My Borla duals (cat back) install nightmare.
10-17-2010, 09:05 PM
#1
Bye F150, hello F250
Thread Starter
My Borla duals (cat back) install nightmare.
I bought the 140291 Borla cat-back duals and installed them myself, with the help of a couple beer swilling stand-bys. Although I love the sound, I am NOT happy with the installation or final fit of the set. I have emailed Borla with what went down, we'll see where that goes.
First, I dry fitted everything and found that the rear hangers are actually mounted on the spring block bolts. Odd, but okay I guess. Destructions say to re-torque things to "manufacturer's specs", WTF are the torque specs for those nuts??? That nut/bolt set has a 3/4" head, the nut is 13/16". You HAVE to remove the spare and use a deep socket with extension and go through a hole in the frame gusset to get at the nut. Odd. Destructions made no mention of that. Nice.
Then, I undid all the hangers at the screws/nuts and the 2 bolts at the front flange. Its the only way to get the front pipe off as it's keyed, and the know is at the top, hard to see. The destructions mention the twist is required, but it should mention to remove everything. Off came the OEM.
On went the muffler piece, which ties into the flanged pipe. The problem is, that on the OEM pipe, there is a clamp. Its a band clamp, with a 5/6" nut. spacer, and spot welded to the pipe so it won't move. Pushing the Borla piece into this piece, no tightening of that clamp would seal the pipes together. I tried harder and harder and eventually BROKE the bolt! It would not seal! Thankfully, on the OEM tip was a nut/bolt/moon washer that I reused. I ended up getting a 3" standard muffler clamp and putting that on, closer to the muffler, and over the notches in the OEM pipe, which are there to allow for compression. There are no notches where the OEM clamp is. I wish the instructions mentioned this too.
The Borla uses 2 of the 3 OEM hangers. The back 2 are new, 1 OEM is not used at all.
After getting that front piece in, we dry fitted the tips and the 1 pipe that rounds the spare, on the driver's side. Its close to the spare. I assume this is okay though. The driver's side tip lined up nicely. About 1/2" down from the bumper, angled slightly to the side, but not too much. But on the passenger side, the tip touched the bumper!! We thought that tightening everything might help, but nope.
So off came the tip, that hanger, and I added 2, then 3, then 4, then back to 3, washers between the metal hanger and the spring bolt nut. That helped a bit, but not too much. We thought that pushing that pipe into the muffler pipe more would pivot it down, but it was in as far as it would go, so no help there either. After 4 hours, I gave up and decided to leave it and have a beer or two. The passenger side tip is touching the bumper.
I fired it up to hear it and to burn off oils or whatever packing there was. Sounded great.
2 minutes later, I turned it off, crawled under to check the seams, and notices a water leak, at the muffler along a weld. Yes, mufflers to have a man-made hole to release steam and water, but my leak seemed to be right along a weld. I asked Borla if this is normal.
This should have been a 1 hour job. It took 4 or 5. I needed 5-6 different sockets (metric AND standard), a wrecking bar to undo some nuts, a torque wrench to guess at the settings and to retest later and a 3" clamp, oh, ans some washers.
First, I dry fitted everything and found that the rear hangers are actually mounted on the spring block bolts. Odd, but okay I guess. Destructions say to re-torque things to "manufacturer's specs", WTF are the torque specs for those nuts??? That nut/bolt set has a 3/4" head, the nut is 13/16". You HAVE to remove the spare and use a deep socket with extension and go through a hole in the frame gusset to get at the nut. Odd. Destructions made no mention of that. Nice.
Then, I undid all the hangers at the screws/nuts and the 2 bolts at the front flange. Its the only way to get the front pipe off as it's keyed, and the know is at the top, hard to see. The destructions mention the twist is required, but it should mention to remove everything. Off came the OEM.
On went the muffler piece, which ties into the flanged pipe. The problem is, that on the OEM pipe, there is a clamp. Its a band clamp, with a 5/6" nut. spacer, and spot welded to the pipe so it won't move. Pushing the Borla piece into this piece, no tightening of that clamp would seal the pipes together. I tried harder and harder and eventually BROKE the bolt! It would not seal! Thankfully, on the OEM tip was a nut/bolt/moon washer that I reused. I ended up getting a 3" standard muffler clamp and putting that on, closer to the muffler, and over the notches in the OEM pipe, which are there to allow for compression. There are no notches where the OEM clamp is. I wish the instructions mentioned this too.
The Borla uses 2 of the 3 OEM hangers. The back 2 are new, 1 OEM is not used at all.
After getting that front piece in, we dry fitted the tips and the 1 pipe that rounds the spare, on the driver's side. Its close to the spare. I assume this is okay though. The driver's side tip lined up nicely. About 1/2" down from the bumper, angled slightly to the side, but not too much. But on the passenger side, the tip touched the bumper!! We thought that tightening everything might help, but nope.
So off came the tip, that hanger, and I added 2, then 3, then 4, then back to 3, washers between the metal hanger and the spring bolt nut. That helped a bit, but not too much. We thought that pushing that pipe into the muffler pipe more would pivot it down, but it was in as far as it would go, so no help there either. After 4 hours, I gave up and decided to leave it and have a beer or two. The passenger side tip is touching the bumper.I fired it up to hear it and to burn off oils or whatever packing there was. Sounded great.
2 minutes later, I turned it off, crawled under to check the seams, and notices a water leak, at the muffler along a weld. Yes, mufflers to have a man-made hole to release steam and water, but my leak seemed to be right along a weld. I asked Borla if this is normal.
This should have been a 1 hour job. It took 4 or 5. I needed 5-6 different sockets (metric AND standard), a wrecking bar to undo some nuts, a torque wrench to guess at the settings and to retest later and a 3" clamp, oh, ans some washers.
10-17-2010, 09:23 PM
#2
For the price they charge for their kits they should have good directions, fit like a glove and have excellent build quality. From what I've read on the forums most of their kits seem to have sub-par build quality.
10-17-2010, 09:33 PM
#3
Fordified
If the tip stays touching the passenger side bumper, there will probably be a buzz vibration at some point.
Tips on this thread show proper (better?) spacing.
I'd be interested hearing what Borla has to say.
Tips on this thread show proper (better?) spacing.
I'd be interested hearing what Borla has to say.
Last edited by 1Gunner; 10-17-2010 at 09:47 PM.
10-17-2010, 10:27 PM
#4
Member
Well I guess Borla isn't the only exhaust company that can't make the after market exhaust right for the new 09-10 trucks. I bought a MBRP sidso cat back system for my 2010 truck and it took me 4 hrs to get it on and I had to use torches on my kit oh and a mig welder. Anyways I had my kit replaced shipped me a new system as I did bit*h alot and the new system wasn't much better, the driver's side pipe had to be bent to match the pass side pipe and my spare tire is in the box. Never again will I buy any after market exhaust kits I will buy just a muffler and do my own pipping out the side in front of the rear tire ( lightning exhaust ). You would think big companies would test fit all exhaust systems on every year truck, and make adjustments before going into production.
10-18-2010, 04:51 PM
#5
Fordified
Hey Sean any updates on this, or better yet.....sound clips?
being from just down the road from me..... in Ontario.... where did you order this system from?
being from just down the road from me..... in Ontario.... where did you order this system from?
10-18-2010, 05:07 PM
#6
Senior Member
I had a lot of difficulty with my Gibson system as well. IT said it fit my truck but it was way off. Also, the so called clamp on easy installation was ineffective, some of the clamps did not hold no matter how tight i twisted the bolts. I eventually took it to the muffler shop and had them weld it. They even had to bend one of the pipes. The sound is pretty good but there is a little drone.
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10-18-2010, 05:46 PM
#8
Everything you had an issue with is very common.
Borla's dual kits have always had the passengers tips too high, even on the roush systems they make.
Your best bet is to return the kit, and buy the roush off road ofr a 04-08. The muffler sections made by borla, but the piping is made buy another company. The borla kit has the over the axle pieces weded to the muffler so no adjustments can be made, but the roush is exactly the same as the borla BUT the pipes clamp onto the muffler so adjustments can be made, its much easier.
The roush kits are ALOT less for the same kit/quality and sound sick. Yes the 04-08 roush kit WILL fit the 2010 also.
Every issue you described is pretty true for any cat-back install, i've done now a total of ten of them on f-150's.
Borla's dual kits have always had the passengers tips too high, even on the roush systems they make.
Your best bet is to return the kit, and buy the roush off road ofr a 04-08. The muffler sections made by borla, but the piping is made buy another company. The borla kit has the over the axle pieces weded to the muffler so no adjustments can be made, but the roush is exactly the same as the borla BUT the pipes clamp onto the muffler so adjustments can be made, its much easier.
The roush kits are ALOT less for the same kit/quality and sound sick. Yes the 04-08 roush kit WILL fit the 2010 also.
Every issue you described is pretty true for any cat-back install, i've done now a total of ten of them on f-150's.
10-18-2010, 07:25 PM
#9
Senior Member
Everything you had an issue with is very common.
Borla's dual kits have always had the passengers tips too high, even on the roush systems they make.
Your best bet is to return the kit, and buy the roush off road ofr a 04-08. The muffler sections made by borla, but the piping is made buy another company. The borla kit has the over the axle pieces weded to the muffler so no adjustments can be made, but the roush is exactly the same as the borla BUT the pipes clamp onto the muffler so adjustments can be made, its much easier.
The roush kits are ALOT less for the same kit/quality and sound sick. Yes the 04-08 roush kit WILL fit the 2010 also.
Every issue you described is pretty true for any cat-back install, i've done now a total of ten of them on f-150's.
Borla's dual kits have always had the passengers tips too high, even on the roush systems they make.
Your best bet is to return the kit, and buy the roush off road ofr a 04-08. The muffler sections made by borla, but the piping is made buy another company. The borla kit has the over the axle pieces weded to the muffler so no adjustments can be made, but the roush is exactly the same as the borla BUT the pipes clamp onto the muffler so adjustments can be made, its much easier.
The roush kits are ALOT less for the same kit/quality and sound sick. Yes the 04-08 roush kit WILL fit the 2010 also.
Every issue you described is pretty true for any cat-back install, i've done now a total of ten of them on f-150's.
10-18-2010, 07:44 PM
#10
The Corsa kit i have on now fits great also.