I spent most of this past weekend installing a replacement 5 speed tranny & clutch in my runner. In order to get the junk out I had to cut on the exhaust some. In its past a previous owner installed headers and custom exhaust on my runner. Well I noticed that it is time to replace most of the exhaust from the Cat to the tailpipe.
I'm a bit past the gotta have loud pipes to impress everyone stage. I also have bird dogs that ride in the back on occasion and loud pipes could possibly be counter-productive to the dogs hearing.
I stopped by a local repair shop and they quoted me almost $600. to go back with a stock type system. Needless to say thats just too rich for me.
I have had pretty good luck sourcing parts off the www so I went to searching. I kept coming across a company called Bosal. It seems that Bosal builds OEM exhaust for a few carmakers including Toyota. I have suspicion that they were the original mfg. for Toyota 4runners.
Anyhow They will sell direct but with a bit of markup. Autozone and a few others sell it cheaper.
I happened to search Amazon and I can purchase the Bosal brand from the Cat to the tailpipe for about $220.
This would be an almost bolt in replacement!
here are the part no's have a look for your own self
(Bosal)
muffler and tailpipe assy 284-001 --Amazon $106.
Cat 099-448 $105
With Amazon I would also get free shipping!

So give me opinions and ideas --- What do you know or think of this??

 

I had a look for O-2 sensor --Amazon has Denso OEM plug in type for $50~60
Thats a steal

 

bosal makes very high quality stuff but $600 seems pretty high, maybe try another shop

 

Read the rest of the post.

200ish sounds good for doing it all yourself. I'd go for it.

 

i guess i should have wrote that better but i was saying $600 for the install was high.

 

this may sound off the wall, but what if you put two stock mufflers on, and kept the headers, for the performance gains? would it still be too loud, or do you think it would work? just throwin that out there.

 

The headers dont add or subtract any noise level from the total sound level. That is unless they leak---Believe it or not the stock muffler should do a nice job of noise control. After adding aftermarket exhaust some vehicles will lose performance, reason is the system is set up for a certian amount of backpressure.
My opinion is that 2 mufflers would be counter productive

just my .02

 

I replaced my entire exhaust behind the CAT with a one piece from the dealer for $129.00 3 years ago. Cheapest solution IMO.

 

You can get decent deals on mufflers and cats on summit racing too,could go to junk yard and cut off a exhaust, use existing piping and what you can salvage and weld one up.

 

Im callin the dealers.

 

Any more info on this? Did it come as 1 piece including muffler or did you have to weld?

 

my 2.25" exhaust without cat cost me $150 at an exhaust shop to have custom done, plus $30 for a muffler.

The only thing i don't like about it is the fact it's welded right to the header (there was no flange on the header collector when I bought the truck). I had to cut it and put in an 2.25-2.25 adapter with a few exhaust clamps so I could remove the header or piping as needed.

$600 to go back to stock is outrageously high.

 

actually, i went with stock after the old muffler assembly rusted out.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianrab/4997333255/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianrab/4997333251/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianrab/4997333249/
and the new:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianrab/5108762074/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianrab/5108762070/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianrab/5108762066/
i had the guys at the dealer put in all new hardware after they ground out the old stuff. the only reason i had the muffler installed at the dealer was that i get free replacements for life.

 

"After adding aftermarket exhaust some vehicles will lose performance, reason is the system is set up for a certian amount of backpressure."


hallelujah, someone else understands to.


I said this very thing a while back about a gutted cat and some of these folks wanted to take me to the whipping post

 

At RockAuto $89.99 and $112.79. (but shipping costs may tip the scales)

 

Does Virginia require a second O2 Sensor? I thought that was a California feature.

 

no, it's a stupid ca thing. but if i simply take it out, the cel comes on and for inspection. if i bypass the sensor with a decoy circuit, the cel is normal, but i run the risk of being too rich. that would suck up even more gas money . there's nothing wrong with the second sensor, it works fine, and the muffler assembly costs about $20 less

 

Sorry it took so long to get back to you; it was a one piece, just bolted it to the back of the CAT.

 

I'm in no rush, i have no money anyway lol. But that's great that it's one piece i'll grab one for sure, thanks!

 

I ordered my cat and muffler assy thru Amazon. It showed up 2 days later and fit like a dream -- just like factory stuff should. Sounds great too.
One thing I did notice is that now when motoring up a long steep grade, I can just mash the accelerator and pick up speed. With the old exhaust I would have to downshift to pick up speed. So keep that in mind when looking for exhaust.