Roadstergal
02-13-2004, 01:44 PM
I was told that a 325i cat hooks right up to a 325e manifold. After half an hour of grunting and swearing, I concluded that it doesn't. My blown-out muffler fell to pieces when I took it down for this operation, so I hooked the e cat back up and drove home (I was working at Larry's garage) like that. Man, even a blown-out muffler provides some sound deadening. I was setting off car alarms in Portland.
I drove the Miata for the next week.
I borrowed a friend's drill, dremel, reamer, and caliper, and used my e cat to cut the I cat to fit. Last night, I drove the loud f***mobile to Larry's. A mufflerless exhaust makes this loud MWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... noise at ~65...
I took down the e cat. When you look at how the manifold hooks up to the cat, it looks like you should be able to just put a socket on it from above, but no - you have to use a long extension and a swivel socket, and take off the heat-welded nuts from below. Larry's advice to replace the nuts with copper nuts the first time I did this was much appreciated! Then hold the cat steady with your feet while you undo the flange that holds the cat to the transmission and undo the muffler. Installation is the opposite of removal, only typically a lot more annoying. With the modifications, the i cat snapped on with little difficulty. Phew! From then on, it was gravy; the I exhaust bolted up to the cat, and the whole shebang hung from the rubber hangers. And it started and ran - very quietly and smoothly. Phew!
<img src=http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26107>
<img src=http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26106>
I drove the Miata for the next week.
I borrowed a friend's drill, dremel, reamer, and caliper, and used my e cat to cut the I cat to fit. Last night, I drove the loud f***mobile to Larry's. A mufflerless exhaust makes this loud MWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... noise at ~65...
I took down the e cat. When you look at how the manifold hooks up to the cat, it looks like you should be able to just put a socket on it from above, but no - you have to use a long extension and a swivel socket, and take off the heat-welded nuts from below. Larry's advice to replace the nuts with copper nuts the first time I did this was much appreciated! Then hold the cat steady with your feet while you undo the flange that holds the cat to the transmission and undo the muffler. Installation is the opposite of removal, only typically a lot more annoying. With the modifications, the i cat snapped on with little difficulty. Phew! From then on, it was gravy; the I exhaust bolted up to the cat, and the whole shebang hung from the rubber hangers. And it started and ran - very quietly and smoothly. Phew!
<img src=http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26107>
<img src=http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26106>