Trying to install a magnaflow.

[T-Money]

06 LS V8.

Dropped my car off to get the car back magnaflow system installed today.

Except it doesn't fit correctly. Trying to figure out if my x pipe with attached resonators is the right part or not.

Called magnaflow and they said the system does not fit an 06. I say B.S. Then I found a review off amazon of someone who had the exact same issue as me and it turned out to be because their car was from California. My car is from California too so thought that was the issue.

Except I looked under our 04 LSE v8 and the stock exhaust looks the same.
Here's a photo of the amazon review I took which explains what's not working.

Does anyone have the magnaflow x-pipe with resonators attached installed on their Gen II.. I'm looking for any pictures of it installed from under the car. Or just curious if anyone else had any issues.

Also, they plan on cutting and welding to make it work, but worst case scenario they are going to attach the tail pipe leading to the mufflers to my stock resonator set up. How much will the sound be affected if I'm using regular resonators and just the mag mufflers. ??

I can't wait for my next car. I've never had mechanical issues wth these LS's yet, it's just frustrating how everything I want to do to the car turns into a hassle haha.

 

[LS4me]

Odd...... Like I've said, my 2 People's Republik '06's have the same exhaust as the 2000......... I tried to get a picture but it didn't work too well. I do have this one; don't know if you can see (or not see) the "missing" 3rd chamber.

 

[T-Money]

Edit. I took the 04 LSE non California car back with me to the shop and they pointed out the differences. And turns out they are different. They are going to have to cut and weld to attempt to try and make the system work.

Btw still looking for pics if anyone has any.

 

[myfirstlincoln]

I have a different situation but I'll offer the info - probably doesn't help much but I'll throw it out there. I have a 2003. If I remember correctly, I did not have the third cat. However, I bought the Magnaflow direct fit high flow cats (which includes a third cat) and also the cat back. I didn't want the "third cat" and my mechanic basically said it's useless anyway. He installed the cats that bolt to the manifolds and then cut the pipes (where I have the red line in the picture) and ditched the third cat. He welded in two short stainless steel pipes to mate to the magnaflow cat back system. Overall, he said the system fit fairly well although it did need a bit of tweaking.

 

[LS4me]

Here's the section where the missing chamber lives......

 

[LS4me]

View attachment 828468909

I have a different situation but I'll offer the info - probably doesn't help much but I'll throw it out there. I have a 2003. If I remember correctly, I did not have the third cat. However, I bought the Magnaflow direct fit high flow cats (which includes a third cat) and also the cat back. I didn't want the "third cat" and my mechanic basically said it's useless anyway. He installed the cats that bolt to the manifolds and then cut the pipes (where I have the red line in the picture) and ditched the third cat. He welded in two short stainless steel pipes to mate to the magnaflow cat back system. Overall, he said the system fit fairly well although it did need a bit of tweaking.

Looks like they used whatever was left in the parts bin towards the end of the run.

 

[Upstairs Chris]

There are a few of us here that have had Maganflow difficulties, myself included.

I bought the Magnaflow catback stainless kit, and the Magnaflow cats. To be fair, Magnaflow's site didn't list an 06 on the fitment list, but I bought it anyway. To the best of my knowledge my car had the 3rd cat also. I had the white Cal compliant sticker under the hood. Either way, the 3rd cat is no longer with us. Right out of the gate fitment was an issue. I'll use a picture to best describe.



First of all, the bends shown as "A" are 90°s. This issue is specific to the Magnaflow cats and not the catback kit but I'll describe it anyway. The outgoing cats exited from the manifold heading down and back just like the replacement cat picture shows, but after that, the exhaust takes a "V" shape to get back to centerline with the car. As you can see in the picture, with the magnaflow cats the exhaust bends are 90°s which don't fit.

Then we have "B". B is a replacement 3rd cat and it's even more useless than the stock one. The two pipes that exit the magnaflow 3rd cat are of a totally different diameter of the maganflow catback kit. It seems these magnaflow cats are meant to be a replacement only and not bought together with the catback kit. Then you see that one pipe kinks off a little bit. This also doesn't line up with the Magnaflow catback kit.

So what ended up happening was the entire part circled as "C" was discarded, which is a huge waste of money really. My shop ended up making custom bends that were the "V" shape that was needed. Then welding in a very small section of straight pipes to bridge the gap where part "B" should have been, to the magnaflow x pipe that comes with the resonators.

On top of all this, the magnaflow cats have sloppy tolerances with the flanges and the manifold bolts where the cats attach to the exhaust manifold that require some custom work to overcome the resulting exhaust leak.



This car is so damn picky.

 

[M4rk]

Based on my research:

1st gen V6/V8 - no 3rd cat.
2nd gen V6 - no 3rd cat.
2nd gen V8 - has 3rd cat based on year/emission/location requirements.

I had a 3rd cat:

Then I chopped it off:

Notice no stock H-pipe after resonators? Those without the 3rd cat have one.

 

[1LoudLS]

Based on my research:

1st gen V6/V8 - no 3rd cat.
2nd gen V6 - no 3rd cat.
2nd gen V8 - has 3rd cat based on year/emission/location requirements.

both my 01 v6 base and my 03 v8 sport had 3rd cats

 

[LS4me]

both my 01 v6 base and my 03 v8 sport had 3rd cats

Someone must have installed an '03 (and some other years) exhaust. A friend's '03 (the one Magnaflow prototyped and rejected production for the Gen2 due to the minimal 5hp gain) had the third chamber (more of a pseudo X-pipe).

 

[Blk04LS]

Reading all of this tells me how lucky I was with my install.
The Magnaflow Cat system (23936) went right in without any problems on my '04 w/third Cat. Now if I ever manage the rest of the way back I can only hope that it goes smoothly as well.
But reading through this thread does little to make me feel better about that idea. lol

 

[Alax7]

Why didn't you guys just buy a pair of magnaflow mufflers, an x pipe, resonators and have the shop mandrel bend your exhaust, save yourself the headache.

 

[LS4me]

Why didn't you guys just buy a pair of magnaflow mufflers, an x pipe, resonators and have the shop mandrel bend your exhaust, save yourself the headache.

Probably be cheaper too......

 

[1LoudLS]

Someone must have installed an '03 (and some other years) exhaust.

doubtful that it would have needed to have the cats replaced with only 30k on the car and with buying it at the end of 03/beginning of 04 just as those parts were starting to get built...

 

[T-Money]

Why didn't you guys just buy a pair of magnaflow mufflers, an x pipe, resonators and have the shop mandrel bend your exhaust, save yourself the headache.

Lol good idea. I got the whole exhaust from a guy who never installed it off craigslist for a good price. That's why I bought it.

 

[jjcool00]

I had no issues either but I did as Alax mentioned... The only issue I had were with the flanges on the cats.

 

[Andrizzle]

I'm in the boat of just buying an X pipe and mufflers/tips.

Simply cut and paste where needed. BTW, I think this thing everyone is calling a 3rd cat, isn't actually a cat. I remember this discussion a long time ago. And I remember when it came off mine it did not look like a cat.

Pipe is pipe is pipe.


meow.

 

[Upstairs Chris]

Had I know it would have been this difficult I would have simply done that. Shame on me for assuming magnaflow cats would bolt up to a magnaflow catback system I guess.

 

[Alax7]

Wait wait wait................T-money, all this money spent on your ls and you have been running the stock exhaust this whole time? You have to make it sound as good as it looks and vice versa.

 

[myfirstlincoln]

Yeah, Magnaflow leaves a lot to be desired in regards to their "direct fit" applications. For some people the cats bolt up without a problem, for others (like me) they didn't work properly (which has been addressed in detail in a previous thread). And as mentioned, the cat system doesn't play well with the cat-back system. It's odd they would made a cat system that technically only works with the stock exhaust. If I had to do it over, I would certainly just pay a place to bend pipe for me and skip the Magnaflow cat-back.

 

[Blk04LS]

I'm in the boat of just buying an X pipe and mufflers/tips.

Simply cut and paste where needed. BTW, I think this thing everyone is calling a 3rd cat, isn't actually a cat. I remember this discussion a long time ago. And I remember when it came off mine it did not look like a cat.

Pipe is pipe is pipe.


meow.

I remember reading that as well and when I received my kit I took a look, but I can't seem to find the pic I took showing the internals, but here is one posted by rallyusa October 2012



In this thread: http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?85967-Magnaflow-Catalytic-Converters-Gen-II-V8

 

[1LoudLS]

BTW, I think this thing everyone is calling a 3rd cat, isn't actually a cat. I remember this discussion a long time ago. And I remember when it came off mine it did not look like a cat.

if you're talking about OEM, I can assure you with first hand experience.

first there are two different options that I have actually seen, the for sure "not a cat" is where the two pipes come together, and then have a layer of cat shaped metal stamped around the pipes holding them together (otherwise the cat assembly would be two separate pieces). BUT there is also a version where the 3rd cat is a full 3D "cat like" shaped body, that is filled with the exact same cat like honeycomb layers of material as the ones right off of the headers. the only real difference between the two primary cats and the single secondary cat (other than size or shape of course) is that the secondary does not have a O2 sensor bung welded in between the layers of honeycomb. I mean the exact same internal materials... after melting one down and having to hollow them out, all three piles are identical.

I learned a long time ago, if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, eats duck food, and makes duck sh!t...

if that thing is not some kind of catalytic converter, then our engines only run on a tank full of fairy tears.

 

[LS4me]

From a discussion years ago......

..... while the 2000-2002 exhaust systems (with the exception of the LSE) were all the same, that is not the case with 2003 and on.

The 2003 exhaust system has a 3rd catalytic converter that takes both banks of the exhaust and combines them into one, then splits them off after that. There is no H-pipe at all. This configuration was ONLY for the 2003 model year.

The 2004 exhaust system will be different again. No 3rd catalytic converter, but no H-pipe either. The mufflers are different, round cans instead of the triangular ones we now have. Piping also appears to be different as well (not diameter just design). This design is ONLY for the 2004 model year.

In 2005 they are supposed to be changing it again!

As that third "cat" is so far downstream and there are no sensors it can't be doing much, if anything, for emissions.

 

[M4rk]

From a discussion years ago......



As that third "cat" is so far downstream and there are no sensors it can't be doing much, if anything, for emissions.

Incorrect. I saw pictures of an 04 V6, sans-3rd cat with an h-pipe. However, it didn't even have that piece you pointed out in post #5.. who really knows what went on with the different designs.

 

[LS4me]

Incorrect. I saw pictures of an 04 V6, sans-3rd cat with an h-pipe. However, it didn't even have that piece you pointed out in post #5.. who really knows what went on with the different designs.

Yea, I just read that part. It would have to have some type of connecting device to pass The People's Republik's smog checks (they insert the probe in only one tailpipe).