I went for a cruise with seven other guys on Saturday and the rattling at idle was driving me nuts. This was going to be a next winter project but it just couldn't wait. I just had to see what was causing this rattle that started in less than 100 miles on this car.
I set the R. side exhaust on the work bench and drew a line down the length of it with a fine line paint marker. I then propped it up with blocks and shims in three places and marked the sides of the three places on the blocks so I could recreate the alignment after it was cut apart. I used straight 1 3/4" pieces of paper wrapped around the pipes to mark for straight cuts where I decided to cut the mufflers. I cut them apart with a thin cutting blade on a 4 1/2" grinder.
As you can see the center section with the perforations is just welded in a few places around the edge. These are easily cut.
After the other end is cut you can drive the tube out with a piece of pipe. You can catch the inside lip and you only have to drive it a couple of inches to clear the end flange and then it just slides out.
Then you can drive out the end collar for the other side.
You can see how this goes together. The glass packing stays in the big case and the perforated tube slides in through one side, and the collar slides in the other. The perforated tube slides in the collar. Each is welded on the very ends and "where they slip together is the rattle point." All this work and all the company that made these had to do is reach in about two inches with a mig welder and weld the slip joint in a couple of places. Dumb, dumb!
I hope this helps others that may have this problem. I haven't decided to fix these or replace them. But it's an easy fix at this this point. I wish we could find out who made these.
Added:
Now that I know the problem, on the left exhaust side I just have to cut one end and reach in and mig weld the slip joint. This side needed to come totally apart because the perforations were facing in the wrong direction.
Fixing the Mufflers
Threaded Mode
