OK i was faced with wanting a bit more exhaust sound on my Fiesta ST but i did not want to pay the high prices of a full replacement exhaust. It is well known that the cat back does not make any HP over the stock system and i could not justify the $500+ these systems cost.
So i considered having a muffler shop cut out my resonator but after seeing a few of the hack jobs i decided that i did not want to go in that direction.
On Ebay i found someone making a Resonator delete pipe and contacted them. I found out that the unit used Stainless pipes and hangers but had a ferric steel flange. Living just north of Boston i really wanted a full stainless system that also had a Stanless flange. THis vendor said they would source one for me for a bit more money.
below is a picture of what came in. Note the flange is perfect and flat, a reflection in the picture below make it look odd.
It looked well made and the flange was Tig welded for a good seal.
Now i had to take off my resonator. I was working from jack stands and lifted the car as high as i could with my floor jack.
the thing that took the most time was the bolts on the exhaust flange. I did not want to destroy the studs. The nuts were very badly rusted and rounded off. From the look of it the studs on the stock manifold were stainless steel. i considered a number of ways to handle these nuts. and went out and bought some rounded nut extractors from sears. they did not work at all.
In the end i found taking my dremel tool with a small cut off wheel is what worked the best. I cut a slit in the side of the nuts and used a small chisel to get them off. I tried as best as i could not to damage the stud. In the end it worked well, i did mess up the threads a bit but i just chased them with a die to fix them. By the way the nut is 7/16 -14. I replaced them with brass nuts so i would not have this problem in the future again. note - never never never use stainless nuts on a stainless stud. you will not get them off.
Now to cut the pipe. you cut it 7cm in front of the front hanger, the vendor is nice enough to show you a picture on ebay were to cut it. i used one of the chain type cutters (free rental from local auto parts center). it cut the pipe like butter. it sliced it within 2-3 min. if you use this method to cut it, remember to oil the chain well, it makes it cut much easier.
Here are the parts side by side
then it was just a simple matter of bolting up the new part. The vendor includes a pipe clamp that works fine. its not stainless and i may upgrade that in the future but its not leaking. a gasket is also included and i used it. I did not need his bolts / nuts as i used the stock studs with new brass nuts.
The sound? well at idle it sounds the same, at WOT there is more noise, i am very happy with it and there is no droning at any speed. Its not a major change but I am happy with it.
the vendor you ask? it was Zaustworx on ebay, he also has a facebook page.
In the listing he calls it a "ford Fiesta ST180 mid silencer pipe center box delete de-res pipe - Export" this is the one that 100% stainless, the one that does not say export uses a ferric steel flange. delivered it was just under $100. best thing is that if i wanted to i could put the old one back on with no problem.
I am VERY happy i went in this direction and would do this again in a minute. It achieved exactly what i wanted to do for very little money.
enjoy.
So i considered having a muffler shop cut out my resonator but after seeing a few of the hack jobs i decided that i did not want to go in that direction.
On Ebay i found someone making a Resonator delete pipe and contacted them. I found out that the unit used Stainless pipes and hangers but had a ferric steel flange. Living just north of Boston i really wanted a full stainless system that also had a Stanless flange. THis vendor said they would source one for me for a bit more money.
below is a picture of what came in. Note the flange is perfect and flat, a reflection in the picture below make it look odd.
It looked well made and the flange was Tig welded for a good seal.
Now i had to take off my resonator. I was working from jack stands and lifted the car as high as i could with my floor jack.
the thing that took the most time was the bolts on the exhaust flange. I did not want to destroy the studs. The nuts were very badly rusted and rounded off. From the look of it the studs on the stock manifold were stainless steel. i considered a number of ways to handle these nuts. and went out and bought some rounded nut extractors from sears. they did not work at all.
In the end i found taking my dremel tool with a small cut off wheel is what worked the best. I cut a slit in the side of the nuts and used a small chisel to get them off. I tried as best as i could not to damage the stud. In the end it worked well, i did mess up the threads a bit but i just chased them with a die to fix them. By the way the nut is 7/16 -14. I replaced them with brass nuts so i would not have this problem in the future again. note - never never never use stainless nuts on a stainless stud. you will not get them off.
Now to cut the pipe. you cut it 7cm in front of the front hanger, the vendor is nice enough to show you a picture on ebay were to cut it. i used one of the chain type cutters (free rental from local auto parts center). it cut the pipe like butter. it sliced it within 2-3 min. if you use this method to cut it, remember to oil the chain well, it makes it cut much easier.
Here are the parts side by side
then it was just a simple matter of bolting up the new part. The vendor includes a pipe clamp that works fine. its not stainless and i may upgrade that in the future but its not leaking. a gasket is also included and i used it. I did not need his bolts / nuts as i used the stock studs with new brass nuts.
The sound? well at idle it sounds the same, at WOT there is more noise, i am very happy with it and there is no droning at any speed. Its not a major change but I am happy with it.
the vendor you ask? it was Zaustworx on ebay, he also has a facebook page.
In the listing he calls it a "ford Fiesta ST180 mid silencer pipe center box delete de-res pipe - Export" this is the one that 100% stainless, the one that does not say export uses a ferric steel flange. delivered it was just under $100. best thing is that if i wanted to i could put the old one back on with no problem.
I am VERY happy i went in this direction and would do this again in a minute. It achieved exactly what i wanted to do for very little money.
enjoy.
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