TimeValve exhaust systems - any tricks?

[raueda1]

My project has reached the exhaust system install phase.  It's a bear of a job for one person but I managed to get the elements hanging on the respective hangers.  In my case (early Euro 6.9) the system has 3 elements:  front downpipes from manifold, center section with oval muffler and then rear section with can-shaped muffler.  It all clamps together with regular exhaust clamps. 

The problem:  I'm having a helluva time getting it all lined up right.  The whole thing seems to be rotated a bit and I can't get it quite aligned right under the heat shields.  I figured that after it was all on the car that I could coax and tweak it into position.  Not so, or at least not easily.  It occurred to me that a better way might have been to start at the front - get downpipes and center section just exactly right and then fit the rear section.

Does anybody have experience with this?  If so I'd love to hear it.  Thanks and cheers,

[daantjie]

Dave I had the same shenanigans with my setup, though in Timevalve's defence, they only supplied me with the downpipes from the manifold to the center muffler.  I have no cats on mine so I asked them to make a Euro setup but to follow the US routing, and they did a great job.  I also got the thing onto the car (I had the center and back unit from when I bought the car, new SS units), so I also got it "sort of" on there.
I had to take it to an exhaust shop in the end and they did a few tweaks, now much better though not perfect, but good enough for driver quality such as mine.
So if I can advise you, just take it to a competent exhaust shop, they have all the skills and tricks to sort it out in a 100th of the time it will take you

[raueda1]

Dave I had the same shenanigans with my setup, though in Timevalve's defence, they only supplied me with the downpipes from the manifold to the center muffler.  I have no cats on mine so I asked them to make a Euro setup but to follow the US routing, and they did a great job.  I also got the thing onto the car (I had the center and back unit from when I bought the car, new SS units), so I also got it "sort of" on there.
I had to take it to an exhaust shop in the end and they did a few tweaks, now much better though not perfect, but good enough for driver quality such as mine.
So if I can advise you, just take it to a competent exhaust shop, they have all the skills and tricks to sort it out in a 100th of the time it will take you

Thanks Daniel, very interesting!  Great idea.  I'm so unaccustomed to going to shops that it never occurred to me..  It's already 90% installed but that last 10%....

Car could be driven as it is though, albeit with a few leaks, so getting to a shop would be fine. Sounds like a plan.  Damn, I want to get back on the road!  Cheers,

[UTn_boy]

I've always been happy with the Timevalve systems, but every one I've installed had to have modifications made to it in order to fit properly.  Considering that exhaust pieces for our cars are either no longer available or are overpriced from Mercedes I've just accepted that tweeks have to be made on the after market Timevalve systems.  I usually start at the header pipes. I then get a torch out to heat areas that need bent to red hot, bend them, and then work my way back doing the same thing.  It's time consuming, but worth it.  I wouldn't ever expect a Timevalve system to be plug and play.  Unless they procure the jigs to properly weld them up like the factory did then there will always be extra work to do to get them to fit correctly.  It's better than nothing though.

[raueda1]

I've always been happy with the Timevalve systems, but every one I've installed had to have modifications made to it in order to fit properly.  Considering that exhaust pieces for our cars are either no longer available or are overpriced from Mercedes I've just accepted that tweeks have to be made on the after market Timevalve systems.  I usually start at the header pipes. I then get a torch out to heat areas that need bent to red hot, bend them, and then work my way back doing the same thing.  It's time consuming, but worth it.  I wouldn't ever expect a Timevalve system to be plug and play.  Unless they procure the jigs to properly weld them up like the factory did then there will always be extra work to do to get them to fit correctly.  It's better than nothing though.

Thanks, good perspective.  Seems like this is exactly the situation.  It's sooooooooo close, but just not quite there.  I was hoping for a perfect plug-and-play but that clearly ain't happening.  But it certainly is close enough for the car to be driven to an exhaust shop.  All in all, a lot better than nothing!  Cheers,