes on a block of wood.
For me, that didn't work, so I wound up sitting the open end of the side tubes on the wood, to prevent damage, and placed an old broom stick in the outlet end, against the insert, and beat the broom stick until it dislodged the muffler.....
For me, that didn't work, so I wound up sitting the open end of the side tubes on the wood, to prevent damage, and placed an old broom stick in the outlet end, against the insert, and beat the broom stick until it dislodged the muffler.....
Last edited by MelWff; Apr 10, 2021 at 12:09 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
