Time for an update....
First thing I found is that the inlet/outlets on the new muffler are 2 ¼ and 2 ½ inches instead of the advertised 2 and 2 ¼ inches but I found an old size adapter from the DOHC swap and some old exhaust pipe that will make it work..
This is the muffler alongside the original Fiero one for size comparison:
That pink line is actually a piece of string I taped between the cradle mounts that is just touching the old muffler. It’s there to give me some idea of what angle I need to install the new muffler at in order to clear the heat shield on the car once it’s all back together.
When I removed the old muffler it left the exhaust pipe pretty short and the new join was pretty much on the curve but by trimming the smaller of the new mufflers connectors I was able to make it fit quite nicely. I tacked it in place and then, where the mufflers connector was standing away from the exhaust pipe (because of the curve of the pipe) I simple closed the gap by whacking the connector with a hammer.
Tacked in place:
I shortened the outlet and put a short length of smaller diameter pipe in there to help support the joint and also to give me more metal to weld to. After doing the DOHC exhaust I discovered that butt welds are really hard and it’s dead easy to blow through. Using inserts like this makes for a stronger joint and reduces the risk of me blowing through the pipe when welding the joints up.
The adapter I used to adapt the Fieros’ 2 inch pipe to the larger connector on the new muffler.
Because the new muffler is not as tall as the original one I had to cut the down pipe to the tip.
Again I’ve put a short length of pipe in there as an insert to help support the joint and prevent blow through when welding.
This is the finished system. It still needs taking off and all the joints welding up properly but otherwise it looks like it will work.
I cut the spring mounts off the original muffler and welded them to the new one. Since the inlet to the muffler is in pretty much the same position as the original muffler, the passenger side spring mount is pretty much the same as stock.
On the left side, since the new muffler is not as tall as the original one I had to mount it a lot lower on the muffler. To make up for that I turned the cradle bracket sideways and I’ve only used two springs on that side. That’s not so much of a problem because the exhaust hanger takes a lot of the weight on left side.
Passenger side bracket:
Driver’s side bracket:
As the original hanger bracket was missing (previous owner had bolted the hanger to the lower frame rail!) I fabbed up a new one and bolted it to a right angle bracket that I welded to the cradle.
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Dave
www.ltlfrari.com[This message has been edited by ltlfrari (edited 10-18-2009).]
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