So I bought the magnaflow 23285 some time ago and just started getting it put in. The job started out easily enough with some air tools and got the manifold bolts and the exhaust clamp removed. Then started to take it out of the exhuast pipe going to the muffler but that proved to be very difficult. Tried using a 2lb hand sledge and a block of wood to tap it forward and out but that didnt work. So I used an air chisel and cut it behind the honeycomb. And it still wouldnt come out. the driver side pipe is hooking itself on the pan and wont let me move it enough to get it free. So I will just cut the driver side y pipe tomorrow night. Man, I was really wanting to get this done tonight.

 

I tend to start off with a sawzall. Those clamps tend to really bite into the pipes.

 

+1 on the sawzall or an angle grinder with a zip disk.

 

It is posts like these that remind me how expensive it will be for me to replace my 3 cat system when one gets clogged.

Damn california and their wine, strawberries and emissions.

 

LOL. Honestly I didnt think this project was going to take this long. I started it thinking 2 maybe 3 hours tops. But since the old POS wont come out I have to cut it out. I do have an angle grinder with some cutting wheels. But the cutting wheels are still in the package and....I have no idea where they got to :P While looking for the cutting wheels I kept moving the air chisel around so I finally said #@$% it. I am using this :P

 

want some cheese for that california wine lol jk.

 

Ok, Just got done going for a test drive with the new cat and here are a few things I noticed...

FOUND MY CUTTING WHEELS! took the old cat off finally, and the da&n thing was already gutted... I couldnt believe it. So this means that the back pressure is coming from the factory equiped muffler. 265k miles and yeah its time to replace it....Going to go with a glaspak!!!

Also, I was completely surprised to find out that the new magnaflow cat sounds COMPLETELY awesome compared to the old gutted factory one! It sounds much more beefy. Cant wait to get it to the muffler shop and a glaspak put on!

 

That's what I have, Magnaflow kitty and a glass pack.

One time I took the muffler off my truck and I didn't have any cutoff wheels for my grinder or a sawzall and I was ready to clamp on my y pipe that I had made. After messing with it for a few minutes I realized that I was getting nowhere trying to twist and pull so I grabbed a come along and hooked it to the axle and the front of the muffler. A couple cranks and a loud bang later and the muffler was unhooked.

I have cutoff wheels, a welder and a sawzall now though, so I go straight for the cutting approach when messing with exhaust.

 

I would think on these trucks with OBD2 and an O2 sensor before and after the cat, gutting the cat would cause issues. Yeah, the truck would run but not nearly as good as it should.