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The custom 4 post lift/Dyno setup Howard put together makes it significantly easier to work on the car between runs. With the Dyno fan now blowing cool air underneath the car and the ARK Design system laid out. It was time to get to work.
After spraying the hardware with rust penetrant, the stock system came apart relatively easily. Except for the fact that every section of the OEM exhaust was noticeably heavier than the corresponding part of the ARK Design unit.
The joys of rubber exhaust hangers. Howard was prepared for such a task though with a pry bar the size of a baseball bat. Combined with his mechanical experience, Howard had no problem getting the stock exhaust free.
The lunch box style rear muffler section not only looks boring, but is heavier than a small child. No offense to Nissan OE engineers, but good riddance.
The stock exhaust system in all its over weight and small diameter piping glory. The front piping sections before the Y merge collector measured at a disappointingly small 1.75 inch. The bottom of the Y pipe came in at a slightly better 2.5 inch where it meets the middle section then splits back into two pipes of 2.25 inch diameter all the way in and out of the lunch box muffler. I never really understood why there were not only so many piping diameter changes, but also why the exhaust flow is merged half way, then split once again to give the “dual exhaust” look.
