I was initially going to replace only the resonator (presilencer) but found out that the muffler had a weld job so that needed to be replaced as well.
Then I found out as I went up the chain that for one reason or another, weld, rust, etc, every piece in the exhaust was going to be replaced. It took a couple weeks to get the parts because I was unaware that I would need to replace everything.
I finally got every piece: Advance Auto Parts Walker muffler and resonator (complete units with pipes) $170, Auto Parts Warehouse Eastern cat unit with pipes $145, Auto Parts Warehouse Bosal Flex pipe $95. Everything came with the parts except I had to get the new bolts, lock washers and nuts from a hardware store and the flex pipe didn't come with the gasket, $7 Autozone.
(the old flex pipe didn't have a gasket installed).
After I discovered that I would need to replace the Flex pipe I started hitting the header bolts with both Liquid Wrench and PB blaster. I sprayed them down everyday for almost a week and the car was parked. I didn't want a bolt busting on me.
I did the entire removal and install just using car ramps. The hardest part of the disassemble was sawing the welded pipes. A hit of PB blaster to the rubber hangers tends to loosen them up for quick removal.
The install went easier than I thought it would. I got some 12 point sockets to get a better grip on the flex pipe bolts (14mm). The bolts gave a loud creak and then came loose no problem. After that, all the parts came right out.
The new parts and pipes listed above fit the car exactly. It took no time at all to do the install (especially with the rubber hangers hit with PB blaster to make them slide on easy).
The result?
I'm not a fan of noisy exhausts and I can say that the parts installed are super quiet. There is no noise even during acceleration. For aftermarket guys the rear tail pipe might look pathetic though. It is a very small diameter tailpipe (someone said it looks like the tail pipe of a Prius).
The car runs fantastic, it probably helped that I also installed a new O2 sensor at the same time.
And yes, I know I could have had the job done cheaper by taking it to a muffler shop and have them do a job on it. But I have warranties on all these parts for 5 years or greater. My last muffler put on at a muffler shop ($100) was a "fart can" with a 1 year warranty that started rusting out after 3 years. And, I don't want to know what Midas charges.......
