ok, no pics or clips for now, but here are some install notes for the Magnaflow exhaust (very long).
06-02-2007, 11:59 PM
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ok, no pics or clips for now, but here are some install notes for the Magnaflow exhaust (very long).
it is definitely possible for one person to do this installation at home with limited tools. you just have to be prepared. i'll post pics after I wash the car and possibly some A/V clips. I'm very happy with the results....more details below.
- the OEM exhaust is about 6ft x 4ft in size and weighs about 100lbs. If you have a shop install your new exhaust, you won't be taking home the OEM with you, unless you have someone with a pickup truck come along. Most SUVs couldn't carry it. An Excursion or Suburban might.
- tools/equipment: 3+ ton floor jack, 4 jackstands, 2 ton floor jack (to hold the OEM exhaust while you detach it), 1/2" drive with 13mm and 15mm sockets and 6" and 10" extensions, torque wrench, WD-40, locking pliers, Torx T-50 bit, long flat screwdriver, needlenose pliers, rubber mallet, protective eyewear, Mechanix gloves, creeper (optional), coveralls (name patch optional).
- the Magnaflow system arrives in 1 big box, about 4ft long, 18" tall, and 12" wide. It contains a dual x-pipe section that connects to the OEM downpipes, 2 mid pipes, 2 mufflers (bubble-wrapped), and a bag with some hardware, instruction sheet, and (w00t!) a Magnaflow sticker. Read the instructions first. They're not the best, but worth reading. Leave the bubble wrap on the mufflers for now.
- about the instructions: the first thing they tell you is to disconnect the battery. Their rationale being it allows the ECU to reset and also eliminates any chance of electrical accidents (though I think that would be unlikely to happen). What they DON'T tell you is that disconnecting the battery means you'll have to reset your seat memory, unlock the radio, and reprogram a bunch of other ****. I elected to leave the battery connected during my installation. If you really want to reset the ECU, this can be done with a VAG tool, without screwing up all the other stuff.
- get the car up on the jackstands. Laugh when your kids tell you that you look like the school janitor in your coveralls. Leave the wheels on...no need to remove them. Use a 3-ton floor jack. Jackstand points have been described elsewhere on AW. Don't screw up your rocker panels when you're jacking up the car. Use jack and jackstand pads if you're really ****. I used the rear jack point to lift up one side, inserted front and rear jackstands on that side, then repeated on the opposite side of the car. Get the car up as high as your jackstands will safely allow. I left the floor jack in place on one side, just for an extra measure of safety.
- crawl under the car behind the front wheels and note the connection with the downpipes. There are 2 large band clamps, each with two 13mm bolt connections. There is a flat, curved, rectangular brace beneath this connection point that must be removed first. It is attached with 4 T-50 Torx bolts. Remove it and set aside. This gives you access to the 2 band clamps. Use a 13mm socket wrench to remove the nuts. Don't pull the pipes out yet.
- move rearward and note the center hanger assembly. Spray the rubber hanger attachments liberally with WD-40....make sure you have your eye protection on! Use a long, flat screwdriver to pry the rubber hanger off the metal hanger arm on each side .
- take your little 2-ton jack and position it under the center resonator section to hold it in place while you disconnect the rest of the OEM system.
- move to the rear of the car. Use needlenose pliers to pull off the vacuum hoses connected to the "S" flaps near the exhaust tips on each side. Tuck the hoses out of the way.
- observe the rear muffler hanger assemblies. You could remove the hangers as described above, but I think it's easier to to just unbolt the hanger brackets from the underbody. They are attached with two 13mm bolts on each side and you'll want to use your 10" extension to reach them. After you unbolt the first side (right or left, doesn't matter), it would be helpful to have someone hold the muffler tip on the opposite side while you unbolt it...this will prevent the exhaust from falling on you. Keep in mind it should still be connected up front at the downpipes (and still supported at the resonator with your 2-ton jack), so it is possible to release the rear hangers without assistance...just be careful!
- stand up behind the car and grab the exhaust tips, one in each hand. Yank the exhaust rearward and it should disconnect from the downpipes. It may stay balanced on the 2-ton jack, but it might also fall on the ground. Either way, you're now half done! Pull the exhaust out of from under the car and put it away for safekeeping, or leave it in your front yard as a sculpture.
- take a break.
- attach the forward x-pipe section of the Magnaflow exhaust to the downpipes. The band clamps probably came off with the OEM exhaust. If so, remove them and use them to attach the X-pipe section. Use a rubber mallet to tap the x-pipe into place. You'll probably need to use a pair of locking pliers to clamp the ends of the band clamps together so you can re-attach the nuts. Don't tighten the nuts all the way yet.
- attach the center hangers. Use more WD-40 if necessary. Use your little 2-ton jack to hold the rear portion of the x-pipe section up in place. Leave it there until you have the muffler hangers attached.
- attach the Magnaflow mid-pipes with the supplied band clamps. These use 15mm bolts. Don't tighten all the way yet.
- attach the Magnaflow mufflers. If you unbolted the hanger assemblies, remove them from your OEM exhaust and attach them to the Magnaflow muffer hanger arms. I would recommend leaving the bubble wrap on until you have the mufflers positioned under the car and ready to lift up and connect to the mid-pipes. One careless move and you'll scratch those shiny tips. I used my creeper as a cradle while I removed the bubble wrap, then lifted them up into position. It would be helpful to have someone hold the muffler tips while you attach the hangers. Don't tighten anything completely yet.
- attach the supplied spanner brace between the mid-pipes. Don't tighten completely yet.
- at this point, you should be able to remove your 2-ton jack supporting the exhaust.
- tighten all the connections, starting at the front of the car. One thing worth noting about the Magnaflow install instructions: they tell you to torque the band clamp bolts to "approximately 65ft-lbs." As I discovered, the OEM clamps connected to the downpipes CANNOT withstand that much torque...I sheared one of the bolts off. The clamps supplied with the Magnaflow system can, however, be tightened at that torque spec.
- after you tighten the downpipe connections, reinstall the underbrace with the T-50 Torx bolts.
- when you get to the muffler sections, you can reposition the tips as needed before tightening the rear fasteners. My tips lined up fairly well without much effort.
- use your 3-ton jack to raise each side up and remove the jackstands. You're done. Go inside and flop on the floor. Ask a child or small Asian woman to walk on your back for a few minutes. Take some Advil.
- initial impressions: sounds more aggressive when fired up, but not much louder. No booming, no vibration, no rattling. At idle it's pretty conservative...about the same as OEM with the S-button depressed. It really lets out a bark when you hit about 3-4K rpm and takes on an almost Ferrari-esque tone after that. It's not in any way offensive, in my opinion, and makes the car sound like it should: very sporty.
- power: no dyno numbers here, just seat of the pants impression. It feels a bit quicker, but I could just be distracted by the exhilarating sound. It sounded great with the OEM exhaust, but now...wow!
good luck and enjoy!
- the OEM exhaust is about 6ft x 4ft in size and weighs about 100lbs. If you have a shop install your new exhaust, you won't be taking home the OEM with you, unless you have someone with a pickup truck come along. Most SUVs couldn't carry it. An Excursion or Suburban might.
- tools/equipment: 3+ ton floor jack, 4 jackstands, 2 ton floor jack (to hold the OEM exhaust while you detach it), 1/2" drive with 13mm and 15mm sockets and 6" and 10" extensions, torque wrench, WD-40, locking pliers, Torx T-50 bit, long flat screwdriver, needlenose pliers, rubber mallet, protective eyewear, Mechanix gloves, creeper (optional), coveralls (name patch optional).
- the Magnaflow system arrives in 1 big box, about 4ft long, 18" tall, and 12" wide. It contains a dual x-pipe section that connects to the OEM downpipes, 2 mid pipes, 2 mufflers (bubble-wrapped), and a bag with some hardware, instruction sheet, and (w00t!) a Magnaflow sticker. Read the instructions first. They're not the best, but worth reading. Leave the bubble wrap on the mufflers for now.
- about the instructions: the first thing they tell you is to disconnect the battery. Their rationale being it allows the ECU to reset and also eliminates any chance of electrical accidents (though I think that would be unlikely to happen). What they DON'T tell you is that disconnecting the battery means you'll have to reset your seat memory, unlock the radio, and reprogram a bunch of other ****. I elected to leave the battery connected during my installation. If you really want to reset the ECU, this can be done with a VAG tool, without screwing up all the other stuff.
- get the car up on the jackstands. Laugh when your kids tell you that you look like the school janitor in your coveralls. Leave the wheels on...no need to remove them. Use a 3-ton floor jack. Jackstand points have been described elsewhere on AW. Don't screw up your rocker panels when you're jacking up the car. Use jack and jackstand pads if you're really ****. I used the rear jack point to lift up one side, inserted front and rear jackstands on that side, then repeated on the opposite side of the car. Get the car up as high as your jackstands will safely allow. I left the floor jack in place on one side, just for an extra measure of safety.
- crawl under the car behind the front wheels and note the connection with the downpipes. There are 2 large band clamps, each with two 13mm bolt connections. There is a flat, curved, rectangular brace beneath this connection point that must be removed first. It is attached with 4 T-50 Torx bolts. Remove it and set aside. This gives you access to the 2 band clamps. Use a 13mm socket wrench to remove the nuts. Don't pull the pipes out yet.
- move rearward and note the center hanger assembly. Spray the rubber hanger attachments liberally with WD-40....make sure you have your eye protection on! Use a long, flat screwdriver to pry the rubber hanger off the metal hanger arm on each side .
- take your little 2-ton jack and position it under the center resonator section to hold it in place while you disconnect the rest of the OEM system.
- move to the rear of the car. Use needlenose pliers to pull off the vacuum hoses connected to the "S" flaps near the exhaust tips on each side. Tuck the hoses out of the way.
- observe the rear muffler hanger assemblies. You could remove the hangers as described above, but I think it's easier to to just unbolt the hanger brackets from the underbody. They are attached with two 13mm bolts on each side and you'll want to use your 10" extension to reach them. After you unbolt the first side (right or left, doesn't matter), it would be helpful to have someone hold the muffler tip on the opposite side while you unbolt it...this will prevent the exhaust from falling on you. Keep in mind it should still be connected up front at the downpipes (and still supported at the resonator with your 2-ton jack), so it is possible to release the rear hangers without assistance...just be careful!
- stand up behind the car and grab the exhaust tips, one in each hand. Yank the exhaust rearward and it should disconnect from the downpipes. It may stay balanced on the 2-ton jack, but it might also fall on the ground. Either way, you're now half done! Pull the exhaust out of from under the car and put it away for safekeeping, or leave it in your front yard as a sculpture.
- take a break.
- attach the forward x-pipe section of the Magnaflow exhaust to the downpipes. The band clamps probably came off with the OEM exhaust. If so, remove them and use them to attach the X-pipe section. Use a rubber mallet to tap the x-pipe into place. You'll probably need to use a pair of locking pliers to clamp the ends of the band clamps together so you can re-attach the nuts. Don't tighten the nuts all the way yet.
- attach the center hangers. Use more WD-40 if necessary. Use your little 2-ton jack to hold the rear portion of the x-pipe section up in place. Leave it there until you have the muffler hangers attached.
- attach the Magnaflow mid-pipes with the supplied band clamps. These use 15mm bolts. Don't tighten all the way yet.
- attach the Magnaflow mufflers. If you unbolted the hanger assemblies, remove them from your OEM exhaust and attach them to the Magnaflow muffer hanger arms. I would recommend leaving the bubble wrap on until you have the mufflers positioned under the car and ready to lift up and connect to the mid-pipes. One careless move and you'll scratch those shiny tips. I used my creeper as a cradle while I removed the bubble wrap, then lifted them up into position. It would be helpful to have someone hold the muffler tips while you attach the hangers. Don't tighten anything completely yet.
- attach the supplied spanner brace between the mid-pipes. Don't tighten completely yet.
- at this point, you should be able to remove your 2-ton jack supporting the exhaust.
- tighten all the connections, starting at the front of the car. One thing worth noting about the Magnaflow install instructions: they tell you to torque the band clamp bolts to "approximately 65ft-lbs." As I discovered, the OEM clamps connected to the downpipes CANNOT withstand that much torque...I sheared one of the bolts off. The clamps supplied with the Magnaflow system can, however, be tightened at that torque spec.
- after you tighten the downpipe connections, reinstall the underbrace with the T-50 Torx bolts.
- when you get to the muffler sections, you can reposition the tips as needed before tightening the rear fasteners. My tips lined up fairly well without much effort.
- use your 3-ton jack to raise each side up and remove the jackstands. You're done. Go inside and flop on the floor. Ask a child or small Asian woman to walk on your back for a few minutes. Take some Advil.
- initial impressions: sounds more aggressive when fired up, but not much louder. No booming, no vibration, no rattling. At idle it's pretty conservative...about the same as OEM with the S-button depressed. It really lets out a bark when you hit about 3-4K rpm and takes on an almost Ferrari-esque tone after that. It's not in any way offensive, in my opinion, and makes the car sound like it should: very sporty.
- power: no dyno numbers here, just seat of the pants impression. It feels a bit quicker, but I could just be distracted by the exhilarating sound. It sounded great with the OEM exhaust, but now...wow!
good luck and enjoy!
06-03-2007, 03:28 AM
#2
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Great writeup! Question...did you plug the vacuum
hoses for the "S" button exhaust flap? I put a couple of cap screws in mine and tucked them away, (the threads will keep them from coming out).
06-03-2007, 04:35 AM
#4
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Bob, did you opt for a name patch on your coveralls?
Very good writeup, thanks for posting. How many Duffs beer do your recommend? Being a contortionist really helps with DIY exhaust work. Like Red Green says, if the ladies don't find you handsome, at least they'll find you handy. Your legs (feet and knees) work well holding thigs up, no need for an assistant. I'll bet your son wanted to get back to doing nothing after 5 minutes, no? About the only thing my son can do automotive-wise is pump the brake pedal during fluid flushes.
Enjoy the beautiful sound (neighbors call it "noise" but what do they know!)
Enjoy the beautiful sound (neighbors call it "noise" but what do they know!)
06-03-2007, 06:55 AM
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Congratulations and thanks for the writeup and comments on the new system. Stock system is so large
I'll need my friend's pickup for the stock system when dealer installs my Magnaflow Tuesday.
