Fitting an Aftermarket Exhaust System for the Chevrolet C (VE) Omega
- Document Contents
- Introduction
- Tools Required
- Parts Required
- Replacing the Exhaust, A Quick Rundown
- Removing the Axle Back Mufflers
- Removing the Factory Exhaust
- Removing the HEGO Sensors
- Fitting the New Cross Over Pipes
- Fitting the HEGO sensors to Cross Over Pipes
- Fitting the Two Single Pipes to the Cross Over Pipe
- Fitting the New Axle Back Mufflers
- Document Information
- Detailed Information on fitting an Aftermarket 3inch exhaust system
- Vehicle: Chevrolet Omega (C (VE))
- Copyright Owner: Matthew Jones (Matti Jones) (ZerOne)
- Document Visits: 1887
- Created: Wed Jan 11, 2012 3:47 am
- Revised: Wed Jan 11, 2012 3:48 am (Rev 2)
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The following document describes fitting an XForce 3inch mandrel bent dual exhaust system to a VE Commodore Sedan (V8 Model).
This includes removing the existing factory exhaust, as well as fitting the XForce system in its place.
The information pertained within can be used for other models such as Long Wheel Base, Wagons, and Utes.
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15mm Deep Socket (For Catalytic Converter Nuts)
15mm Shallow Socket (For The Axle Back Mufflers, and rear muffler rubber hangers)
15mm Ring Spanner (For Intermediate Rubber Hanger)
18mm or 19mm Open ended spanner (For HEGO Sensor removal)
Ratchet
A hydraulic jack
Car Stands
If you are using the supplied Nuts and Bolts from an XForce Exhaust, you will also need,
A 14mm Ring Spanner,
A 17mm Ring Spanner,
A 14mm Socket.
A 17mm Socket.
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An Exhaust with Bolts, nuts and gaskets supplied.
When you buy an XForce Exhaust, all the bolts, nuts, and gaskets are already supplied with the exhaust.
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Removing the Factory exhaust system can be broken down in to three separate stages.
1) Removing the Rear Muffler(s) (Axle Back system)
2) Removing the intermediate exhaust (The exhaust system from the catalytic converter, back to the rear axle)
3) Removing the HEGO sensors from the factory exhaust.
Fitting the after market exhaust can be broken down in to a further 4 stages
4) Fitting the cross over pipes to the catalytic converters.
5) Fitting the HEGO sensors to the cross over pipes,
6) Fitting the two single axle pipes to the cross over pipes.
7) Fitting the rear axle back mufflers.
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Before you begin removing the rear muffler assemblies, it is recommended that jack up the vehicle, and place the rear end on car stands.
Once the rear of the vehicle has been raised,
1) Place the jack underneath one of the rear muffler assemblies.
The jack will be used to hold the muffler in place whilst you remove the rubber hanger holder the muffler in place.
2) Using a 15mm deep socket, remove only one of the lower flange bolt holding the muffler assembly to the exhaust.
3) Loosen the above 15mm bolt to allow the muffler assembly to move about on the exhaust flange.
4) Using a 15mm socket, and a socket extension bar, remove the two 15mm bolts holding the rubber hanger to the vehicle.
The following image is of the rubber hanger assembly, with the muffler already removed.
5) With the hanger assembly removed, slowly lower the muffler assembly using the hydraulic jack.
6) Once the end of the muffler assembly is on the ground, remove the remaining 15mm bolt holding the muffler assembly to the exhaust.
7) Remove the muffler assembly.
8) Repeat the above steps if your vehicle has a dual exhaust system.
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The next step is removing the factory intermediate exhaust from the vehicle.
The factory intermediate exhaust is a one piece unit, unlike many after exhaust systems that utilize two pieces.
Because of this, the factory exhaust takes a little bit more effort to remove.
1) Using a 15mm deep socket, remove the 15mm Nuts securing the factory exhaust to the catalytic converters.
2) With the bolts removed, next unplug the HEGO sensor wiring connectors.
The following image shows the location of the HEGO sensors, related to the catalytic converters.
Note the wiring, which runs up along the side of the transmission.
It is recommended that you unclip the wiring harness from the transmission before disconnecting the HEGO wiring from the vehicle.
3) Repeat step 2 for the second HEGO sensor, located on the other side of the exhaust
4) Next, you will need to remove the following thingy, if fitted, using a standard 15mm Socket.
Once removed, you should see something like this... 4) At this point, the factory exhaust will be held in place by four rubber hangers.
The rear most rubber hangers (Near the differential) will prevent the exhaust system from moving backwards, and as such need to be removed next.
Using the hydraulic jack, position it underneath the central cross over muffler, to hold the exhaust assembly in place before proceeding.
5) Next, using a 15mm ring spanner, remove the single nut holding the rubber hanger assembly in place.
6) Next slowly maneuver the hanger assembly, and rubber hangers off the bolt, and off the exhaust.
The jack will prevent the exhaust from dropping too far.
7) Next locate middle rubber hangers, and slowly prise the exhaust hanger bar out from the rubber.
Once removed, the factory exhaust can be removed from the vehicle.
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The next step is very simple, using a 20mm open ended spanner, remove the 2 HEGO sensors from the factory exhaust system
Once removed, keep these in a safe place, as they will be fitted to the aftermarket exhaust later.
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With the vehicle jacked up so as you can access underneath, roughly position the new cross over pipes underneath the car.
Once you are at this point, it is probably a good idea to fit the supplied exhaust gaskets to the catalytic converters, whilst you have space to do so.
Next, using a hydraulic jack, place the jack underneath the single muffler, and use it to attempt to raise the cross over pipes so as the metal hangers on the pipes are close to the rubber hangers located nearest to the catalytic converters.
Once in place, attempt to fit the rubber hangers to the pipes metal hangers. This may require a lot of adjustments, including adjusting the position (backwards and forwards), as well as adjusting the height using the jack.
Once you have the rubber hangers fitted, the next step is align the exhaust to the bolts on the catalytic converters.
The XForce after market exhaust system will come with a number of gaskets, as well as bolts and nuts.
It is recommended that you use the new nuts provided with the exhaust, to bolt the cross over pipes to the catalytic converters.
Next, maneuver the exhaust in to place, by slowly moving the exhaust metal hangers outward or inwards inside the rubber hanger, so as the catalytic converter bolts are aligned with the exhaust flange.
Finally, begin to fit the exhaust to the catalytic converter bolts.
At this point you will only need enough of the bolt to stick through the flange, to fit a single nut in place.
Once you have fitted one or more nuts to the catalytic converter bolts, slowly tighten the nuts to pull the exhaust in to place.
(Note: You may need to wiggle the exhaust around on the rubber hangers so as to relieve any pressure on the rubber).
Once completed, simply bolt up the metal thingie, using the existing four bolts.
You should now have something that looks like this.
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The next step involves fitting the cat back HEGO sensors to the new Cross Over exhaust pipe, and reconnecting the electrical connectors to the vehicle.
Carefully screw the HEGO sensors in the mounting points on the cross over pipe, and hand tighten.
Once fitted, tighten the HEGO sensor using a 20mm open ended spanner.
Finally, re-connect the electrical connector to the vehicle, and clip the connector to the side of the transmission housing.
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Thankfully, fitting the individual pipes that connect to the cross over pipe is much easier than fitting the cross over pipe itself.
Using the hanger position on the pipes, (The metal hangers should be positioned at the top of the pipe), choose a pipe, and its correct side to mount to the vehicle.
Again using a hydraulic jack, manually maneuver the pipe in to place so as the mounting flange will roughly line up with the mounting flange on the crossover pipe.
Once roughly aligned, fit one of the supplied exhaust gaskets, and loosely fit one new bolt and nut to hold one side of the pipe in place.
Once you have a single bolt in place, next attempt to fit the axle rubber hanger assembly to the single exhaust pipe, and loosely bolt the axle exhaust hanger assembly to the axle.
Next, add a further bolt and nut to the flange connecting the single exhaust pipe to the cross over pipe, and slowly tighten the bolts and nuts evenly, adjusting the axle rubber hanger accordingly. Finally, using the hydraulic jack, position the second exhaust pipe so as it is roughly aligned with the rubber hanger, and the cross over pipe flange.
Once roughly aligned, fit one of the supplied exhaust gaskets, and loosely fit one new bolt and nut to hold the second pipe in place.
Once you have a single bolt in place, next attempt to fit the axle rubber hanger assembly to the single exhaust pipe.
Note : you may need to remove the exhaust hanger assembly from the axle bolt to do this.
Once you have both exhaust pipes fitted to the axle rubber hanger, fit the rubber hanger, and tighten the nut using a spanner.
Finally, fit the remaining bolt and nut to the second pipe, and tighten accordingly.
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Luckily, the final part is easiest.
Position the required mufflers on the correct side of the vehicle.
This can be determined by locating the metal hangers, and positioning these so as they are at the top of the muffler.
IMG 14638 Next, you will need to remove the rubber hangers used to hold the mufflers in place. (Located just behind the bumper).
Using a 15mm deep socket, or a spanner, remove the two 15mm bolts used to hold the rubber in place.
Please note the orientation of the hanger before removing !!!!
Once the rubber hanger is removed, fit the hanger the the corresponding muffler metal hanger.
Next, using a hydraulic jack, position the muffler so as the rubber hanger is roughly in position, and that the metal flange of the muffler, and the exhaust line up.
Once roughly aligned, fit one of the supplied exhaust gaskets, and loosely fit one new bolt and nut to hold the muffler in place.
Next, mount the rubber muffler hanger to the vehicle, using the two existing 15mm bolts. Finally, add a second bolt and nut to the flange where the muffler and exhaust meet, and tighten slowly, repositioning the rubber hanger to release pressure on the rubber accordingly. Complete the above steps to fit the second muffler to the vehicle. The end result should hopefully look something like this..