Question for those who've done cat backs
03-09-2002, 11:11 PM
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Car: 13 Ram 1500/ 78 Formy
Engine: 5.7 / 7.4
Transmission: 6sp / TH350
Axle/Gears: 3.55 posi / 3.23
Question for those who've done cat backs
I did a Jegs runtoday to get a system for the blazer. Every thing was good intil I had use the factory hanger mounts & convertor pipe flange. The hangers had ***** on the ends to keep them on. I had too hacksaw them off (too lazy to get the dremel 
) and as for the flange, the factory muffler is threaded. The dynomax is not, so I got to go to AZ & get 3/8" nuts & bolts & stuff.
Did anyone else run into these "little" surprises on an otherwise easy install? I plan on doing the rear shocks @ the same time & have read about jacking the car up & lowering the axle.
) and as for the flange, the factory muffler is threaded. The dynomax is not, so I got to go to AZ & get 3/8" nuts & bolts & stuff. Did anyone else run into these "little" surprises on an otherwise easy install? I plan on doing the rear shocks @ the same time & have read about jacking the car up & lowering the axle.
03-11-2002, 01:59 PM
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Car: 1986 Firebird
Engine: 2.8 V6
Transmission: 700R4
Actually, check your passenger rear hanger. It must be a flat rectangle type, not a rubber oval. For the Dynomax #17493 Super Turbo Catback to fit our cars, we need the V8 hanger. They're all over the place in junkyards, and I think you can even get one from a dealer. The driver's rear hanger is the same.
Yeah, I've done three cat-backs, and the easiest so far was my last one. It took the dropping of my fuel tank (fuel pump died) to see "the solution". With the lower shock bolts disconnected from the axle, and the axle lowered down, you can literally pull the whole cat-back out from underneath the car. It's much easier than raising the back end sky-high.
You'll have to remove the original intermediate-pipe-to-rear-of-cat bolts; you might want to soak 'em with liquid wrench a day or so before you do the work. (Remember liquid wrench is flammable!)
To get the axle to lower easily, you should unbolt your anti-sway-bar end-links. If those bolts are frozen together, you can unbolt the anti-sway-bar mounting c-clamps. Also unbolt the rear-brake-line-to-body clamp, and keep an eye on the body-to-axle brake hose as you lower the axle- you don't want to wind up hanging that +200lb axle from that little rubber brake hose!
After that, you remove the muffler heat shields, which is a bit of a pain in the ***; use a 7mm or 9/32" socket. Then it's "yank out old, put in new"!
It might be easier to install the v8-style rear passenger hanger on the cat-back hanger first, and then bolt the hanger to the rear upper frame rail. It goes to the same bolt holes our V6-style rear passenger hanger goes to... I think the bolts are 9/16"? Put the I-pipe under first; that's the bulk of the bitch. Tip: Rub some silver anti-sieze on the pipes where they go into the muffler. This allows for easy tailpipe repositioning a week or so after you install the catback. Anchor the I-pipe to the passenger frame rail first, then slide the muffler & dual pipes on. The pain is to get the pipes aligned with each other, and level.
Tip #2: If you get the Dynomax #17493, as it comes, the 2 1/2" tailpipes are flatted ovals as they turn down- you won't slide a chrome tip over them. To get the true round 2 1/2", you need to cut the slash tips off. On my first cat-back, I angled the tailpipes "up" so the slash tips didn't stick down too far. When I cut the slashes off to put on tips, I found out that I had angled the talipipes too high, and my tips pointed skyward, and pressed against the bumper-oops. Think about installing the tailpipes so they're level with the ground.
And yeah, it can get interesting. Always have spare clamps nearby; because those clamps always seem to snap in half if you try to remove them.
Yeah, I've done three cat-backs, and the easiest so far was my last one. It took the dropping of my fuel tank (fuel pump died) to see "the solution". With the lower shock bolts disconnected from the axle, and the axle lowered down, you can literally pull the whole cat-back out from underneath the car. It's much easier than raising the back end sky-high.
You'll have to remove the original intermediate-pipe-to-rear-of-cat bolts; you might want to soak 'em with liquid wrench a day or so before you do the work. (Remember liquid wrench is flammable!)
To get the axle to lower easily, you should unbolt your anti-sway-bar end-links. If those bolts are frozen together, you can unbolt the anti-sway-bar mounting c-clamps. Also unbolt the rear-brake-line-to-body clamp, and keep an eye on the body-to-axle brake hose as you lower the axle- you don't want to wind up hanging that +200lb axle from that little rubber brake hose!
After that, you remove the muffler heat shields, which is a bit of a pain in the ***; use a 7mm or 9/32" socket. Then it's "yank out old, put in new"!
It might be easier to install the v8-style rear passenger hanger on the cat-back hanger first, and then bolt the hanger to the rear upper frame rail. It goes to the same bolt holes our V6-style rear passenger hanger goes to... I think the bolts are 9/16"? Put the I-pipe under first; that's the bulk of the bitch. Tip: Rub some silver anti-sieze on the pipes where they go into the muffler. This allows for easy tailpipe repositioning a week or so after you install the catback. Anchor the I-pipe to the passenger frame rail first, then slide the muffler & dual pipes on. The pain is to get the pipes aligned with each other, and level.
Tip #2: If you get the Dynomax #17493, as it comes, the 2 1/2" tailpipes are flatted ovals as they turn down- you won't slide a chrome tip over them. To get the true round 2 1/2", you need to cut the slash tips off. On my first cat-back, I angled the tailpipes "up" so the slash tips didn't stick down too far. When I cut the slashes off to put on tips, I found out that I had angled the talipipes too high, and my tips pointed skyward, and pressed against the bumper-oops. Think about installing the tailpipes so they're level with the ground.
And yeah, it can get interesting. Always have spare clamps nearby; because those clamps always seem to snap in half if you try to remove them.
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