300M exhaust system question (needs new part)

MM - I would post your questions to the 300M Enthusiast Club forums

Those guys are constantly futzing with the exhaust system - not to fix problems per se, but deleting certain components or replacing certain components with certain aftermarket parts to get just the right tone without it being annoying, etc. Point being that they intimately know the system and how it is put together and what can be replaced with what, etc. etc. Me personally - based on two not so good experiences with Midas when I did try them in my younger days - and I doubt it's gotten any better - would not trust them to work on my car or advise me on anything. They are known for upselling, and while you may have a $50 or $100 problem, you don't want it to become a $600 one.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

If I recall, the exhaust is part of the emissions system. Should be covered under warranty for 100,000 miles. Give the dealer a call and ask. Of course, you could drop a wad and customize........

Hope this helps!

PoD

The catalytic converter(s) would be, the rest of the exhaust isn't.

Well, given that this is a Canadian car, I believe that the warrany period and/or milage was different in Canada vs US during that time-frame (1999-2000).

For example, I *think* the engine and drivetrain warranty in Canada was 3 years or 60k km, vs 5 years and 100k miles in the US - although I've also seen 3 years and 36k miles in the US so who knows. I think the 2001 Dodge Ram I bought in early 2001 had significantly longer warranty coverage than the 300M did.

This page appears to contain US information:

"The Exhaust Emission Warranty covers corrosion-related parts for 2 years/24,000 miles, plus 8 years/80,000 miles on the catalytic converter and any on-board diagnostic device. "

I guess that perhaps the exhaust system is not part of the drive or power-train?

Most likely, given that I bought the car new in Nov 1999, that not even the cat's are still under warranty. All other exhaust system parts seem to have a much shorter warranty coverage period.

Glenn, what type of stainless steel was used for the exhaust pipes for the 300M?

Also, do you know if the muffler and/or resonators were made of stainless steel?

My past experience with putting stainless steel pipes on my '65 Dodge and '73 Satellite was that the pipes lasted forever, but the mufflers didn't. So I'd find it hard to believe that the muffler and resonators on my 8-rear-old 300M were made from ordinary steel.

Converters are 8/80

Glenn Beasley Chrysler tech

You can go to this site and download the warranty info that comes with the vehicle.Im pretty sure Canada and US fall under the same Federal Emission warranty of 8/80. California is still 7/70 Federal Emission

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

I believe they are made of Stainless Steel from the Cat back to the muffler. The muffler may have a steel wrap because that seems to be the only part on the system that fails.

My opinion

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

I re-posted my question to the exhaust sub-group on the 300mclub.org website, and I posted another version of the same question to the main message group.

I wasn't too impressed by the quality of the 3 responses to the posting on the exhaust sub-group - their answer was basically to remove the resonator and replace it with a Y pipe - not something I want to do if it makes the car louder than factory-original state.

Here is basically what I posted to the general forum (if anyone wants to answer or post their own opinion or experience, please do):

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The side seams on the resonator of my '00 300M have opened up and now my 300m is starting to sound like a truck.

This resonator is the component where the 2 pipes from the cat convertors merge and then run into a singe long pipe to the muffler (and then from the muffler to the last component which is either another muffler or another resonator).

Chrysler only seems to sell this resonator as an assembly that includes the long pipe and the attached muffler. I'm in Canada - where the dealers are charging $513 for that combined unit, while dealers in the USA (specifically, Southfield and Port Huron MI) are charging $380 for the same part (why such a large difference given the parity between CAD and USD?)

Does anyone sell a suitable aftermarket replacement for (only) the resonator? One that is made from stainless steel (like the factory unit) ??

I disagree with you characterizations of the responses you got.

The first part of your post on the exhaust forum was pretty much a narrative on your part. Here's the tail end of your post on the exhaust forum:

"...I'm thinking that not only are the pipes made of stainless steel, but the resonators and muffler must be as well. I don't think any pipes really need replacing - and I wouldn't trust the quality of the pipe material that Midas might use anyways (do they use stainless - or are do these shops use aluminized pipes?).

"What's the consensus out there regarding exhaust system servicing on these 2'nd gen LH cars?

"Is the dealer the best place to have this service work done if I'm concerned about the longevity (craftsmanship, materials) of the replacement parts, and/or the method of replacement (welding vs clamping) ??"

Here's one of the 3 responses you got - every question you asked was specifically answered.

"I *think* the whole setup is stainless and midas or whomever usually has to order stainless as typically they only have the aluminized steel/steel on hand.

"If you only want to replace the failing part I say have the dealer do it or whomever there isn't a need to replace the entire setup on the car if it's okay. Granted a new problem could develop but it would likely only be another component like a bit of rusting pipe etc, the whole setup won't fall apart at once.

"$900 is probably accurate for what a midas shop would charge ordering/bending stainless pipe but it's just too much money to put the stock system back.

"If I were you I'd either let it slide/remove it to see if you like the way it is w/o it, have only that part replaced, or do a custom duel setup for the entire exhaust."

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Here was essentially my root question:

I now know that all of the OEM components are stainless steel. The definitive answer to that question did not even come from the 300m club website.

I was looking for an "ordinary" person to post their informed, researched experience on what they did when their "ordinary" 300m needed "ordinary" exhaust service work. I was not looking to replicate what the average 20-year-old would do to their ricer-racer.

I now know that

(a) Chrysler exhaust replacement parts are %35 more expensive in Canada vs USA

(b) Chrysler does not sell the replacement resonator separately

(c) I won't find a listed cross-replacement stainless-steel version from an aftermarket supplier

(d) I will now have to go measure the original resonator and determine which Magnaflow (or equivalent) generic oval stainless steel muffler most closely matches the original.

(e) If I post the information I learn from (d) on the 300m club website, I may very well be the first person to have researched and posted such information, which I would not have expected to be.

You actually gave your second post less than 3 hours for replies? I think your expectations are a little unreasonable. I see that you are actually engaging in a dialogue there where you are getting some information. At least now you know that you don't have to restrict your search for used parts to 300M's only.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Of course what Mopar Man is calling the first "resonator" is (I'm pretty sure from the description) the main catalyst.

I wouldn't accept a Midas exhaust system if they gave it to me wrapped in a brand new Challenger SRT-8. I'd find a competent locally owned shop that can do mandrel bending of either aluminized or stainless pipes, and put them to work on it. Use name brand cats and muffler(s), factory hangers, etc. and you'll have a good-as-new system

Wrong.

The failed component of my exhaust system is the unit where the 2 front pipes are combined and then exit via a single pipe. The two cat's are in front of this unit. This unit is mostly referred to as a resonator, but otherwise looks like a full-sized traditional muffler.

The Midas exhaust system is basically a set of aluminized pipes and Walker components. I would not replace my 75% functional OEM system with a 100% Midas system - not because it's Midas but because it's not stainless steel.

I already know of such a place, but my first task is to obtain a satisfactory stainless-steel replacement for my failed resonator.

I get the feeling that most people replace the failed OEM stainless-steel exhaust components of their LH-body cars with "Midas-grade" aluminzed / steel versions.

If more people knew the difference (or cared, or had the $$$) I'm sure Midas would offer stainless-steel replacement parts. As it is, not even anyone on the 300M Club webforum can identify a correct stainless steel aftermarket part.