MPx Rear section exhaust - Fiat 500T/ Abarth

**Papa Duck** · 09-23-2014, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Alec

I ended up taking a grinder to the stock hanger

That would have saved time. Some WD-40 and a pry bar did the trick for me after some struggle.

**John O** · 12-20-2014, 02:18 PM

I'd really hoped to get this in today, but it's going very poorly ...not because of the new pieces, but because slip joint on the stock rear will not come loose. It was plenty loose when I adjusted the exhaust tips with 8 miles on the odo; now with 30k miles, the slip joint is completely frozen ...and, interestingly, also leaking sooty condensation. I've beat on it with my mini sledge, but the rubber mounts are absorbing too much ...and I snapped off the peg stop at the joint, so now there's an 1/8" hole in the long pipe. Tried a torch, got nothing. I truly did not want the dealer involved in this since the tip adjusting mystified them, but not sure what to do. Looking for some advice here.

UPDATE: After looking everything over again, I see it's the clamp itself not releasing due to rusted hardware, specifically the shaped plate the nut and washer sinch up against is galled to the threaded rod. Now if this was a bolt, I could just tap the end or turn it to loosen it, but well ...there is a special place in Hell for whomever designed that clamp. I really wanted to keep the stock rear section intact, but I think the only way to free the clamp is to cut it.

Sadly, today was my window. It will probably be a few month before I can revisit this and get the new rear section on. In the mean time, I'll get someone with a stainless rig to weld up the little hole.

Thanks

John O.

**Klasse Act** · 12-20-2014, 07:26 PM

Good luck John O, you might have to go to an exhaust shop to get it 100% right but it will be worth it.

**John O** · 12-25-2014, 08:38 PM

Success!

image.jpg

I had a couple unexpected hours free this morning, so I had at it. Was a serious PITA, getting the slip joint apart and ANYTHING to do with the left rubber hanger, but it's done.

Getting the frozen clamp apart was the first task. I tried fitting a grinder with a cut-off wheel up to the hardware side of the clamp, but the space was/is too tight. So, I used a recip-saw to cut one side of the clamp off. Figured if I ever use that rear section again, I'll grind off the tack weld on the clamp and use a fresh clamp anyway.

I still need to makes some minor re-adjustments, but...

Initial impression is that this is what the car should sound like. I don't think it is any louder than the stock rear, a touch quieter IMO, but the real audible improvement is that the (irritating to me) higher frequency raspy edge is gone, which is what I'd expected (and wanted) from reading other member posts/reviews. It has a nice depth of tone, still belts it out BIG when I get on the throttle, without any remaining hint of "mountain bike" ...if that makes sense. If there is much acceleration improvement, it is very subtle, and wasn't what I was after anyway.

Now the good woman thinks she might want the same on her Abarth too. Every man needs a woman with Abarth envy!

John O.