I think I'm brain dead

[PostalsQ]

So while installing the Stillen Saturday. Everything was fairly simple. I allowed myself 3 hours to do the job. Me & my son did it in an hour & 45 minutes. But I noticed this. And I called Stillen today. Seems I'm the only one that's brain deficient. So when I tried to bolt the tunnel brace back up. Where the Y-pipe & mid pipe mate up. I really couldn't. If I had. I would have exhaust rubbing on that brace as well as vibrating. And we all didn't buy these cars to have the cabin having exhaust vibration. Anyway. Stillen said I need to readjust the rear so the mid pipe had more clearance for the brace. I asked if she ever had this complaint. Nope. I'm the only dummy. LOL. I just don't see how I could readjust things. Everything bolted up smoothly and went in the rubbers hangers or grommets pretty easily.

So not sure how long I can drive without that brace. But I'm thinking I'll just take her to a muffler shop and have them readjust and install the new Y pipe and HFC's.

Unless you gurus have any advice for a poor slob like myself?

[Ilya]

Maybe your rubber grommet things are stretched? Get new ones and it should tighten up and lift it?

[PostalsQ]

Thanks. But that's a negative. They're in their normal shape. Not stretched either. FML!

[armybrat]

I have a custom 2-1/2" X-pipe set up that I bought from another forum member on my M56x. He had the sport model, and the exhaust fit perfectly through the tunnel no problem, with the brace. When I bought it and went to install it, I expected it to fit the same, but because mine was AWD, the pipes ran a little lower through the tunnel, enough so that the brace would rest against it. I just left the brace off. It's a piece of thin sheet metal and it won't hurt to leave it off. You can shim it with a few washers if you really want to put it back on.

[PostalsQ]

I thought about doing that

[armybrat]

Depending on how much play you have in the bolt holes, maybe you can loosen up all of the connections and see if the pipe will raise up...plus it may change once the Y-pipe and HFC's are installed anyway. Might as well hang loose until that's done.

[PostalsQ]

That's the plan at this point. Money being the way it is. I was thinking of tackling the HFC's & Y pipe myself. So now I'm hoping I can correct whatever mistake I may have created by it hanging lower than the tunnel brace.