Replacement Muffler

[SydneyTii]

That’s a shame my old Eberspacher is an excellent exhaust, maybe the W&N Sebring or stainless OEM replica is the go for me next time, I must be going on at least 15 years on mine, guess some stuff just isn’t made as well anymore shouldn’t be the case though!

[0257]

1 hour ago, SydneyTii said:

That’s a shame my old Eberspacher is an excellent exhaust, maybe the W&N Sebring or stainless OEM replica is the go for me next time, I must be going on at least 15 years on mine, guess some stuff just isn’t made as well anymore shouldn’t be the case though!

Yeah, well, I still have the Eberspacher that was on the car when I bought it and I suspect when it was parked in 1997, and ugly as it is (with its rust and nastily spot-welded non-correct chrome tip) it’s still tight as a drum.  I threatened to go back to it after the second muffler, but the parts manager at my local dealer wouldn’t hear of it and though it took him months he got a fire lit under somebody and I have this nice no-name factory piece now.  So credit to my man Jake for that.

But you’re right — low demand for 2002 parts means, no doubt, a never-ending search on the part of BMW and others for the best price from contract manufacturers.  Never the best harbinger of quality…

[tech71]

On 2/10/2023 at 4:18 PM, tech71 said:

Yeah, those are Anza mufflers, not original BMW.

They work in a pinch but I dont care at all for the ones I installed on my 76.

Too "rappy" like a 2 stroke, far from "throaty"

You get what you pay for with them.

On 2/10/2023 at 4:18 PM, tech71 said:

I cant wait to replace at least the rear muffler with OE.

 

I think I should revise this a little,  maybe a lot.

I was a little too harsh on the OE style Ansa exhaust.

Its not that bad, it fits and for under $100 a piece...

For all I know, my issues with noise/tone may be due to a slightly modified mount set up( to accommodate the G240), or inadequate sound insulation under the rear seat delete. 

Who am I  kidding? I'm not replacing the exhaust on Survivor , at least not in the near future.

So again, the Ansa OE style stuff is not bad, it fits, it works and is a quick, low cost solution .

Edited January 29 by tech71

[Vicleonardo1]

I know the goal is to stay close to OEM as possible. But I had a nice discussion with an exhaust shop (which are pretty great bang for the buck) cuz my muffler has a nice hole in it. and he stated there that he could source one that would fit. We talked about sound and I stated I didn't want anything too "Ricey" I cannot remember what he recommended but I believe it was a Magna Flo. My car got rear ended shortly thereafter and has been in restoration since. So I am not sure about the brand. 

But, I would say if you are not stuck on OEM, talk to the exhaust shop guys, they will guide you to the sound you want and you will be surprised at how inexpensive it can be. 

 

For you Oregonians on the wet side of the Cascades, I would recommend Salem Exhaust in Keizer. 

 

Edited February 1 by Vicleonardo1

[2002iii]

I like Magnaflo and Borla, both have universal mufflers that should fit a 2002.

 

Don't forget FlowMaster, I once heard a e36 325is with one. It had a nice sound to it.

[popovm]

On 1/28/2024 at 2:21 PM, 0257 said:

After three tries, BMW NA has delivered me a muffler that passes the smoke tesst.  This one’s nice and tight.  It does not appear to be an Eberspacher — none of the usual stamped text to that effect.  That doesn’t bother me — it identical to an Eberspacher except that it’s solid, and one other detail: the brand new decorative chrome tip that has to be heated and pounded onto the Eberspacher tailpipe fits this tailpipe looser than a used rubber.

 

No markings on the muffler itself except the part number.  Any ideas as to who might have made this one?

 

 

That's awesome that you finally got a good one. Any idea how they were able to source you a good one? Just your parts manager being a bulldog? It would be helpful to know how to get a good muffler but if it's just your parts manager being a mensch then that's not exactly repeatable. 

[0257]

3 hours ago, popovm said:

 

That's awesome that you finally got a good one. Any idea how they were able to source you a good one? Just your parts manager being a bulldog? It would be helpful to know how to get a good muffler but if it's just your parts manager being a mensch then that's not exactly repeatable. 

We do have a good parts manager, and he stayed on this.  But I think BMW NA also took the problem seriously.  After the second Eberspacher came out leaky, and the parts manager rang their bell, it took some time but they found another source, not labeled Eberspacher, with a better product.  I don’t think there’s any doubt BMW NA wants to support vintage owners; I’m just as confident that more quality issues slips\ through the cracks with their contract manufacturers for these low-volume, low return lines.

 

Of course, there are dealers and there are dealers.  Some are more simpatico than others.  Sarasota’s not exactly a hotbed of vintage Bimmers, and frankly the parts guys at the local dealership couldn’t order me antifreeze without a part number. But they are good guys and they love to see me and Stevenola role up in our vintage rides. They also offer vintage enthusiast owners a discount that makes many of their parts competitive with good aftermarket suppliers — and they eat shipping, so in the end I often come out better ordering from them.  I love and value the aftermarket suppliers that support this faq, and I’ve ordered lots of stuff from them.  I suspect many of us have had enough bad experiences with dealers to avoid them altogether, and I was prepared to be unsatisfied with these guys when I first visited them, but they are proof that it’s not impossible to have a good, two-way street relationship with them.

 

As for how they did it: no one gets to peek behind the BMW NA curtain, not even the parts manager!  So maybe I couldn’t tell you the time, but hopefully it helps to hear how I think the clock was made.