Help with PSE install on MY03 S

[rap]

This doesn't appear to be all that difficult and I'm in middle of removing the old exhaust.

Problem, two long bolts on top of muffler through tranny bracket. The bolts are affixed to the bracket some how which makes getting the nuts off easy (you don't have to hold the bolt head). The problem is the bolts will not back out. I thought about dropping the muffler with the bolts in the bracket but sine they are about 3" long (the tranny bracket through hole is at least 2" long) there is not enough room to back out the muffler with the bolts in place. I did get a socket on the bolt head from the rear of the car and it doesn't turn.

Any ideas here?

This is model year '03 so there may have been changes.

[Tool Pants]

I have never done it but I have watched Peter do it. He removes the entire exhaust from the manifold back in one piece and the bumper cover stays in place. This was for a transmission and/or engine replacement so ignore all the extra parts you see in the pictures.

These are pictures of a 2003. Looks like he unbolts the bracket to the transmission. You can see that the 2 bolts to the muffler bracket are still in place.

You should be able to do the same just for the muffler. Let us know if this works.

[rap]

Great pictures! Thanks...

I've been trying to reconcile them to what I see. Your second picture shows what seems to be a spacer of some sort with three bolt-throughs between the muffer bracket and the transmission. I don't see this set up, not to mention I don't see how there's enough room to get at the upper bolts, but obviously there must be a way. I wonder if the spacer is in a non-S 5 spd where mine is a 6-spd S.

What I see are two bolts at the bottom of the muffler bracket into the tranny that can be turned with a box wrench. It seems like there are two more bolts at the top of the bracket into the muffler with the heads recessed into the bracket.

If I can figure this out, it will indeed be an easy way to change out the exahust.

Update: I just noticed the exhaust tip in the bottom picture - non-S. That would explain, perhaps, the 3-bolt spacer between trans and exhaust bracket. I confirmed that there are two bolts at the top of the exhaust bracket through to the trans. They are the outter two on the bracket. I cannot wiggle even a short socket on to the bolt head without the rachet handle and since the bolt head is recessed there no chance for any other wrench. Magic... :(

Edited August 15, 2004 by rap

[Tool Pants]

The picture is a 2003 2.7 5 speed manual transmission. That is a spacer which Porsche calls an adapter. I can see from the parts list that an S does not have it, which makes sense since the transmissions are different. I will have to search and see if I have an S out of the car picture, or ask Peter how he does it since he never removes the bumper cover. By then you will have figured it out.

[rap]

Thanks for your help Tool Pants. I'm out of time and I have to put this project on hold for a bit and I don't have it figured out... :wacko:

If Peter can shed any light on this, there's always next weekend... :)

Dealer and other Porshe shops say 1 - 3 hours. Can't be more that hour and half - if you what your doing. :D I'd just like the satisfaction of doing it...

[rap]

Thanks again ToolPants! Mission complete!!

Having a whole week to think about this provided the answer to gaining access to the transmission/muffler bracket top bolts. The answer is to remove the nuts from the top of the muffler and back the muffler off on the long bolts – it will not come down. Now you can get to the bolts on the top of the transmission bracket.

My process was this:

- Rear wheels driven up on home made ramps about 3”. Just enough clearance for me but this was troublesome later. I cold not get enough leverage to lift the new one back in place. I did the whole job alone lying on my back.

- Undo the sleeve clamps on the pipes that attach to the CATS and slide them back on to the CAT pipe. I left the pipes in place because it’s a real pain dealing with the muffler side as they are seized in pretty good.

- Remove nuts on the transmission/muffler bracket on the top of the muffler. The bolts will not retract.

- Undo all other muffler mounting pieces. Now the muffler is loose but will not come down.

- Push the muffler to the rear of the car and this will give you access to the top bolts holding the transmission/muffler bracket. Remove top and bottom bracket bolts. Hang-on because it’s coming down.

- Lastly I had to muscle it out just a bit because I still had the pipes in place.

Install:

- Move hardware from old muffler to new. Leave the tip for last.

- Put the bottom bolts in place on the tranny bracket and attach the tranny bracket to the muffler bracket upper bolts with nuts. Leave very loose.

- Now, because I was working alone and flat on back I used a floor jack and jack stands for assistance. Idea from another thread I can point you to.

- Lifting with the floor jack and maneuvering the muffler at the same time to clear first the rear bumper then stop.

- I angled the left side of the muffler up and held it there with a jack stand. Then over to the right side. This gets the brackets that attach to the CATs on top and helps support the weight.

- Now align and get the lower tranny bolts in about 50%

- Now take the nuts off the upper muffler bracket bolts and maneuver the upper part of the tranny bracket in place an install the bolts.

- The rest is straight forward. Put all pipes, clamps and brackets together and leave loose. Shake, align and tighten everything.

Two hours 15 minutes start to finish.

Now after all that, I’m under whelmed with the sound. It’s different, it’s better and not as deep, throaty and loud as I expected. I can’t imagine ever wasting the time or spending the money to hook up the electronics. Does it better over time?

Thanks again!

[Tool Pants]

You may be happy to know Porsche finally released instructions on how to install the 2003/4 sport exhaust. 15 pages, but that is with all the electrical and vacum stuff. I forgot someone on RennTech was doing the install, but they say to remove the bumper cover just like they did with the original sport exhaust instructions.

My dealer has a 2004 with the sport exhaust but it was in the showroom so I could not rev it up to compare the sound to the prior sport exhaust.

Your car has 4 catalytic converters, with a pre cat right on each manifold. Some say this muffles the exhaust sound. A 2.5 has just 2 and with my old ears the original sport exhaust sounds best on a 2.5.

There is a German guy who has been on this board who modifies the factory standard and sport exhaust. That, I would like to hear some day.

The original Boxster sport exhaust never had the bark of the 996 sport exhaust, and it looks like the new Boxster sport exhaust is no different.

Some people say the sound improves once the exhaust is "broken in." I do not know how you break in a muffler.

Thanks for the instructions for the next guy. Jeff

[cyclocross]

Thanks again ToolPants! Mission complete!!

Having a whole week to think about this provided the answer to gaining access to the transmission/muffler bracket top bolts. The answer is to remove the nuts from the top of the muffler and back the muffler off on the long bolts – it will not come down. Now you can get to the bolts on the top of the transmission bracket.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi, all. I think I have an easier method. I have a 2001 2.7 Tip. I exchanged its stock muffler for a stock S muffler because I just couldn't stand the wierd single oval exhaust pipe. I preferred the duel pipes. After all the various nuts and bolts that hold the muffler in place were loose and/or removed I then removed the two u-bends. This left the muffler hanging from the two long bolts attached to the rear of the tranny. The muffler missed by about 1/8"-1/4" from having enough clearence to be removed. I took a long screwdriver and pushed the horizontal bracket above the muffler away from the tranny. This shifted the long bolts back enough for the muffler to be removed easily.

After I fastened the horizontal bracket to the S muffler I noticed that it was bowed toward the front of the muffler. I carefully pulled the bracket toward the rear of the muffler so it had a slight bow toward the read, say 1/4"-3/8". The S muffler then slipped back up in to the rear of the car and two long bolts slipped right into the adapter at the tranny. I hope this helps. Positioning that bracket saved a lot of time.

[John V]

Replying to the oldest thread ever...

Thought I would post a picture of what I did - sounds like what the last poster did as well, but a picture makes things easier I think. I left the muffler mount bracket "B" attached to the trans (in the case of my 3.2L S, it has four bolts). The reason being the two upper bolts which are X-ed out in the image were very difficult to get to with the muffler in place. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get them back in later!

I did not even remove the u-pipes from the rear catalysts to the muffler. I left them attached at the muffler and removed the wide clamp which attaches the u-pipe to the cats. I then removed the piano wire piece that attaches the lower rear of the muffler at points "C." Then I removed the plates bolting the muffler hangers to the catalysts at "D."

Last, I removed the two circled nuts. They are easy to get to and not particularly tight. The upper muffler hanger, "A," is very flexible. Reach up and push the part "A" towards the rear of the vehicle. The muffler will drop down as these bolts (which are not very long) pull out of the muffler bracket "B." Careful positioning will let you drop the muffler down out of the car.

This method allowed me to remove the muffler in only 15 minutes! Critical when you are designing an exhaust and have to remove and reinstall the muffler during test fitting!

Hope this helps someone out there.

John V

Edited April 19, 2006 by John V