AMS

Todd,
In the past you had mentioned a performance muffler on your sedan, what brand and where did you get it? Any other alternatives you know of?
I've got my new ECU installed, looking for a little extra breathing room. (K&N on order)..

Thanks in advance
Allen
89 200q, SJM 1.8 Bar mods...stock exhaust for now

Todd W

I got this particular muffler for several resons, one being that it is stainless like the rest of the exhaust. I also think that the oval can is quieter than the bullet style. Ned Ritchie of Intended Acceleration convinced me that all the mods necessary to the exhaust are a glass pack and a silenced tip. He runs 450hp through a stock exhaust modified in just this way. Any glass pack with no baffles will work, bullet style or oval can. I had a Pacesetter tip on for a while, but I don't use it now. It was loud at 4K rpm decel without the tip. It doesn't do that now, maybe b/c I changed the cam (or the cat could be plugged, who knows).

The exhaust is one huge extremely heavy piece from the cat back. I took the whole thing off, cut off the muffler, welded on the Borla, and put it back in. I had to heat the pipe and tweak the angle of the muffler once it was mounted in the car, but not much. You do need some kind of pipe or tip on the back in order to reach the rearmost hanger. You pretty much have to weld the muffler on, there isn't any straight pipe in front of the stock muffler to clamp to. You will save 30-50 pounds by taking that stock muffler off. The dealer carries the metal exhaust gasket that might be rusted away behind the cat, thick steel ring.

You will feel the turbo kick in stronger after changing the rear muffler.

Todd W

AMS

Thanks!

Todd W

Summit part # BOR-40942. $136.69 in 1998. __1-800-230-3030

TM in PA

Todd,
Did you cut out the center resonator, or did you leave that in? It sounds like you're using the XR-1 as your rear muffler, right?

Do you have any notes on the install?

Suggestions on tips to finish the exhaust?

Pls. email if it's easier.

Thanks,
TM

Todd W

They work just fine.

As for removing the muffler, cut the pipe right at the muffler. It is shorter than the factory muffler, so you have to run some kind of tip out the back. I had a Monza Pacesetter 2 1/2" silenced tip with a 45 degree cut. I ended up taking that off and just putting on a short piece of 2 1/2" pipe with a 45 degree cut. A standard pipe clamp with a hanger can reach the rearmost rubber donut hangers.

If I had been more careful lining up the new muffler when I welded it on then I woulndn't have had to tweak it. The main clearance issue is if the tip is too high (since I used a straight one instead of a dowturned one like the factory system) it will bounce against the bumper cover. Other than that, there is so much room that it is really easy.

The entire exhaust should be rock solid when you are done. If not, then make sure that you are loading every hanger. I think I used a hose clamp hooked through an exhaust clamp to reach the hanger at the front of the muffler. Then I tightened the hose clamp to preload the hanger.

Email me if you want, I can't email through my web browser so it is easier for me to post but I can respond to emails.

Todd W