Fitting a sports exhaust. on a Tamora... can I do it myself?
Discussion
Just taken deliviery of a sports exhaust for my Tamora, and pondering on whether to attempt to fit the thing myself. Have been quoted an hours labour (£75 plus VAT!!) by a dealer, and thinking surely can't be that hard to do.
I'm no mechanical expert, but not shy to turn a spanner. So would be interested in someone giving me some guidance on what is required. My understanding so far is:
- raise the car (obvious I know, but probably more concerned about this than anything!) I have a trolley jack, but got to check if it fits under the car, then need to get car on blocks.
- remove splitter. Told this is just a couple of bolts, is this correct?
- remove number plate and heat shield. Dont know what is involved with this bit.
- believe it is then process of removing old, and fitting new. Anything I should be wary of here??
- and then the above in reverse order.
Realistically, how long should this take me?
Cheers... all advice greatfully received.
Ideally would like to get the car to somewhere with ramps or a pit, and do it myself, but cant see any garage really letting me do that!!
Ian.
I'm no mechanical expert, but not shy to turn a spanner. So would be interested in someone giving me some guidance on what is required. My understanding so far is:
- raise the car (obvious I know, but probably more concerned about this than anything!) I have a trolley jack, but got to check if it fits under the car, then need to get car on blocks.
- remove splitter. Told this is just a couple of bolts, is this correct?
- remove number plate and heat shield. Dont know what is involved with this bit.
- believe it is then process of removing old, and fitting new. Anything I should be wary of here??
- and then the above in reverse order.
Realistically, how long should this take me?
Cheers... all advice greatfully received.
Ideally would like to get the car to somewhere with ramps or a pit, and do it myself, but cant see any garage really letting me do that!!
Ian.
Diffuser is a few bolts, get good spanner on them and you should be fine.
Whilst your there maybe an idea to replace the rear mounts to, mine were shot you need a long extension bar to get to them I found them a pita.
Watch the bolts that connect the back box to the pipes they seemed soft to me and I can imagine stripping the heads of them if there on tight.
As with everything else watch knuckles and make sure you have someone to hold the diffuser when you take it off and put it back on , I found it hard to hold and get the bolts back in place. Wd40 will help with stubborn bolts.
I have not replaced the rear box, just the mounts, and they were fun
Would also be interested in how you get on with replacing, as if I replaced mine I would need to swap them back ocasionally.
Whilst your there maybe an idea to replace the rear mounts to, mine were shot you need a long extension bar to get to them I found them a pita.
Watch the bolts that connect the back box to the pipes they seemed soft to me and I can imagine stripping the heads of them if there on tight.
As with everything else watch knuckles and make sure you have someone to hold the diffuser when you take it off and put it back on , I found it hard to hold and get the bolts back in place. Wd40 will help with stubborn bolts.
I have not replaced the rear box, just the mounts, and they were fun
Would also be interested in how you get on with replacing, as if I replaced mine I would need to swap them back ocasionally.
Edited by David Godfrey on Friday 26th October 22:35
I have replaced standard box on mine with a JP and reckon I can now swap them in about 1/2 an hour.
1/ No need to get the car off the ground
2/ No need to remove the diffuser
3/ Undo the 4 bolts that hold on the heat shield to the bottom of the splitter - these round easily so a good idea to WD40 overnight
4/ Slacken off the bolts on the two rubber mountings, you will need a socket with an extension for the back ones.
5/ The heat shield will now gently pull off
6/ Lay on back and reach under the rear splitter and slacken (right off) the 2 jubilee clips that hold the backbox to the main pipes.
7/ Lay a towel or sheet on top of the splitter under the existing exhaust.
8/ Slacken the two rubber mounts off ALMOST to their full extent and pull the retaining clips, with a bit of pushing to the side you should be able to push the rubber mounts off.
9/ If not you will have to take the rubber hangers off, but the are a serious pain in the ar$e to get back on so avoid if possible.
10/ Gently pull on the back box and it will slide out between the splitter and number plate lights. Wiggling (the exhaust) and gentle swearing will help at this point.
11/ You are now exhaustless, stand, stretch, etc...
12/ The JP is two small silencers. Take the first one, left or right - your choice, slide pipe onto the main exhaust and place through the rubber mounting/hanger, put on retaining clip
13/ Tighten rubber mount (not all the way - heatshield) and fully tighten the jubilee clip underneath
14/ Check the clearences of the silencer, if they touch or are too close to the body reach right under and align where they join the main pipe (loosening jubilee clip) and use the main hanger (L shape bar with 2 locking nuts) slightly further back.
15/ Repeat for the other
16/ Heat shield back on, secure at rubber mounts and on bottom fixings
17/ Stand back and fire up
18/ Being careful not to gas/deafen yourself check they are not blowing where they join the main pipe.
Instructions may have tapered off towards the end as it was taking almost as long to write about it as do it, but you get the drift.
By all means jack the car and remove the splitter but it is unnecessary and the splitter can be a pig to get on/off and the bolts easily round off/damage the thread if not careful. You are less likely to damage it leaving it in place than removing and reattaching it.
I was in two minds over the sound when first fitted, but it soon grows on you and provides endless entertainment in tunnels, etc
1/ No need to get the car off the ground
2/ No need to remove the diffuser
3/ Undo the 4 bolts that hold on the heat shield to the bottom of the splitter - these round easily so a good idea to WD40 overnight
4/ Slacken off the bolts on the two rubber mountings, you will need a socket with an extension for the back ones.
5/ The heat shield will now gently pull off
6/ Lay on back and reach under the rear splitter and slacken (right off) the 2 jubilee clips that hold the backbox to the main pipes.
7/ Lay a towel or sheet on top of the splitter under the existing exhaust.
8/ Slacken the two rubber mounts off ALMOST to their full extent and pull the retaining clips, with a bit of pushing to the side you should be able to push the rubber mounts off.
9/ If not you will have to take the rubber hangers off, but the are a serious pain in the ar$e to get back on so avoid if possible.
10/ Gently pull on the back box and it will slide out between the splitter and number plate lights. Wiggling (the exhaust) and gentle swearing will help at this point.
11/ You are now exhaustless, stand, stretch, etc...
12/ The JP is two small silencers. Take the first one, left or right - your choice, slide pipe onto the main exhaust and place through the rubber mounting/hanger, put on retaining clip
13/ Tighten rubber mount (not all the way - heatshield) and fully tighten the jubilee clip underneath
14/ Check the clearences of the silencer, if they touch or are too close to the body reach right under and align where they join the main pipe (loosening jubilee clip) and use the main hanger (L shape bar with 2 locking nuts) slightly further back.
15/ Repeat for the other
16/ Heat shield back on, secure at rubber mounts and on bottom fixings
17/ Stand back and fire up
18/ Being careful not to gas/deafen yourself check they are not blowing where they join the main pipe.
Instructions may have tapered off towards the end as it was taking almost as long to write about it as do it, but you get the drift.
By all means jack the car and remove the splitter but it is unnecessary and the splitter can be a pig to get on/off and the bolts easily round off/damage the thread if not careful. You are less likely to damage it leaving it in place than removing and reattaching it.
I was in two minds over the sound when first fitted, but it soon grows on you and provides endless entertainment in tunnels, etc
Thanks for the pointers.
The exhaust I am fitting is not the JP one, and is one piece as it were. Wonder whether that makes a difference about whether I need to take the splitter off??
I might give it a try today, especially as lifting the car is apparently not required. Will have a reccy in a bit to see if I can ID all the bolts that are being mentioned.
Cheers.
Any more pointers welcome though! To be well prepared, is to be well informed and all that!
The exhaust I am fitting is not the JP one, and is one piece as it were. Wonder whether that makes a difference about whether I need to take the splitter off??
I might give it a try today, especially as lifting the car is apparently not required. Will have a reccy in a bit to see if I can ID all the bolts that are being mentioned.
Cheers.
Any more pointers welcome though! To be well prepared, is to be well informed and all that!
Just had a look, and pointers given kind of fall into place. On first glance, would seem that I could remove the old rear box without removing the splitter, and now that I have had a good look underneath can see why it might be a pig to remove it.
On mine, looks like the heatsheild is held by the same bolts that hold the rubber mounts! Heat shield is held by bolts connected through the splitter, bolt one side, alun(m?) key the other. Should be OK. WD40 duly applied to the clips on the exhaust, and the other bolts too.
Might just give it a go later on today! So still not too late for advice guys, keep it coming.
On mine, looks like the heatsheild is held by the same bolts that hold the rubber mounts! Heat shield is held by bolts connected through the splitter, bolt one side, alun(m?) key the other. Should be OK. WD40 duly applied to the clips on the exhaust, and the other bolts too.
Might just give it a go later on today! So still not too late for advice guys, keep it coming.
Moulders advise is pretty spot on. I swapped my std box with a TVR Power one several times and its easy. I actually removed the splitter, (not a major job) but several people have told me its not necessary. If you have a replacement that's a one piece that shouldn't make any difference.
Job done and it sounds great...
Took me 90 mins. Managed to remove the old box without removing the splitter, but couldn't get the new one on with it in place, so had to remove it.
The rubber mounts were tricky, but persevered. Needed to undo the bracket that sits between the two 'down' pipes from the engine end, because they needed to be adjusted slightly closer together to fit the new pipes. Replacing the splitter was tricky as mentioned before, but again with some patience and the use of a cardboard box to hold it up in place (no assistant to help!!), I persevered.
If I had to do it again, reckon I could get it down to 60 mins.
Lovely sound now, lots of pops on the overun.
Took me 90 mins. Managed to remove the old box without removing the splitter, but couldn't get the new one on with it in place, so had to remove it.
The rubber mounts were tricky, but persevered. Needed to undo the bracket that sits between the two 'down' pipes from the engine end, because they needed to be adjusted slightly closer together to fit the new pipes. Replacing the splitter was tricky as mentioned before, but again with some patience and the use of a cardboard box to hold it up in place (no assistant to help!!), I persevered.
If I had to do it again, reckon I could get it down to 60 mins.
Lovely sound now, lots of pops on the overun.
Took me longer than 1/2 hour to fit the JP system on a t350. I was trying to be careful. Quite a bit of leveraging needed agianst the diff and some time to get best alignment on brackets. Nothing too complicated, though, and sounds like its easier on a Tamora if you don't need to remove the diffuser.
Edited to add: just scanned back up the page and it seems the JP system is NOT one piece as I thought? Isn't the Power system the one with two smaller 'boxes? Bought mine s/h, but it was certainly advertised as JP. Or, are Tamora/t350 systems different?
Edited to add: just scanned back up the page and it seems the JP system is NOT one piece as I thought? Isn't the Power system the one with two smaller 'boxes? Bought mine s/h, but it was certainly advertised as JP. Or, are Tamora/t350 systems different?
Edited by earlyriser on Saturday 27th October 18:30
"Edited to add: just scanned back up the page and it seems the JP system is NOT one piece as I thought? Isn't the Power system the one with two smaller 'boxes? Bought mine s/h, but it was certainly advertised as JP. Or, are Tamora/t350 systems different?" Earlyriser
Chri$t Earlyriser you're right. Put mine on a few months ago and for some reason had it in my head it was JP when it is actually a Power one.....
Still, guess thats what you get for answering questions after a Friday evening at the pub.....
Chri$t Earlyriser you're right. Put mine on a few months ago and for some reason had it in my head it was JP when it is actually a Power one.....
Still, guess thats what you get for answering questions after a Friday evening at the pub.....
earlyriser said:
Took me longer than 1/2 hour to fit the JP system on a t350. I was trying to be careful. Quite a bit of leveraging needed agianst the diff and some time to get best alignment on brackets. Nothing too complicated, though, and sounds like its easier on a Tamora if you don't need to remove the diffuser.
Edited to add: just scanned back up the page and it seems the JP system is NOT one piece as I thought? Isn't the Power system the one with two smaller 'boxes? Bought mine s/h, but it was certainly advertised as JP. Or, are Tamora/t350 systems different?
JP is a one piece exhaust. Took me about 40 mins to get mine on.Edited to add: just scanned back up the page and it seems the JP system is NOT one piece as I thought? Isn't the Power system the one with two smaller 'boxes? Bought mine s/h, but it was certainly advertised as JP. Or, are Tamora/t350 systems different?
Edited by earlyriser on Saturday 27th October 18:30
It's easy to replace and change the exhaust, anyone can do it. Just a pointer is that while your doing it if you can change the rear rubber exhaust hangers if they are the old type (no metal covering). Also copper slip all bolts etc you take off. as this will help in future if you need to do it again a few years later.
Targarama said:
maddog-uk said:
i long to drive mine, its been 8 days, and I am counting down the time till I am back in the UK!
I know the feeling. As consolation I just got to spend the weekend in Vegas and came away up Gassing Station | Tamora, T350 & Sagaris | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff