H pipe install

[tim281]

Installed the Magnaflow Hpipe with Cats today. It was definitely a PITA to install in my garage on floor jacks. I had to remove the driveshaft and the transmission crossmember to put the hpipe on the hanger properly. I would have never been able to do it without jacking up the transmission and removing the crossmember. I would definitely recommend a lift and probably a friend to help out. I did it by myself in the garage, but it took about 4 to 5 hours....it was definitely a challenge.
I also replaced the transmission crossmember bushings. The metal sleeve of the crossmember between the bushings was getting rust build up so I ground and sanded the internal bore then spary painted for protection.

On my car the hpipe hanger was oreinted with the bracket swept back toward the rear axle and the rolled over sheetmetal bushing sleeves were facing up toward the chassis. I saw some searches suggesting the bracket was swept toward the front of the car and that is basically impossible....I tried it and it will not even assemble because of an interference with the T5 housing. I did wonder if the h-pipe bushings should have been facing down instead of up...does anyone know the OEM position???

 

[tim281]

I think I found enough picture on line to see that the bushing sleeves to in fact go up. The reason I was concerned was because it appears their is a steel tube that runs out of the transmission and I think it is too close to the steel hpipe hanger rod. I may just trim a bit of the hanger rod to eliminate the issue. The only problem finding something I can get in their to trim it with....otherwise I will just leave it be.
I am guessing that steel tube is the speedo cable?

 

[93 LX]

the tube is air injection for the cats....

 

[LiquidGT]

It took me and a friend an hour and a half to put that thing in. I didnt know which way the hanger was supposed to go because I did a T5 conversion at the same time, so I wasnt familiar with T5 stuff. I think I have the hanger bushings up, because it would interfere with the tranny any other way.

 

[lang williams]

you had to remove the transmission cross member? I thought the "double hump" was to allow the dual h pipe to pass under.

 

[tim281]

Yes. the crossmember does have the double hump for the pipes, but I had to remove it because I had to hang the hpipe on the hanger while the hanger was off the transmission mount...... There was really no way to install the hpipe properly into the hanger without removing the crossmember and hanger bracket. I wish I could drop the hanger bracket without dropping the crossmember....but you can't do it.

BTW..I did hook up the air tube properly to the cats, I was talking about a smaller diameter grey steel pipe about the diameter of a pencil. It appears to run up the firewall so I would imagine it is the speedo cable housing.

 

[tim281]

I jacked the car back up and used a cut off wheel to trim the end of the hpipe hanger. It was interfering with the speedo cable too much. I took my first drive today and could hear a bit of vibration at very low rpms before the car started moving. I figured it had to be this interference but I wasn't sure...either it was that or just the pipers or the polyurethane bushings in the crossmember....but I doubt it was the poly crossmember bushings as them seem to fit pretty snug in there and probably don't move much at all.
The sound of the magnaflow hpipe is great....no drone at all and the did increase the overall sound a bit.