OEM Exhaust system life

[navyjoe]

My 06 3500 (with 75000 miles) tail pipe has a hole in it and the tip has rusted off. I gave the rest of the system a visual and it "looks" ok, but looks can be deceiving. The front part of the system with the catalytic converter may be stainless. ??? No rust there. The muffler looks great too. I'm wondering if I shouldn't just replace the tail pipe and hope the shop doesn't tear up the muffler getting it off. How long is the cat and muffler likely to last? (By the way I live in NE Tennessee, truck rarely sees salt).

That gets me to wondering. Plain steel oem, aluminzed, or stainless? Local muffler shop charges $160 to replace it. (He says he has had done 2 of them in the last few weeks). The pipe itself is only $80 from local parts store so that's about 50/50 on labor vs parts which seems reasonable. That gets me back to type of pipe. Stainless seems too expensive for a work truck unless the rest is going to go soon and I could reuse it. I definitely want to keep a muffler, I like quiet, so no cat back for me.

You may wonder why I'm paying someone to do it, but with no lift and 70 years young, I hav not so fond memorys of doing muflers lying under a vehicle on jack stands. I also suspect a 4" inch pipe wil be totally "no joy"

 

[Crunch]

The pre-cat exhaust system on my '03 is all original and in good shape. I do have a big dent in the muffler, but no punctures and no rust. I've been told that the exhaust system lifespan is dependent on driving habits. If you drive a vehicle a lot of miles each trip that burns off all the moisture in the pipes every time, the exhaust system will last longer than if you do a lot of short mileage trips in a vehicle, even though the total mileage might be the same between the two.

 

[RDeFayette]

My 06 3500 (with 75000 miles) tail pipe has a hole in it and the tip has rusted off. I gave the rest of the system a visual and it "looks" ok, but looks can be deceiving. The front part of the system with the catalytic converter may be stainless. ??? No rust there. The muffler looks great too. I'm wondering if I shouldn't just replace the tail pipe and hope the shop doesn't tear up the muffler getting it off. How long is the cat and muffler likely to last? (By the way I live in NE Tennessee, truck rarely sees salt).

That gets me to wondering. Plain steel oem, aluminzed, or stainless? Local muffler shop charges $160 to replace it. (He says he has had done 2 of them in the last few weeks). The pipe itself is only $80 from local parts store so that's about 50/50 on labor vs parts which seems reasonable. That gets me back to type of pipe. Stainless seems too expensive for a work truck unless the rest is going to go soon and I could reuse it. I definitely want to keep a muffler, I like quiet, so no cat back for me.

You may wonder why I'm paying someone to do it, but with no lift and 70 years young, I hav not so fond memorys of doing muflers lying under a vehicle on jack stands. I also suspect a 4" inch pipe wil be totally "no joy"

From the converter forward the exhaust system is stainless. If it's the oem/original system it's all welded (in and out) to the muffler. probably around -0- chance of reusing the muffler. It wasn't designed to have just the pipe replaced 1st time around. so far as exhaust life (behind the converter) as said before it depends on how you drive it. As you are finding out short trips kill exhaust systems. They rust from the inside out. not from the outside in and it's not just the moisture. The acids crated by the combustion process are the hardest on exhaust pipe.

 

[Regcabguy]

I'm five miles from the Pacific ocean here. My truck was built 11-06 and the exhaust is in great shape.

 

[inlinesix3million]

I just replaced mine with an MBRP cat back in 409 stainless. It installed very easily in about 35- 40 min with hand tools. The tough part is getting the old system off-that took a bit longer. Your
factory system is also 409 stainless. It is a carbon stainless and will eventually rust. Mine rusted at the muffler inlet.
406 stainless??!! DOH!

 

[Ozymandias]

Easy way to dismantle the old exhaust is to use a rope and a jack or something to pull it to the back of the truck, set it under medium to heavy tension, then wiggle around a dozen times and it will slip of - guaranteed!
And no worries about the front part, it wont pull of the turbo from the engine.

Since I do it that way I saved many hours cursing under cars.
On very hard crimped connections I use a Lincoln in addition to the pull.

 

[promisedland]

timely tread.... i have a buggered up tail pipe & a muffler that has a hole, so i'll try ozy's rope method! I already have a S.S.[409] FLO-PRO exh. laying here that i took off of my 98 ram.. w/ some mods. it'll fit [down pipe OR cat. back] Does the CAT. help to quiet the exh. ? my 24'' flo-pro 'thru' muffler was LOUD on my 98 & i want a bit more quiet!! how much back pressure does it cause? thanks! matthew

 

[Ozymandias]

Yeah, the Cat take a lot of sound away.

A chain hoist would be good also to pull the exhaust, sometimes I used a jack-all to, works nice.

 

[p-Bar]

I pulled my muff and left the converter sounds rad

 

[RDeFayette]

I'm trying understand all this come-along, tie-it to a tree, using a jack to get an exhaust system off? Anyone ever heard of a Sawz-All? Especially if the system is trash? If you're trying to save it one slit with a grinder down the length outer pipe at the slip fit and it'll pull right off.

 

[inlinesix3million]

I used an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel and cut a 10" slit down the pipe where it connects to the cat.( Careful to not cut into the cat pipe). Then used a pry bar to open the ears enough to
clear the crimp. I only had the cat to muffler section left to remove at that point. I had left the exhaust clamps attached (The pipe had rusted thru between them and the muffler) I then used
a big hammer against the clamps and the pipe came out easily. I only had to make one sawzall cut just after the rear axle. Used some WD40 and large Channel locks to remove from all the
rubber hangers. If you make a cut between the clamps and the front of the muffler you will have something to hammer against. The MBRP has a pleasant tone,IMO. A little throatier but not
any louder,with the cat in place. Another tip: clock the clamps to 3:00 instead of 6 for a cleaner look.

 

[navyjoe]

Wow so much information, awsome. I'm going to try that rope trick several of you mentioned since my mufler "looks" good. Worse case I take it to the muffler guy anyway.

 

[Ozymandias]

I'm trying understand all this come-along, tie-it to a tree, using a jack to get an exhaust system off? Anyone ever heard of a Sawz-All? Especially if the system is trash? If you're trying to save it one slit with a grinder down the length outer pipe at the slip fit and it'll pull right off.

I need to change the exhaust every other year for the swiss DOT Check, so there is no way to grind or cut the pipes.
Think I need to make a Picture next time to you to fully understand how I do this, with the jackall I set them horizontally on to boxes, pressing against the rear bumper, the rope is fixed to the claw of the jack, jack has 3feet way so there is plenty to set the rope under needed tension.
Then just wiggle the exhaust and it slips out of the connection.
At the beginning I used a ratcheting strap (to save a load - don't know the English term for it, we call it span-set), was also nice but needed more hand force.

 

[RDeFayette]

I need to change the exhaust every other year for the swiss DOT Check, so there is no way to grind or cut the pipes.
Think I need to make a Picture next time to you to fully understand how I do this, with the jackall I set them horizontally on to boxes, pressing against the rear bumper, the rope is fixed to the claw of the jack, jack has 3feet way so there is plenty to set the rope under needed tension.
Then just wiggle the exhaust and it slips out of the connection.
At the beginning I used a ratcheting strap (to save a load - don't know the English term for it, we call it span-set), was also nice but needed more hand force.

Why not just use a band clamp?
They make them for a butt joint and a lap joint so the pipe doesn't get crimped.

 

[rscurtis]

The pre-cat exhaust system on my '03 is all original and in good shape.

You have an '03 with a cat? I've never heard of that.

 

[Crunch]

The pre-cat exhaust system on my '03 is all original and in good shape.

You have an '03 with a cat? I've never heard of that.

No. My exhaust system is pre-cat, not post cat. I'm very happy that I have a truck with no cat and don't need to use DFE.

 

[Regcabguy]

I need to change the exhaust every other year for the swiss DOT Check, so there is no way to grind or cut the pipes.
Think I need to make a Picture next time to you to fully understand how I do this, with the jackall I set them horizontally on to boxes, pressing against the rear bumper, the rope is fixed to the claw of the jack, jack has 3feet way so there is plenty to set the rope under needed tension.
Then just wiggle the exhaust and it slips out of the connection.
At the beginning I used a ratcheting strap (to save a load - don't know the English term for it, we call it span-set), was also nice but needed more hand force.

Every two years? For a green fixated Europe that sounds wasteful.

 

[Regcabguy]

The pre-cat exhaust system on my '03 is all original and in good shape.

You have an '03 with a cat? I've never heard of that.

California '03-'04 SO 5.9 had a cat and decreased hp. Some early ones had leftover 47re's too. My friend had one.

 

[Shadrach]

I still have the original exhaust on my 03 with 400k kms ( about 250k miles ). The only thing I changed is I added a chrome tip. David

 

[navyjoe]

I still have the original exhaust on my 03 with 400k kms ( about 250k miles ). The only thing I changed is I added a chrome tip. David

Youre doing good. My tail pipe rusted out in 2 places, where the hanger weld was and where I put the chrome exhauset tip .After trying the rope trick uncessfully I took it to the local muffler shop. They just cut off the old one and welded on the new one. $162, and I was in and out in 20 minutes. He said the muffler looked good. He also said when it goes out to replace the muffler back will be $300.