Are you noticing a very loud noise when driving your vehicle? Has your consumption increased in recent weeks and you don’t know why? Let us give you the answer: your car muffler is damaged or in poor condition.
And now don’t be alarmed, as we are going to explain exactly how you can change it but you will need a best muffler for v8 for that. It is not an excessively difficult operation, as long as you have some mechanical notions, and you can do it from home without having to spend money in a mechanical workshop.
Let’s change the muffler on the car!
When should the car muffler be changed?
First of all, you need to know when to change it. As we always say in Road Test, ” prevention is better than cure “. For this reason, it is very important that you know that the average service life of silencers is around 80,000 kilometers.
On the other hand, some problems could tell you that, despite not reaching 80,000 kilometers, it is necessary to make this change. For example, noises of metal knocks at the rear of the vehicle, increased consumption of the car or excessive noise when accelerating.
Changing the silencer step by step
Now we are going to guide you so that you can change the muffler on your own car. Follow the steps carefully and if in doubt, comment and we will help you solve your doubts!
1. Remove the muffler
Before mounting the new silencer, will it be necessary to remove the old one? Don’t worry, it is a very simple process that only requires 4 steps:
- Make sure the car is cold: if you try to change with the car just used, you will most likely burn out. Wait a reasonable time before making the change.
- Raise the vehicle – Use stands to raise the vehicle and follow our guide to do so.
- Add sealant: To make it easier to exhaust the muffler, add sealant to the muffler.
- Remove the screws that secure the muffler: the muffler should be attached by a collar or flange to the main. You just need to unscrew it and you can remove it later.
2. Fit the new silencer
We already have the old one out, it is time to place the new one.
- Smear graphite grease: add this substance to the part of the new pipe that will connect to the main silencer and also to the section of this that will come into contact with the new silencer.
- Install the muffler: insert the new muffler in the place of the old one.
- Screw and fit the accessories: all the washers, screws and other elements must be fitted with the new silencer.
- Tighten the exhaust bolts – Tighten the bolts and check for any vibration or unusual movement.
- Start the engine: check for leaks or loose parts by starting the engine and noting the behavior of your new muffler.
It’s simple right? This is an operation that, sometimes, is not done just for maintenance, but because some want to add a touch of tuning to their vehicle. Whatever the reason, you can now change your silencer without problem.
When to change a car muffler?
Do you know when to change a car’s muffler? One of the main functions when changing the muffler of a car is to reduce the level of noise produced by the exhaust gases. The silencer is a chamber that contains a perforated tube that passes through it and is wrapped in rock wool that serves as an acoustic insulator. This tube is also known as an exhaust tube.
In the car we can find up to three silencers:
- the rear silencer , which is located at the beginning of the exhaust line and is the most used
- the middle or middle muffler , which is usually used on larger cars
- and the front silencer , which was used until 1994, when it began to be replaced by the catalyst. Although some cars still use it, it is placed at the outlet of the collector.
Like any part of the car that suffers wear over time, the car muffler also has its useful life. If it is defective, it is time to change a car’s muffler, that is, when it does not adequately reduce the noise levels produced by the exhaust gas system. Furthermore, this deterioration can generate an increase in fuel consumption.
The service life of the muffler is approximately 80,000 km. However, it must be considered that when the car spends a lot of time immobilized, or only travels very short distances, moisture tends to accumulate inside the silencer, which causes it to deteriorate due to corrosion because the exhaust line does not generate sufficient temperature to remove moisture completely.
How to recognize damage to the muffler?
A bad muffler produces metal knocking noises on the floor of the car that indicate that the pipes are being moved by the exhaust gases and tend to de solder. Also, the car tends to make a louder noise when accelerating.
To determine if there is damage, the exhaust line must be shaken to verify that the fixing rubbers are deteriorated, cracked or are missing any of them. It is necessary to check that the line is well fixed to absorb the vibrations that can weaken the welds.
