mwukit

This is a bit off-topic - but relevant to the discussion. (Delete if you think not.) I recently took advantage of a 20% off sale from Performance Products (PP) and purchased Billy Boat mufflers for my 2003 Carrera. Armed with your very helpful instructions I proceeded to remove the factory mufflers and was able to replace the left (driver) side muffler without incident. The right side muffler was a different story: it would not install onto the factory muffler mounting bracket – the muffler mounting ‘tabs’ did not have sufficient space to allow the fitting of the bracket. The muffler mounting tabs being thick (1/8”) steel pieces securely welded to the muffler body are not something you can easily bend around and make fit (see #1) (I don't know how to include the graphics). #1: From an end view, you can see about ¼” overlap of the factory bracket over the muffler spacing (see #2) #2: I find nothing to be more frustrating than assembling all the tools/parts/energy/etc., to work on a vehicle and finding out that the new parts are incorrect or don’t fit, etc. The infuriating issue was that – this being a crucial interface – it should have been an utmost necessity to execute correctly and likely the easiest to check/verify. A closer look at the muffler makes it obvious that one of the tabs is not straight and that the mounting surfaces of the two key tabs are not parallel (#4). Measurements taken showed .070” difference in the spacing between the tabs from front to back. The left tab is at least 5° off from parallel to the apparent vertical plane. #4: You can see how these measurements compare to ones I took off the factory mounting bracket (#5) #5: Okay, so one muffler is built incorrectly – it can happen. PP agreed to send me a complete new set – for which I commend them. Of course, this meant driving the car with only one muffler for the better part of a week. (I wasn’t going to reinstall the factory muffler after wrestling it down from its snug perch.) So, while I have some time to kill, I emailed Billy Boat to ask for an explanation. I am told all their mufflers are built with tooling, etc., and that it is impossible that it can be made wrong. I am told (by the sales manager) to hit the muffler with a hammer to make it fit! I thought that would be a bad idea on its face and something I wasn’t going to do (and shouldn’t have to do) to a $500.00 muffler. Oddly, I get an email from the same manager several days later indicating that they will make me a correct muffler and send it overnight. (Hmmm, did they discover that they had a problem?) I declined the offer as the second set is on the way. Several days later the second set arrived. To my astonishment, the right muffler exhibits the same defect and actually appears a bit worse. Needless to say, I sent the replacement set back. To get closure to this, I took the original muffler to a shop and, by using a hydraulic press, they separated the mounting tabs sufficiently to fit the mounting bracket, enabling me to finally complete the installation. My warning to anyone wanting performance mufflers for their Porsche: DO NOT BUY BILLY BOAT. I offer this as a help to anyone considering a muffler swap. I, of course, kick myself for getting hooked by the sale and not purchasing the FabSpeed mufflers which were my first choice. Mike W – San Diego, POC member