Make sure you take the engine cover off the bottom first (if it's still on)!

 

Doogle,
Here is my method, which is a combination of methods I've read about here. I use this in order to get the car securely on four flat-top jackstands (AC).

- Drive the front wheels on to two short pieces of 2x6 lumber or equivalent.
- Place chocks in front of the front wheels.
- Using an appropriate hydraulic floor jack, gently lift under the center seam of the engine case, where it widens slightly. I use a hockey puck with excellent results and no damage.
- Lift the rear high enough to allow the jack stands to be placed under the rear jacking points.
- Slowly lower the car until the rear jacking points settle on to the stands.
- Using a 2' length of 2x6 lumber covered in a few layers of towels, gently lift under the front pan area - DIRECTLY aft of where the plastic bumper lip ends. Since the engine weight is over the rear stands, the car will very easily pivot on the stands.
- Place the front stands and lower the jack.
- I then lift the rear again and bring the stands up one more hole and the car sits perfectly level (AC stands).

For peace of mind, I tend to remove the spare tire in order to lighten the front even more. You'll notice that it takes almost no effort to lift the front if done using this method. I've now done this at least 6 times. This also prevents you from lifting the car at awkward angles.

Andreas

 

Thanks Andreas - Do you drive the car onto the 2x6 pieces so that you can get the jack under the front?
And I presume if I just want to get the mufflers off then I could stop afer raising the just the rear?

 

Doogle,
The entire process takes maybe 5 minutes, so it may be worth getting the car up and level in order to wrench on it. I drive the front on to the 2x6 pieces in order to have ample clearance for the jack with the towel-covered 2x6 when lifting under the front pan.

You can certainly just lift the rear, but I feel better when the car is solidly resting on four points. It's a heavy SOB

Andreas

 

FWIW, you don't need to jack the entire rear of the car to change out the muffler. You can jack the car up one side at a time from the standard frame jack point and then just place a jack stand under the subframe junction point (a round thing with a bolt) in the middle an duse that as precaution.

 

Thanks Robin, sounds like a good idea. I suppose it's still a good idea to remove the wheel though to get at the muffler.

Slightly off the topic... How are all the pieces of the muffler assembly attached? Do they have those donut type rings inside the two pieces and then a jubilee clip over that? Photos again would be great!
I presume I would need to buy new clips/rings.

 

Don -

If you are asking about attaching the mufflers, there is another great DIY at Robin's site:

http://p-car.com/diy/exhaust/muffler.htm

Sorry if this isn't what you were referring to.

 

Don,

No need to remove the wheel when removing the muffler on a NA car, it is only neccessary on a turbo car.

The flange and the donuts can be reused, the bolts sometime do need replacement depends on how bad they rust up.

 

Don,

Perry here, hope you are keeping well, what exhaust boxes did you go for in the end.

You are sounding very American with this talk of mufflers!

 

Yup. I add a piece of wood between the jack and jack stands and the car to minimize scratches.

 

I just swapped out my mufflers on my C4S to Supercups. Only raised the rear under the engine, set it on jackstands. Didn't remove the wheels, and had plenty of room to work.