I recently got my 1992 4.0 Laredo (my very first car) back from a family member after an almost ten year separation. The gas mileage seems really bad after a couple of tanks. I'm going to do a full tune up, new fuel filter and replace the 02 sensor. However, the exhaust smells terrible and the rear tail pipe piece is extremely rusted out with holes in it. I believe there are multiple leaks throughout and at least the cat all the way back should probably be replaced. This is my daily driver and will occasionally be hauling my 2-year-old daughter, so I don't want a loud aftermarket catback, I really want to keep it stock. Anyone have any suggestions on where to purchase and exactly what parts I'll need to do the swap myself?

 

Go to your favorite muffler shop and let them do the work. Have them put on the quietest stock-type muffler they have.

Do it now. You are getting poisoned.

 

And just let them fab it instead of buying the pieces separately from Quadratec or something?

 

Yes. No shipping charges.

 

Idk man...I've done the exhaust (entire system) on a 96 and on an 89 in my parking spot for like 10% the price it would have costed me at a muffler shop. It just depends how much it would be at a shop by you, depends where you live. Parts and labor on anything can be pricey.

Exhaust work is easy to do, particularly if you are only replacing everything BEHIND the cat. On these XJ's the front pipe and cat aren't all that hard to do, since at least they're not y pipes, but then you gotta do the o2 sensors too at that point.

You'll probably need at least an angle grinder/cutoff wheel to separate the old exhaust, or you can try to manage with a flathead/chisel and a hammer to split the old pipe off the inner pipe. A cordless angle grinder is a must have in my opinion., and makes much quicker work of this. You cut a line down the outer pipe (without cutting into the inside pipe) and then pry it apart with a flathead, then just wrestle it back and forth until it separates.

If the pipe in front of the muffler connecting to the cat is good - then you don't need that. If you do, buy one, it's called an intermediate pipe. If the muffler is shot, buy a new one, will be no more than $30. The tail pipe will be no more than $20-30 as well. Always buy exhaust parts at a local store, online isn't worth it for exhaust parts cuz of shipping. Just get Walker or whatever cheap OEM crap they have - it doesn't matter.

You will need U clamps, which are like $2-3 a piece at the auto store, just figure out how many you need to connect them, and what diameter - DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE CLAMPS, YOU WILL CUT THROUGH THE PIPE.

Another thing you will have to look at is the state of your rear hangers holding your tailpipe up, which always rust out completely on these xj's - at least the back one. If there is still a hanger there, it might be the only one left on any xj in existence - but if not, plumber's strap (metal strapping) or some hanger will work fine. Make sure the front hook that holds the front of the tailpipe is in good shape (you'll see a rubber hanger holding the built-on hook on the exhaust pipe up to the built-on hook on the jeep) - this hook is usually ok, and you can just re-use the rubber piece, if the rubber piece is shot - get one at the store for <$10.

The only annoying part is "snaking" the tail pipe over the rear axle and getting it into place - it's kind of awkward, and it can help if you jack up the rear behind the axle somehow, that's what I always do to get more clearance.

 

If I do this is would be replacing the cat and the muffler. The front pipe doesn't seem to be rusted through, but I'm wondering if I should just replace that while I'm doing everything else too.

 

In my area, manifold back not including buying a cat would be about $130 or so.

Muffler and tailpipe only about $60-70.

Guaranteed for a year.

No rust and dirt in your eyes.

Priceless.

 

If it is that cheap by all means go to a garage. Garages seriously suck around me.

 

I had mine replaced at a shop from the Cat back for $91 out the door. The nice part everything was bent to keep it high and tight like a factory setup "Should have been" with new mounts also. Price was too cheap to fool with myself as are many jobs to have done at a shop, like the headliner.

BTW Welcome to the Forum

 

I have had the intermediate pipe, muffler, and tailpipe estimated for my truck at $500 (parts and labor) at a shop during an inspection, and ive had my xj's muffler+tailpipe estimated at $400 from 2 different shops during an inspection and during an alignment before that (I wasn't asking them) and these were actually good shops.

There's a reason I'm not going to go to a shop around here at $80+ and hour for anything other than inspections and alignments, which are flat prices.

If its any less than $200 for the exhaust work, it's for sure worth it. I just wanted to explain how to do it for anyone that's thinking about it and doesn't know how.

 

You need to find different shops with different rates.

 

I got my muffler and tail pipe done for 110$ canadian.... Probably 100$ US. It was rotted out and so loud that I couldn't stand it anymore. I read some reviews on reputable muffler shops in my area and dropped it off, 1 hour later it was done. I got them to put on a quiet muffler and like it a lot.

 

He needs to move.

Or I need to move up there and open a shop.

 

Buy the parts yourself ( muffler, cat and O2) and let the muffler shop install as they have tons of pipe they can use. Markup on parts is at least 100%, if not more. Cat should be obd2 compatible. I went with magnaflow cat and dynomax super turbo. Nice deep sound and wife and kids and I can still talk.

 

There is no such thing as different rates. If you go to a shop for any labor that isn't a flat rate (like an alignment/tire balancing, oil change, etc) - it's going to be at least $70-90 an hour anywhere in the tristate AFAIK, and the price for parts goes up too. I've had work done once or twice when I had supplied parts (really rusted nuts/bolts/parts that I simply couldn't handle in my non-garage situation) and just had to pay labor, at $80/hr.

I guess if you "knew a guy" then sure, you could get good deals here and there.

Most shops will refuse to use parts a customer brings in too, since that's where they make so much of their profit.

The weird thing is, even with insane garage rates, the cost of living is surprisingly low here in PA compared to the jobs/lifestyle/niceness of most of the areas. Very high cost of living in NJ and NYC, as I'm Sure the dude above me (Mill) can attest. I'm glad I moved.