Stock Exhaust Removal
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 194
Likes: 2
From: The Villages FL
Stock Exhaust Removal
Can anyone enlighten me as to how to remove stock exhaust? I've unbolted the pipe flange from the "H" pipe and removed the 2 nuts from the muffler bracket. The thing is just hanging there but I can't figure out how to get it off. Do I have to cut it up to get it off or is there a trick to this?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,048
Likes: 300
From: FL
Are you talking from the exhaust manifolds to catback or the catback itself. If you are referring to the section in front of the catback, you don't need to cut anything, just remove the bolts. There are 3 on each side where the exhaust meets the headers, 2 on the flywheel housing, 2 on the exhaust hangers near the tranny and the 2 that connect the to cat back.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 864
Likes: 2
From: Jax FL
your rear end housing has to be at least 30 inches above ground and the driver side will come right out, the other side will need a little wrestilng and maybe just a little pry-bar.....30" in the air is scary ! take it to a shop or cut them off, but you are going to have put the others on.. I tried it at home with a good jack,stands, and blocking-still scary.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 752
Likes: 1
From: Tulsa OK
Its not a big deal and its not scary.
Drive the car up on some ramps in the front. Then jack up the back. You will need to get it up about 30 inches but if the front is already up on the ramps, the final incline of the car is not that bad.
When you get it up there you can put some blocks under the rear wheels and jack stands to support the rear of the car for safety. I used a cinder block and some 2 X 8 boards under each rear wheel after it was up in the air.
Then you just rotate the muffler down and clockwise on the passenger side and down and counter clockwise on the drivers side so the mufflers are somewhat vertical and slide the pipe back over the axle. You will need to unbolt the sway bar and let swing down out of the way. On an A4, you have to remove the rear heat shield from the passenger side fuel tank for added clearance for the flange to get by the tranny.
Check out the Corsa exhaust web site. They have some great instructions for removing the stock cat back.
You don't have to cut them. They come out easy enough with the correct procedures. I did my swap in about two hours in the garage - no lift.
Do a search, some members have actual photos of their cars up on blocks for the exhaust removal.
Drive the car up on some ramps in the front. Then jack up the back. You will need to get it up about 30 inches but if the front is already up on the ramps, the final incline of the car is not that bad.
When you get it up there you can put some blocks under the rear wheels and jack stands to support the rear of the car for safety. I used a cinder block and some 2 X 8 boards under each rear wheel after it was up in the air.
Then you just rotate the muffler down and clockwise on the passenger side and down and counter clockwise on the drivers side so the mufflers are somewhat vertical and slide the pipe back over the axle. You will need to unbolt the sway bar and let swing down out of the way. On an A4, you have to remove the rear heat shield from the passenger side fuel tank for added clearance for the flange to get by the tranny.
Check out the Corsa exhaust web site. They have some great instructions for removing the stock cat back.
You don't have to cut them. They come out easy enough with the correct procedures. I did my swap in about two hours in the garage - no lift.
Do a search, some members have actual photos of their cars up on blocks for the exhaust removal.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 752
Likes: 1
From: Tulsa OK
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
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,012
Likes: 15
From: Jensen Beach FL
I did mine 2 times (returned the Borla Stingers and had to put the stock exhaust back on) Then I bought the MagnaFlows and had to take them back off and I was past the half century mark age-wise at the time. I personally like doing things like this so it was fun for me. I wanted to keep the stock system just in case I needed them so I did not want to cut them off. Follow the advice on how to raise the car properly and safely and you will be fine.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,798
Likes: 8
From: It's true money can't buy happiness, but it is more comfortable crying in a Corvette than on a bicyc
St. Jude Donor '13
I cheated. Saw a post that recommended a loading ramp. I have a warehouse in a complex that has a ramp for unloading semi's. The only scary part was backing up the ramp and fearing going a little too far. Once that was done it was under 30 minutes for the swap on a sunday morning with no witnesses. 
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 397
Likes: 3
On the 97vette.com site, I don't understand where on the rocker rail he is placing the jackstands... it doesn't appear to be in the location where pucks would be installed. (pic below)
Also.. what's on top of the jackstands... pucks? Are the pucks just resting on the jackstands and the rocker rails resting on the pucks?
http://www.97vette.com/howto/mufflers/index.html
Also.. what's on top of the jackstands... pucks? Are the pucks just resting on the jackstands and the rocker rails resting on the pucks?
http://www.97vette.com/howto/mufflers/index.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 5,266
Likes: 15
From: Syracuse NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Its not a big deal and its not scary.
Drive the car up on some ramps in the front. Then jack up the back. You will need to get it up about 30 inches but if the front is already up on the ramps, the final incline of the car is not that bad.
When you get it up there you can put some blocks under the rear wheels and jack stands to support the rear of the car for safety. I used a cinder block and some 2 X 8 boards under each rear wheel after it was up in the air.
Then you just rotate the muffler down and clockwise on the passenger side and down and counter clockwise on the drivers side so the mufflers are somewhat vertical and slide the pipe back over the axle. You will need to unbolt the sway bar and let swing down out of the way. On an A4, you have to remove the rear heat shield from the passenger side fuel tank for added clearance for the flange to get by the tranny.
Check out the Corsa exhaust web site. They have some great instructions for removing the stock cat back.
You don't have to cut them. They come out easy enough with the correct procedures. I did my swap in about two hours in the garage - no lift.
Do a search, some members have actual photos of their cars up on blocks for the exhaust removal.
Drive the car up on some ramps in the front. Then jack up the back. You will need to get it up about 30 inches but if the front is already up on the ramps, the final incline of the car is not that bad.
When you get it up there you can put some blocks under the rear wheels and jack stands to support the rear of the car for safety. I used a cinder block and some 2 X 8 boards under each rear wheel after it was up in the air.
Then you just rotate the muffler down and clockwise on the passenger side and down and counter clockwise on the drivers side so the mufflers are somewhat vertical and slide the pipe back over the axle. You will need to unbolt the sway bar and let swing down out of the way. On an A4, you have to remove the rear heat shield from the passenger side fuel tank for added clearance for the flange to get by the tranny.
Check out the Corsa exhaust web site. They have some great instructions for removing the stock cat back.
You don't have to cut them. They come out easy enough with the correct procedures. I did my swap in about two hours in the garage - no lift.
Do a search, some members have actual photos of their cars up on blocks for the exhaust removal.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 194
Likes: 2
From: The Villages FL
I, also, am up in the years and don't feel good about crawling under a car 30" in the air held by jackstands, jack, ramps, etc. I did crazy crap like that when I was younger but not today. I have a diamond blade for my Dremmel which'll cut thru the stock pipe. I'm told that it outta be cut on the input side of the mufflers. Then the muffler will drop out and the pipe over the axle can be removed toward the front of the car. Since I'm trashing my stock system this seems to be the most reasonable way to go.
Thanks to everyone for your words of wisdom.
Thanks to everyone for your words of wisdom.
