muffler replacement...

My condolences.

The chain muffler shops hire the worst of the knuckle-draggers & install the worst quality components. Their "lifetime warranty" means that they won't charge you for (the crappy) materials when it needs replacing in

2 years. They will charge for labor. Congrats on wanting to do it right.

It often involves rusty & corroded fasteners. Sometimes cutting & welding is involved to properly mount the hangers.

If you plan on keeping the car, go with better quality that the store will stand behind.

Floss your muffler regularly to avoid the plaque. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

I went thru Advance Auto for my last muffler. Most parts stores will offer different grades, with different warranties. This one seemed to be decent quality, but I can't tell you the mfgr.

-Jeff Deeney-

The big problem with these parts is they usually fail during the nastiest, coldest, wettest time of the year, when all the road salt finally puts the finishing touches on the metal pipes. If you don't have a garage or you're in a hurry then it can be a major pain to do it yourself.

No, it just takes a while. It's mostly removing the rusted parts that takes time.

If they have pipes and mufflers that are built to OEM specs then get those. Better to pay a few dollars more for something that fits perfectly than something you have to spent several hours tinkering to get it fitted properly.

Dan

It can be, if it's rusted on there. I'd consider getting a new tailpipe as well if you choose to DIY, that way you only have to bust off one rusty, nasty connection.

Walker makes a decent muffler, that's the only brand I can think of off the top of my head (I'm partial to Flowmaster, Thrush, etc. myself, but I don't get the impression that you're going for a high performance install here...) What I would do in your situation is look for a place that does custom bending of exhausts and tell them what you want. Generally those guys know what they're doing (although I did have one bad experience here locally) and the pipe will be thicker wall (and therefore last longer) than the stuff you'll get OTC at your FLAPS.

good luck

nate

If you really want to do it yourself, replace the complete exhaust system. It's much easier than trying to get the rusty muffler off of the rusty exhaust pipe and/or tailpipe. It's also easier to separate the catalytic converter from the exhaust pipe with the assembly on the floor with you standing over it. All the pieces for your car are relatively cheap, excepting the cat con.