The muffler on my car

[Professur]

Goodyear are crap ,no doubt about it.

*works in the tire industry.

I'm not sure that installing tires really qualifies as "being in the industy" anymore than flipping burgers makes someone an expert on animal husbandry.

 

[chcr]

Goodyear are crap ,no doubt about it.

*works in the tire industry.

*also works in the industry*
Not so.
There are good (higher priced) and not so good (lower priced) models in every brand.

 

[A.B.Normal]

I'm not sure that installing tires really qualifies as "being in the industy" anymore than flipping burgers makes someone an expert on animal husbandry.

I also work in sales and attend Industry seminars .

 

[A.B.Normal]

To elaborate a bit

I've had more than a few members come in a want to look at any tire but Goodyear ,never had this happen with any other tire manufacturer . Members coming in after buying a brand new vehicle and wanting their Goodyears replaced,once again ,never had anyone ask to replace new vehicle tires of any other manufacture. I've only been doing this for a couple years ,so this may only reflect their current offerings (within last several years).

 

[Luis G]

That happens around here with firestones.

 

[chcr]

Firestone's famous for it although the fact is that auto manufacturers were recommending too low a pressure compared to the tire manufacturer's specs to improve the ride on SUVs. 70% or so of tread peeling can be attributed to underinflation, for whatever reason. That includes recaps, BTW.

 

[Inkara1]

No, not according to the people who work at the dealerships. Both of our cars have 2.2L ecotech engines...they completely revamped the workings of the Cavalier for 2004 and didn't make many if any changes for the Pursuit/Colbalt.

I think you're getting hoodwinked by the dealer. Yes, they put in the new engine into the Cavalier as a running change a few years back, and carried it over to the Cobalt/Pursuit... but there's a lot more to making a car than an engine. The Cobalt/Pursuit is a completely different car than the Cavalier/Sunfire. You can't even take the wheels off a Cavalier and put them on a Pursuit. The cars on the same platform as the Cobalt and Pursuit are the Chevrolet HHR and the Saturn Ion.

2005 Cavalier source
External dimensions: overall length (inches): 182.7, overall width (inches): 68.7, overall height (inches): 53, wheelbase (inches): 104.1, front track (inches): 57.6, rear track (inches): 56.4 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 35.6

2006 Cobalt (same car as the Pursuit) source
External dimensions: overall length (inches): 180.3, overall width (inches): 67.9, overall height (inches): 55.7, wheelbase (inches): 103.3, front track (inches): 57.1, rear track (inches): 58.1 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 37.4

 

[Altron]

Well, when my parents hijacked my car, the muffler fell off. I haven't seen it first hand, but my dad said that it fell off at the header.
This bad boy probably rusted out -

I had heard a little grinding noise last night, at the bottom of the drive way, but I figured that it was just hanging low, from Monday, when I hit a bump and the back started to get loud.

How am I supposed to get the thing out of there? Just pull it foreward and wiggle it past the rear axle?

 

[chcr]

How am I supposed to get the thing out of there? Just pull it foreward and wiggle it past the rear axle?

Cut it out. Assuming you don't have access to oxy-acetylene or compressed air, I suggest an exhaust pipe cutter. I'm betting you could use one from Autozone with their "loan-a-tool" program. Please replace all the hangers and do yourself a favor and buy the premium clamps. My experience is that it's unlikely that something that rusty will come apart if you remove the clamps and it's usually easier to cut it apart rather than try to thread it around stuff under the car. There's also the cursing, screaming and banging on shit factor to be considered.

Here's a pic of a typical cutter:

 

[Altron]

It's this joint that went, altho the previously posted one might be next.

I managed to wire it up with a few coat hangers, just to keep it off the ground. so I don't have to rip it all out.

Now, how do I get that joint back together? Do I need to tear out a bunch of shit? Will a garage let me rent a lift and some tools?

In the pic, you can see two metal plates with a bolt between them. It broke off right behind the back one.

I'm operational for the now, but anything could give at any moment. Right now, the muffler and cat seem to be intact. If I lose a coat hanger or a clamp or a rubber hanger, it won't be.

I was talking with one of my friends, he said that he would, but he doesn't have a welder any more, although he might be able to get a friend to.

I'm just not sure the right approach to tackle it from. Do I say "fuckit", get a right angle elbow, bolt it to the end of the cat, point it out and towards the ground, and say "I'll fix it when I need to pass inspection"? Do I try to fix the joint that broke? Do I replace pipes, clamps, and hangers? Do I replace the whole damn thing with something out of a similar car?

 

[A.B.Normal]

It's this joint that went, altho the previously posted one might be next.

I managed to wire it up with a few coat hangers, just to keep it off the ground. so I don't have to rip it all out.

Now, how do I get that joint back together? Do I need to tear out a bunch of shit? Will a garage let me rent a lift and some tools?

In the pic, you can see two metal plates with a bolt between them. It broke off right behind the back one.

I'm operational for the now, but anything could give at any moment. Right now, the muffler and cat seem to be intact. If I lose a coat hanger or a clamp or a rubber hanger, it won't be.

I was talking with one of my friends, he said that he would, but he doesn't have a welder any more, although he might be able to get a friend to.

I'm just not sure the right approach to tackle it from. Do I say "fuckit", get a right angle elbow, bolt it to the end of the cat, point it out and towards the ground, and say "I'll fix it when I need to pass inspection"? Do I try to fix the joint that broke? Do I replace pipes, clamps, and hangers? Do I replace the whole damn thing with something out of a similar car?

Do you have a local highSchool ,mechanics school nearby that might do it on the cheap or maybe free/at cost ,simply for the experience.

 

[Altron]

Well, there's my small engines... err, "Technology in Engine and Power Management for Transportation" class, where the "low aspiration" kids play at being engineers. There's a lift there, but the teacher is one of those "forward-thinking" guys who is more interested in talking about aerodynamic design and alternative fuels than catalytic converters and exhaust pipes. That's why I'm transferring out of the class into a history class.

It's like Engineering for dummies. You need to make drawings and diagrams, but they don't have to be right. You need to draw something that looks aerodynamic, but you don't calculate it. The kids are mostly the low-grades lower-SAT county college or no college jock types. Not my kinda crowd.

I'm going to tell him that I have a small block engine, and wanted to see if I could work on it after school, using the lift. Might as well try, since it would be my last day in the class anyway.

 

[chcr]

Well, I'd put a cat-back replacement system on. You can't believe how loud it will be if you just put an elbow on. The cheap bastard (my middle name, BTW) fix is probably to replace the bolts and the donut (if that's a donut between the cat and the pipe), tighten it up real tight and use plenty of baling wire or coat hangers to lift it up. Don't forget to drive with a window cracked because it will leak.

 

[Altron]

It sounds like a motorcycle and smells like gasoline. It now adequetly represents my testicular fortitude.

 

[A.B.Normal]

It sounds like a motorcycle and smells like gasoline. It now adequetly represents my testicular fortitude.

Four strokes and it goes off in yer face.

 

[chcr]

It sounds like a motorcycle and smells like gasoline. It now adequetly represents my testicular fortitude.

Yeah, but will chicks ride in it?????

Four strokes and it goes off in yer face.

If I could stop laughing I'd tell you how mean that was...

 

[Altron]

Nope, that's why I'm gonna fix it.

Got reccomendations for a garage, but it's a solid 10 mile hike, on old roads. Not sure if I want to subject my car to it, only to find out that they can't fix it. Gonna stop at a shop about 2 miles away, see what they say, and if it's too much, then I'll make the trip.

 

[Gato_Solo]

Nope, that's why I'm gonna fix it.

Got reccomendations for a garage, but it's a solid 10 mile hike, on old roads. Not sure if I want to subject my car to it, only to find out that they can't fix it. Gonna stop at a shop about 2 miles away, see what they say, and if it's too much, then I'll make the trip.

Call Midas, Mieneki, et al, and see how much they charge for the cat-back on yur wagon. Then call your local shop to see if they match up. If you've the skills, you could try bending your exhaust yourself at a local 'speed shop'.

 

[Professur]

Nope, that's why I'm gonna fix it.

Got reccomendations for a garage, but it's a solid 10 mile hike, on old roads. Not sure if I want to subject my car to it, only to find out that they can't fix it. Gonna stop at a shop about 2 miles away, see what they say, and if it's too much, then I'll make the trip.

Imagine ... you're a local. Think about how shitty that was for me.

Want the name of a good garage?

 

[Altron]

Well, I've decided, I'm only replacing pipes. I'm either going to use the cat and the muffler I have now, or I'm not using any.

I picked up a short piece of pipe today, with the same outside dimensions as the pipe's inside dimensions, and I'm gonna try patching it with that, then picking up like $20 worth of clamps and hangers and getting it operational.