I bought a new exhaust clamp for my '08 Clubman S and was wondering if there is an easy way to install it? I bought it thinking it was going to be an easy switch but it appears I may have to remove the exhaust to change it - do I have to remove the exhaust or is there something I am missing here?

 

It's clamp #6 in the photo below. The down pipe connects to a cat or muffler but I can't get them separated enough to slip in the new clamp. Anybody have any insight on this???



Here is a close-up of the clamp - I can't just spread it apart because of the inner sealing ring.

 

For your reading pleasure https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d-is-crap.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...band-help.html

 

I have done it in the past by slightly pushing back on the exhaust flex pipe / exhaust mid pipe and dipping the lip of the pipe down then working the gasket inward. It helps to have another set of hand do this.

Let me know if you need anything else. Make sure its on straight and then torque it down like in the other threads.

 

Braminator - Thanks for the links - I already read the one about not getting the clamp tightened, but my issue is getting separation between the two to get the new clamp in between them and neither of the threads disused that. The clamp on the car was not the original one with the inner piece and the bolt fell out so I had a major exhaust leak. I found a bolt/lock nut/nut and tightened everything up and it quieted down, but it wasn’t the correct part. So I bought the correct part with the inner seal but can’t figure out to get it to go on without removing the exhaust.

EXSTuning - Thanks - I was trying to force it but my wife was down there with me watching and started freaking out when it looked like I was going to break something - she needed to use the car this morning for work. Everything felt like it was rock solid so I just retightened the old setup and called it a day. It appears to be a good seal but I really don't know as I have not started it with me underneath and it sounds 10 times quieter that how it was before.