I ordered a pair of sport exhaust tips from Morristown Mini. I figured it was a quick, if not particularly cheap (to me), way to get rid of the beer cans. I got a little crazy and followed someones advice to paint the inside black with heat resistant paint. It was time-consuming process (clean, dry, paint, dry, bake, paint, dry, bake), but it looked really good. Then, when I got ready to install them, I discovered that one of the set screws refused to tighten. I went to Autozone and got another set screw, figuring the original had bad threads. The new one wouldn't tighten either; the threads in the hole were bad. I went to Home Depot to find a tap to thread the hole out to the next larger size and a new set screw. Next size up from M6 is 1/4". It re-threaded easily and the new set screw seemed to fit fine. Mounted the tips. Looked good. Drove around. Walked to back of car to admire new bling. Not straight anymore. Loosen screws, re-align, drive around, check, repeat, repeat. By this time I have stripped out both set screws AGAIN!!! At least I already had a 5/16" tap, so I re-threaded both holes, got new set screws, remounted tips. Drove around, check tips, crooked AGAIN!!

Removed sport exhaust tips, put in box, re-installed original beer-can tips. I'm waiting until I have saved up enough patience to try again.

In the box with the exhaust tips was a 3rd item I have not figured out a purpose for. It is sheet metal, about 6" long & about 3/4" wide, straight, with two arcs that match the radius of the exhaust tips. There is a hole in the middle of each arc. It looks like you could screw it to the inboard end of the tips. Is this what is supposed to keep the tips from getting misaligned?

 

This may be dumb question but:

Did you verify they were on the right sides?

I didn't know (when I first tried to put them on) that there's a right and left tip -- not interchangeable.
After that initial "oops", mine have fit and stayed on fine.

What keeps them straight is pushing them in far enough so that the exhaust fits in the inner lip of the tip -- you shouldn't be able to move them side-to-side without actually moving the exhaust itself.

 

take it to a muffer shop and have it welded?

 

Uhhh I'd like to see the results of that... blue tips I'm thinking.

Check to make sure they are left to left right to right.
It is possible that flat piece is supposed to support the tips. If it has holds that line up and is contoured I would think thats what it's there for.

 

Thanks, that was the key - I don't know how I missed that, but that is why I think I generally have such a hard time with car projects - I CAN miss things that obvious . I put them on this afternoon and all is right with the universe!