Reply With QuoteThe muffler is usually wraped in a sheet metal skin. Make sure that it has not come loose and is rattling around. I pulled mine off on my 1990 and it stopped all the noise back there. I don't think the factory pieces were stainless, only the tips.
Big, Big Time Poster
Source for "stainless" steel rear muffler, not the aluminized I find everywhere?
One of my 1991 525i's has developed a bad rattle in the rear muffler and the exhaust has also become very noisy. My muffler guy (who is a friend) says that a baffle, or something like that, has come loose and is rattling around inside the muffler. He says that the muffler is *stainless* steel and will normally last the lifetime of the car, without problems like this.
He has looked at various sources, and I have also, and all we can find is replacement *aluminized* steel mufflers. No one seems to have the lifetime stainless versions. My repair man says that if I went with one of the aliminized ones, we will probably have to replace it every couple of years or so. The prices I have found from BMA, etc. are in the $300 range and the dealer price is around $400. The muffler repair person can get a Walker muffler, also aluminized, with a lifetime replacement warranty for $800. Since I plan on keeping this car for a long time, it probably makes more sense to get the one with the lifetime warranty and pay double.
However, I would really like to find a stainless steel one, even though it is certain to be expensive.
Anyone have any ideas on where to find one?
Thanks,
Dick Schneiders
Major Contributor
The muffler is usually wraped in a sheet metal skin. Make sure that it has not come loose and is rattling around. I pulled mine off on my 1990 and it stopped all the noise back there. I don't think the factory pieces were stainless, only the tips.
Derek A.
90 535i 5 Speed - Style 5 17"
Big, Big Time Poster
The noise is not from the metal skin - It is clearly something loose
inside of the muffler. When I hit the muffler the insides rattle.
The muffler repair person runs a long-time, one man muffler only repair shop. He would be able to tell if the muffler is stainless or not. He is the one that suggested I find another stainless one, and not buy the one in his catalog.
I have another 1991 525i and when I noticed some corrosion around the outside of the muffler on that car last year, I took it to this shop (as he is a personal friend). He pulled at some of the corroded metal and said that the only thing with any rust was the outside skin and that the muffler was stainless and perfectly fine.
Thanks for the reply, but I really want to find a source for a stainless muffler. Or, at least, find out how much one might be so that I can make a decision.
Dick Schneiders (2, 1991 525i's)
Originally Posted by Derek A.
3 Grand Master
dick, bav auto catalogue has two stainless steel mufflers. the "scorpion", which says ""Not approved for EPA street use"" is priced between 449 and 899.
the triflow, which i would assume is louder than stock (performance tho) says $534-$999 . im sure if you could get a specific brand, you could see if bma could get it for you at a reduced price.
3 Grand Master
i just went to bavauto and checked the price for the triflow. for your car, its 714.98 plus shipping, with a limited lifetime warranty. the site uses javascript, so i couldn't copy and paste a link.
another option....
Yikes, you're seriously looking at $800+ mufflers?! If so, another option that you may want to consider is Dinan. Basically, Dinan takes a stock BMW muffler and guts it out. Thus, there's almost nothing left to come loose or rattle. His muffler, albeit expensive (like $800 or 900), is "free flowing" and has a nice sound. Check Roundel as there's usually at least a dealer or two that sell at discount (10-20% off). For more on Dinan muffler see here:
http://www.dinancars.com/filepreview...8-95%20E34.pdf
Big, Big Time Poster
Thanks, Ryan - This is for my wife's car, so I need to keep it quiet :-)
I need to stay away from the free-flow ones as they will almost surely all be much throater than what we have on the car.
Patrick, at BMA, suggested that I talk to the people at ANSA Automotive. I am going to call them in the morning.
My best bet might simply be to get the OEM one and replace it as necessary.
I don't know if these cars came originally with stainless exhaust systems, but from what I hear they often are upgraded to stainless at some point, even when brand new - at least from the cat back.
I was shocked at how complex such a simple thing as replacing a muffler has become.
Dick Schneiders
Big, Big Time Poster
Yes, but the $800 Walker one is a life-time replacement
If it lasts 3 years and I get it replaced then it will be almost the same cost as buying two of the OEM ones from the dealer. Of course, I don't know if the OEM ones will last longer than the 3 years - probably so. Since we plan on keeping the car for a long time, this is an option I need to consider.
However, my friend that runs the muffler shop (and sells the Walker mufflers) was also surprised that I might consider spending the money on one. He was the one that suggested looking into getting an aftermarket stainless muffler. I found a neat web site that rated a lot of BMW aftermarket mufflers and commented on their sound and construction. I don't know how reliable it is, but it is located at: http://members.aol.com/agspeed/exhaust.htm
Probably I should stay away from the expensive lifetime replacement (I am sure it is expensive because of the replacement guarantee) one since with a car this old, even in excellent condition, you really never know how long other components will last.
Thanks for the suggestion - I would certainly consider it and the others if it were on my 1991 525i. However, my wife likes her car to be quiet. My choice would be a lot simpler if it were my car.
Dick Schneiders
get stock
Dick response in part:
<Probably I should stay away from the expensive lifetime replacement (I am sure it is expensive because of the replacement guarantee) one since with a car this old, even in excellent condition, you really never know how long other components will last.>
I agree that with the age of these cars, even if in excellent condition, you're probably better off getting a stock OE or even OEM muffler. If you don't want to spend the $$$ on an OE muffler, its my understanding that Eberspacher is the mfr of the E34 muffler. Good Luck!
Perhaps I got a good price, but I paid something like 350-400 for the OE rear muffler section, and had an independent install it. I still have the original resonator on my car, a '92 535ia. Of all of your options, it would seem that going OE would be a good thing. Even if you paid a dealer to do it, don't you get a lifetime warranty on exhausts? I'm not sure. It would at least sound good, work well, and maybe even outlast the car at this point.
I had a Dinan muffler on my car, paying something like $950 installed at the time (for just the rear section), and after two years an internal baffle broke loose. The dealer said that this was the second OE-modified Dinan E34 muffler to come unhinged in a short time of about 10-15 he had on the road. Take that for what it's worth, but opening that OE unit up can't be good for longevity, and my original OE unit lasted something like 9 years, as I'm sure parallels most people's experience here.
When I had the new OE unit put on, I had them weld the Dinan tips (which aren't that unique, but look good) on.
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