Need help w/ 5.0 Flowmaster catback install

[TheJMan]

Anyway, I tried last night to get my Flowmaster installed and working, which I did, only I've run into a few problems.

1) The rubber mounts to hold up the muffler are 90 degrees off. Flowmaster supplies a clamp and hanger. If I put the rubber mounts on, the bottom half of it has to be twisted 90 degrees in order for the hanger to go through it, and they aren't meant to be twisted at all.

2) The rear hanger is not long enough to reach the stock rubber mount. I used a much longer rubber piece and even that isn't all that great.

3) Clearance is very tight. The exhaust tip is about 1/16 inch from touching the fender and is also rubbing the leaf spring.

Could the Mountaineer have a different muffler than the Explorer? Also, could the rear fender be different, not allowing for much room at all?

 

[TheJMan]

I just got off the phone with Flowmaster and they said that the difference is because I have a Mountaineer and not an Explorer. They said my best bet would be to go to a Midas and have them make new hangers and stuff.

 

[96limitedX]

there should be no differance...

 

[TheJMan]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119755

In the first pic in this thread you can see the stock muffler that he took off. The metal hanger type pieces that protrude from the muffer face each other. On mine, these are shaped pretty much the same, only they have a 90 degree bend at the end of them, which faces them toward the rear of the vehicle, not each other. This makes mounting the rubber grommets impossible.

Anyway, the Mountaineer is at Midas right now. They are going to bend the existing hangers so that they fit into the mounts and remove the clamps so that it can be welded.