4 Easy Steps to Efficiently Replace Your Muffler

So, for whatever reason it may be, your muffler is already in need of replacing. Guess it’s time for you to shell out some bucks so you can bring your car to a repair shop and have its muffler replaced, right? Well, why not keep the money and do it yourself?

What was that? You don’t know how? Well, here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can change your old muffler and put in the new one. See? Not only will you keep your dough, you’ll also learn how.

What You Need?

But before you get down to the nitty-gritty on how you can replace your muffler, you first need to have the following tools:

• Jack
• Wrench
• Different-sized ratchets
• Lubricants
• Hacksaw

In addition, although not a tool, a partner would be a great help, as he or she would help you spot things underneath your car, which is where you’ll be working on, not to mention that an extra pair of hands are going to make the work a whole lot faster. And so, without further ado:

Locate the Old Muffler

The first thing you have to do is to jack up your car so that you can slide below it. To ascertain that no untoward accidents happen, make sure that your car is on level ground, on its parking brakes, and make sure the wheels are blocked.

Once those things are out of the way, look for your muffler, which is near the end of your car. Now check if the pipes are either bolted or clamped together, if it’s rusted, or have been welded to other pipes. If your problem is the second, you need a lubricant. If it’s the last, then that’s where the hacksaw comes into play.

Remove It

Now that you have assessed the situation, it’s time to start removing the things that keep the muffler in place. Take out the clamps and bolts using your wrench or ratchet; keep them, as you’ll be using them for your new muffler. Make sure that you hold up the muffler once the clamps have been removed, as it will fall on you.

On the other hand, if your muffler is welded, you’re going to have to saw it off. Measure how long your new muffler is and compare to where the old one has been cut off; make sure that there are two inches of pipe on either side that will fit inside your new muffler.

Place the New Muffler

Now slip your new muffler into position, and take note of the indications on your new muffler that mark which side is the front and which one is the back. When putting the new muffler in place, check if the pipes tightly fit it. For lesser rattling, position the pipes properly before you bolt and clamp the muffler. Also, make sure that the muffler is tightly stuck on the underbody.

If you sawed off your old muffler, you should either clamp or weld your new muffler into place; preferably, go for the former, as welding is a tedious process, not to mention that welding means having to saw off your new muffler again if it encounters any problems.

Test It

Now that you have your new muffler in place, it’s time to check if it actually works. Start your car and drive it for a while. As you do so, listen for any loud and harsh noises, especially rattling ones, underneath your vehicle. If you do, then you’re going to have to tighten your clamps and/or bolts. If not, then congratulations on your healthy, silent, new muffler.

See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it? It’s definitely not an easy task, but to hear nothing from your car and the fact that it’s all because of you (and your buddy if you have one) are definitely comforting and worth something to be proud of.