[mjch]

I really appreciate all of the wisdom and experience this site offers. It has saved me thousands in repair bills and it has given me the knowledge to speak (relatively) intelligently to the service writers at the dealerships in my area.

I have had my 2000 M5 on jacks for 2 weeks, slowly plucking away at the project of removing and replacing the center bearing and guibo. I have been stuck for the last several hours trying to figure out how to get the exhaust system down.

Rear bumper is removed, rear exhaust system hangers, rear middle, front middle and header bolts / connectors are all removed. She wiggles but does not seem to want to release. I was going planning to buy a one day subscription to the bmwtis , but thought I would post the question here first.

I have spent hours reading posts surrounding this project, but I have not found anything that specifically speaks to tips or procedures for removing the exhauset system.

 

[E55AMG2]

Tap where the exhaust bolts up to the headers with a rubber mallet....it could be rusted in place slightly. Also, have a second set of hands or a jack under the exhaust, it's heavy.

 

[jselig]

There are 6 mounts that hold the rear mufflers. 4 13mm bolts that bracket the rear section just in front of the mufflers. There is a bracket attached to the trans holding the front section. And the the 8 down pipe bolts at the front.

 

[mjch]

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try. I do have a landing spot under the mufflers, cats and one of the headers that is about 1" to 2" from their current position. I am guessing the exhaust system weighs somewhere in the 200 lb range so it has me a little freaked out...

 

[mjch]

Appreciate the information jselig. I have only dealt with (4) hangers at the mufflers, so I am looking for (2) more...

All the others you have mentioned are removed.

 

[jselig]

Support the rear with a jack and a 2x4 across the pipes right behind the diff. Lower it a few inches and then set the front down by hand. Lower the rear now and pull it out from the rear. Don't forget to unplug the o2 sensors.

 

[jselig]

Appreciate the information jselig. I have only dealt with (4) hangers at the mufflers, so I am looking for (2) more...

All the others you have mentioned are removed.

There are also 1 on the outsides of each of the mufflers.

 

[mjch]

The rear is loose now, and I like the suggestion of a 2 by for stability in controlling the rear of the system while I am banging on the front. I'll cut one to length and let you know how it comes out. I have to remove the system from the front as I backed into the garage.

 

[mjch]

Thanks to jselig and E55AMG2 for your help. The exhaust system is out and I am headed for the next stage of this repair. I found that once the rear of the exhaust system was held by a 2X4 on a hyd jack, I could get a good amount of movement by sliding the pipes back and forth on the lumber while pulling the syetem toward the rear while holding on to the tips. I put a couple of plastic milk jug cases (about 2" below) the front of the system so it had a soft place to land after a short fall. It worked great.

Again, thanks for all your help.