tech: cheapass muffler hangers

[pbureau@attbi.com (ATS - Patrick Bureau)]

Nice job, too bad you did not take a bunch of picture of the process it
would of made an very very inetresting tech note.

==========================================
ATS - Patrick Bureau
1985 8v **Planning 3A/JH  Upgrade**
1988 16v ** Euro Project/maybe 8v **
Web Site : http://longcoeur.com/scirocco


=>-----Original Message-----
=>From: scirocco-l-admin@scirocco.org
=>[mailto:scirocco-l-admin@scirocco.org]On Behalf Of T. Reed
=>Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 5:54 AM
=>To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
=>Subject: tech: cheapass muffler hangers
=>
=>
=>After living with my crappy-excuse-for-a-muffler since I bought the car,
=>last summer I purchased a $35 Dynomax Superturbo to replace the stock 16v
=>muffler. After calling 5 or 6 muffler shops in the area I ended up putting
=>the whole project off because I wasn't willing to pay the bastards $60 to
=>weld hangers on the new muffler.
=>
=>Well, yesterday completely on a whim I decided to get under the car and
=>pull the muffler off to compare it side by side with the new muffler. The
=>clamp was so rusted that it came apart in my hand, and when I got the
=>muffler out and stood it up on its end, two fistfuls of rust came out of
=>the inside. Nasty.
=>
=>As I looked at the two mufflers together I came up with this great idea..
=>if I could find another VW-style exhaust clamp (the C-shaped type with a
=>single bolt, rather than the U with two nuts on it), I could cut a section
=>of steel rod to length, slip it through the clamp (after removing the
=>bolt) and then bend it so that the ends would be in the stock location and
=>I could slip them in to the rubber hangers. For the rear hanger, I could
=>just use a very long bolt on another clamp and put the end of the bolt
=>though the rubber hanger, maybe with two nuts and a washer.
=>
=>I also had to deal with the problem of the 16v exhaust being 2 1/8"
=>(50mm?) and the muffler being 2 1/4".
=>
=>I went to an auto parts store first and got an exhaust adapter for $1.49
=>which I intended to use as a shim, and a $4 tailpipe that was 18" long
=>(when I first put it on it stuck out about a foot further than the
=>bumper). Couldn't find any C-shaped exhaust clamps, though.
=>
=>Then I went to the hardware store and got a 3' section of 3/8" diameter
=>steel rod ($3.05), a 6" long bolt with 2 nuts and 2 washers ($1.06). Since
=>I didn't find the clamps earlier, I bought 3 feet of flat 1/8" thick steel
=>about 7/8" wide ($2.82).
=>
=>I made the rear hanger first. I used my superman strength to bend 8 inches
=>or so of the flat steel in to a clamp shape then drilled a nice hole
=>through the top. Stuck a bolt through it, put a nut on the end of that and
=>put some heat shrink on the remainder to protect the rubber hanger from
=>the sharp threads.
=>
=>For the front hanger (that spans between the two rubber thingies), I made
=>another clamp-shape out of the flat steel and drilled a 3/8" hole through
=>the top. Then I laid a 14" section of steel rod between two 2x4s and gave
=>the middle a light smack with a sledge hammer to dent it a bit. I also
=>bent the outer 4" on each side so they would be in line with each other.
=>Then, I slipped the rod through the clamp shaped piece of flat steel and
=>the hangers were ready to test.
=>
=>Here's a pic:	(note: not the final incarnation..)
=>
=>http://students.washington.edu/~treed2/hangers.jpg
=>
=>After an hour or so of trying to get the shim on, then trying to get it
=>off, I finally ended up cutting the shim tube lengthwise to form a "C".
=>That was the only way I could get both the shim to fit inside the muffler,
=>and the midpipe to fit inside the shim. It leaks a very small amount.. but
=>not enough to really be audible and it does the trick.
=>
=>The test-fit revealed that I needed a bigger "dent" in the middle of the
=>rod for the front hanger, and I also needed something to pinch the clamp
=>for the front hanger together. So I hit the rod with the sledge
=>again and drilled a small hole in the clamp so I could put a nut and bolt
=>through it.
=>
=>When I tried it on after that it sat perfectly.. the midpipe was no longer
=>resting on the rear axle and the potential for severe rattling from the
=>front clamp was gone. I did pull the rear hanger off to cut down the
=>length of the bolt, though.
=>
=>I've put 15 miles on the new muffler so far and while I can't get used to
=>the car being so quiet, I'm confident that the setup will hold up for
=>at least the life of the muffler. I can grab the muffler from beneath and
=>shake the hell out of it and nothing moves - its all on there solid and
=>the materials are definitely of adequate strength.
=>
=>Total cost: $12.89 including the tailpipe
=>
=>(maybe if I left all 18" on, I could start a new fad.. long exhaust tips
=>instead of large diameter? bah.. too late, I cut the excess off earlier
=>today)
=>
=>Cheers,
=>
=>-Toby
=>
=>--
=>'87 16v
=>
=>
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