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1st photo:
The rear muffler is hanging low and also notice how the hanger (left of the muffler) looks almost completely collapsed (that flattened slot in the rubber below the muffler support arm is actually a round hole when there is no weight on it.)
Did a simple mod to these old rear muffler hangers which helped to raise the whole rear half of the system along with these...
The centre muffler hangers where found stretched and tearing. One was an OEM type, the other a no-name. Replaced both with the chain-filled VAG OEM type. I don't know if these came as original equipment, but I suspect not.
Perhaps I should mention here that 3 of these work equally well on all the B3 20V cars, as some few may not know that.
Carefully (don't snap them off!) un-bent the tabs on the upper and lower hanger mount hooks to allow removal and installation, lubed up the new hangers w/soapy water, lifted the exhaust gently with a jack and popped them on.
b4_chain-filled_hanger.jpg
Last edited by Lago Blue; 07-05-2020 at 06:03 PM.
Reason: reattaching photo after the forum "upgrade"
Then I noticed that the new (shorter) chain-filled centre muffler hangers where still holding up the almost all the weight of the rear half of the entire system and the rear muffler is plenty heavy on its' own, so...
...using a couple of silicone distributer cap boots (red circles in photo) from a discarded set of high-tension leads from a N/A V8, cut two lengths sufficient to insert through the round (when unloaded) hole in both rear muffler hangers...cont'd.
...and secured the inserted silicone tube with a tie-wrap. This whole process raised the rear muffler such that the bottom of the two outlets is nearly level with the bottom of the valence & appears properly centred up in the cut-out.
There is still room in the red silicone tube which could be filled, however this set-up still allows the rear muffler to move upward slightly, which may be more desireable.
This should last longer than the previous set-up as it unloads the now chain-filled hangers on the centre muffler plus I have a bit more clearance underneath the system too.
Cheers! David.
VAG P/N: 171 253 147 G
This photo is from the Techtonics Tuning website:
item: "253.142"
For A1, A2, VW Fox and some Audi's, HD Rubber with chain molded inside.
Last photo: view of the now raised rear muffler...
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/124134/b4_rear_muffler_height_after_raising_rear_hangers. jpg"></center><p>compare this with the 1st photo.
Note also the no longer totally sooty black inside of the tail-pipes!
First let me say thanks for the strut mount tips. I am now the proud owner of Pro Mounts!
I did splurge on an OEM exhaust system...we won't talk about the cost! Your post on raising the mufflers is great and I'm ordering chain filled hangers.
The cats are hanging about right. But the pipe(s) to the front muffler seem way too low below the tunnel, almost as if an intermediate hanger were missing. Are all the B4's that way?
To get the front muffler horizontal I really have to rely on the clamps to overcome the inside sag. This puts a CW torque on the system. Are they all that way?
Re: "as if an intermediate hanger were missing" and ...
Getting the "twist" out.
AFAIK, there are no OEM hangers between the Y-pipe where it attaches to the aft-end of the cats, and the second hanger at the forward end of the resonator/forward muffler approx. under the rear seat. I will come back to this Y-pipe assembly in a moment.
The next most forward "hanger" is the first (i.e. #1) and forward of, and shared by; the cats.
The entire weight of the rear section of exhaust system, say, aft of the Y-pipe, is supported by the two resonator (2nd & 3rd hangers) and two muffler hangers (4th & 5th). All of these should really be acting equally to share the load, otherwise they will needlessly carry a 25% increase in load; or worse.
Originally, your car was supplied with a one-piece rear exhaust section consisting of the resonator and the rear muffler. Dealer and non-OEM replacements are available separately. I don't know if entire one-piece rear sections are also available from the dealer. May I assume that your new exhaust now has a joint between the resonator and the rear muffler?
The Y-pipe assembly ends in a coupling which connects to the resonator inlet pipe. This (and the new coupling between the resonator and rear muffler) is where you should be able to un-wind any exhaust system to hanger torque if I understand you correctly. The Y-pipe OEM aft-end coupling is a slit-tube overlap of stainless steel with a clamp at either end.
Finally, my exhaust is the lowest and most vulnerable part of the car, but it's as high as I could get it using the techniques in the original above post. The tunnel is primarily to route the drive-shaft, the exhaust is only there incidentally. My Y-pipe coupling clamps are quite close to the OEM heat-shields between the exhaust tube and the drive-shaft. There is a drawing of the required clearances in the Manual, showing a cross-section of the tunnel, heat-shields and these clamps.
08-21-2007, 11:51 AM
Re-hanging a stock B4 exhaust...
