Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 09:33:10 -0500
Reply-To: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: '88 GL Muffler Change - a big PITB!!!
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Muffle has been noisy and rattling for a while., finally broke down and
bought a new one. Ordered new muffler, gaskets and hardware. Upon
opening the package discovered the muffler was different on the tail
pipe end than the old muffler. This was the beginning of a series of
problems, however minor, in this case. The flange was threaded rather
than being drilled through to accept bolts through it with nuts on the
other end. This difference resulted in the new bolts being to long. No
real problem, just a time killer while I hunted down new, shorter bolts.
All the bolts on the cat and muffler were rusted beyond recovery, and a
real pain to get loose. Soaked them with PB Blaster for three days,
giving them all a little squirt three times a day. Third day I began to
disassemble them. With a bit of grunt and strain with the help of a
breaker bar the bolts either broke or otherwise came loose. I found the
flange and pipe on the CAT end of the muffler to have come completely
loose from the muffler and was just floating free. The only thing
holding it was the fact it was still bolted to the CAT flange. I
loosened the muffler hanger straps and slide the muffler to one side,
separating the muffler and the CAT. The CAT easily came free at that
point. Next was the muffler itself.
After a discussion on The List with Dennis Haynes and others - I set
about to remove the right hand muffler hanger. What a PITA. Couldn't do
it with what I had. The exhaust cross-over pipe blocked access to the
nuts and bolts with straight wrenches. So - stop once again and go buy a
couple of universals so I could get to the nuts and bolts at an angle
and still turn them. When finally done, I removed the hangar and the
muffler slid right out.
With the muffler out, the tailpipe bolts were removed, freeing the
tailpipe to be swapped over to the new muffler. Next came separating the
broken muffler flange from the CAT. At this point I discovered that the
bolts hold the Cat to the muffler flange were much bigger than the
rest. All the other bolts were either M8X30 or M8X35. These puppies were
M15X30. Why the much larger bolt I don't understand - but the holes in
both the CAT and the new muffler matched in size. But this meant that my
hardware set didn't match so off again to the hardware store. So I wound
up with three M8X30(CAT to J-pipe), three M15X30(CAT to muffler), three
M8X20(muffler to tailpipe)and two M8X20(muffler straps)
Readied to re-install the muffler hangar and decided to check the bolt
fit in the muffler hangers. The bolts would not enter straight. Rather
than try to force them in - and maybe create a cross thread situation, I
stopped once again to hunt down a thread chaser. My straps were good and
reuseable, but the nut on the hanger to receive strap bolt is welded
in place. Screw that nut up, and it's buy a new hanger - which is not
available locally and would have to be ordered in. But, as luck would
have it - the discovery of the hanger nut problem was discovered late
Saturday night and on Sunday no suitable tool store was open - so I was
forced into the traditional day of rest on Sunday. Perhaps that was as
it should be. I sure feel good this Monday morning.
I started this project in the morning Friday last, and expected to have
the van on the road in the afternoon for a fishing trip. WRONG!! Murphy
came to visit and he's been here helping every step of the way. It's
Monday morning, and as I write, the job is not yet complete, but the
cat, muffler and tailpipe with new gaskets and hard ware are assembled,
thus everything is ready to be re-assembled to the vehicle. So here
goes. Wish me well!
John
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