How to remove muffler without cutting

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How to remove the factory exhaust WITHOUT cutting and install the Kooks catback system on the 2019+ Ram 1500 trucks.

I bought this kit for a few reasons. First and foremost, its T304. I have owned several 304 kits in the past and swear by them in the salt belt. These kits last. Yes 409 will do ok, but the surface rust can be an issue down the road when you want to remove the kit. This kit also retains the factory front resonator and OEM exhaust tips. Haven’t decided on what route I want to go with the tips (Carven or Mopar) but I have options. Lastly, this is Kooks’ “street” kit so sound should be a little milder than some of the straight through kits.

I purchased the kit from Realtruck.com and received it in 3 days. This blew my mind because previous kits I’ve order from other places took weeks to arrive so this was a pleasant surprise. My SW systems for my GMC took 6 weeks to arrive…
Kooks Catback.

This video shows the installation as well as before/after sound clips. Step by step pictures are below:


Enough rambling, let’s dive in.
  • Spray every rubber insulator and clamp from the muffler to the rear of the truck with WD40 to help things loosen up.
  • Unbolt the factory exhaust tips using a 13mm socket. The Kooks kit reuses the OEM tips so clean them up and set aside for reinstallation.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting
  • Unbolt the clamp holding the passenger side tailpipe together. The clamp is welded to the pipe so you only need to loosen it. 13mmm socket as well.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting
  • Remove the passenger side muffler from the rubber isolator. Support muffler with a jack stand or a buddy (bonus points if his name is Jack).
  • Using a dead blow hammer or a 2x4 and hammer, gently tap the front of the passenger side resonator to help it slide out of the y-pipe. You should need much for to get the pipe out. Once out, set the pipe aside and prepare for the fun part.
  • Remove the spare tire.
  • Remove the driver side heat shield that surrounds the spare tire. (3) 10mm bolts. Be careful, there isn’t anything holding this on so once its unbolted it will drop.
    How to remove muffler without cutting
  • Unbolt driver side lower bolt using an 8mm socket and an 18mm wrench. Move link out of the way so when you lift the truck, it doesn’t get caught.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting
  • CAREFULLY jack up the driver side of the truck by the FRAME. This will lift the body of the truck but leave the axle on the ground. IMPORTANT: watch all the wire harnesses and brake lines so you do not over lift.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting
  • Unbolt the muffler assembly from the factory mid-pipe. Also, remove the ground strap that is clipped onto the muffler hanger.
  • Unbolt the two nuts that hold the silver hanger bracket (located above the muffler with orange isolators) from the truck frame.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting
  • Remove the driver side resonator from the rear hanger. At this point only the two studs above the silver muffler bracket are holding the exhaust in place.
  • With one person under the muffler and another near the driver side rear resonator, start by sliding the whole exhaust system towards the rear of the truck to clear the bracket studs above the silver hanger bracket.
  • Next start passing the exhaust kit over the axle to the person who was under the muffler. The kit will need to be rotated slightly in order to clear the axle, gas tank, and various wires but should eventually slide out from under the passenger side of the truck.
  • Now fist bump your friend, the hard part is over.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting

 

Installing the new catback.

  • Remove the factory exhaust gasket from in front of the muffler assembly. Reinstall on the Kooks midpipe pipe connection.
  • Remove the orange isolators and silver bracket from the factory muffler and install on the Kooks muffler.
  • Loosely attach the front midpipe to the muffler using the supplied bracket.
  • Start installing the muffler by first sliding the silver bracket onto the chassis studs. The nuts can be reinstalled and tightened for the hanger. Reattach the front midpipe of the Kooks kit to the factory hanger. Using the Kooks supplied bolts, attached kit to factory midpipe.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting

  • How to remove muffler without cutting

  • Reattach the ground clip to the hanger.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting

  • Install the y-pipe onto the elbow of the muffler. Again only finger tight until all the pieces are installed.

  • Before connecting to the rest of the system, attached the over axle tailpipe portion and the pre-exhaust tip portion of the kit together. Do this for both the driver and passenger side tailpipe sections.
  • Install driver side tailpipe section, the y-pipe out the back of the muffler may need to be twisted to align with the rear tailpipe. It does NOT sit perpendicular to the chassis.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting

  • Hang the driver side tailpipe on the rear exhaust hanger.
  • Repeat steps above for passenger side tailpipe section.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting

  • How to remove muffler without cutting

  • At this point everything should be loosely installed and you can lower the truck if you haven’t already.
  • Once lowered, reattached sway bar lower link and reinstall heat shield.
  • Reinstall the spare tire
  • Starting from the muffler section and working your way to the rear of the truck, begin checking for clearances and tightening all the clamps.
  • Reinstall exhaust tips before the tailpipe sections are completely tightened to verify alignment. Tighten when tips have proper clearance with the bumper.
  • How to remove muffler without cutting

  • Before starting up the kit do a once over of all the clamps. OPTIONAL: Use glass clean to wipe down the pipes and muffler to remove greasy fingerprints that will burn in if not removed.
  • Start up truck and let it warm up. Inspect for leaks.
  • Enjoy your kit! Now find a place to store you OEM exhaust!

 

Waterfowler41 said:

Installing the new catback.

  • Remove the factory exhaust gasket from in front of the muffler assembly. Reinstall on the Kooks midpipe pipe connection.
  • Remove the orange isolators and silver bracket from the factory muffler and install on the Kooks muffler.
  • Loosely attach the front midpipe to the muffler using the supplied bracket.
  • Start installing the muffler by first sliding the silver bracket onto the chassis studs. The nuts can be reinstalled and tightened for the hanger. Reattach the front midpipe of the Kooks kit to the factory hanger. Using the Kooks supplied bolts, attached kit to factory midpipe.
  • View attachment 47658
  • View attachment 47656
  • Reattach the ground clip to the hanger.
  • View attachment 47657
  • Install the y-pipe onto the elbow of the muffler. Again only finger tight until all the pieces are installed.

  • Before connecting to the rest of the system, attached the over axle tailpipe portion and the pre-exhaust tip portion of the kit together. Do this for both the driver and passenger side tailpipe sections.
  • Install driver side tailpipe section, the y-pipe out the back of the muffler may need to be twisted to align with the rear tailpipe. It does NOT sit perpendicular to the chassis.
  • View attachment 47660
  • Hang the driver side tailpipe on the rear exhaust hanger.
  • Repeat steps above for passenger side tailpipe section.
  • View attachment 47661
  • View attachment 47659
  • At this point everything should be loosely installed and you can lower the truck if you haven’t already.
  • Once lowered, reattached sway bar lower link and reinstall heat shield.
  • Reinstall the spare tire
  • Starting from the muffler section and working your way to the rear of the truck, begin checking for clearances and tightening all the clamps.
  • Reinstall exhaust tips before the tailpipe sections are completely tightened to verify alignment. Tighten when tips have proper clearance with the bumper.
  • View attachment 47662
  • Before starting up the kit do a once over of all the clamps. OPTIONAL: Use glass clean to wipe down the pipes and muffler to remove greasy fingerprints that will burn in if not removed.
  • Start up truck and let it warm up. Inspect for leaks.
  • Enjoy your kit! Now find a place to store you OEM exhaust!

Click to expand...

This is awesome. Very well done. Do you have plans to post any videos to your YouTube channel? I'd likely choose the same system VS the race option as well.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

Can you just take off the muffler?

The muffler has the job of reducing or changing the noise of a vehicle engine. However, the muffler is not needed to run the vehicle. Taking your muffler out of your exhaust system would not interrupt your vehicle's functioning.

How hard is it to remove muffler?

The muffler's only job is to muffle the sound of the engine as it is amplified through the exhaust pipe. With that said, you should be able to remove the muffler without any loss of power or major issues. It is relatively simple to remove with the right tools.

Is removing muffler straight pipe?

A muffler delete is exactly what it sounds like- it's removing your stock muffler and putting an exhaust pipe in its place. Straight pipes can refer to muffler deletes, but they can also refer to removing everything in the exhaust system that isn't pipe. This includes resonators and catalytic converters.

Does no muffler hurt engine?

Your broken muffler can reduce the effectiveness of your exhaust system. The broken part can keep your car from being effective when siphoning the exhaust fumes out of your engine and will negatively affect your car engine's performance. In turn, your car will produce higher emissions and lose fuel economy.