I decided that I wanted to remove my muffler in order to obtain a performance benefit and just an all around great exhaust tone. However, after removing the stock exhaust system beyond the cat, I have come to understand what "There's Only One" really means.

I easily could have just whipped out a hack saw and cut it down. However I needed to make sure that there was enough of the piping coming out of the cat left in order to attach a down pipe. I soon found out that the exhaust piping could nearly be utilized as a Class III towing point!

In hopes that I can remove some of the headache for anyone who wants to do something similar to their '97 or later XJ, I have outlined what I had to do below.

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After removing the U-bolt between the cat and muffler, you will notice that the pipe from the muffler overlaps the pipe from the cat. About 1/4" in there will be an indention caused by the torque placed on the U-bolt. This is the source of the "problem." Although the system is insanely strong, it is a pain for anyone wishing to remove the muffler without a hacksaw or cutting torch.

I tried many approaches to remove the muffler, but at the suggestion of a friend this is what worked:

1) Cut a slit in the muffler pipe using a Dremel tool with cutting wheel that runs perpendicular to the exhaust flow.

2) Using an MAPP torch, heat the pipe up

3) Use a screwdriver you don't care about (or something similar) and a hammer, bend the muffler pipe out away from the cat pipe until you are past the indention.

4) PULL!

5) Repeat as nessecary

In order to pull the muffler off, my friend and I employed the use of a come-along and the reciever hitch on his Forester. It took just that much force!

Now that the muffler is off, I have placed a 90 degree elbow on the pipe coming out of the cat to route the exhaust gas down and out from underneath the passenger side of the vehical. This will be in place until I can afford to have a straight pipe bent to follow the stock exhaust path out the rear.

The result? The sound level is not much higher than stock but it has GREAT tone! In cabin sound level is definetly not to a point that it is unplesant. The road noise I pick up seems to be far louder.

As soon as I have driven around for a while I will post info about how my gas milage has been affected. Previous to dropping the muffler off I was getting around 14.2-14.7mpg in town and around 18-20mpg on the highway.

Also I will get dB meter readings and record the new exhaust sound using a decent microphone. Stay tuned!