Can someone describe the gasket that comes with the MS muffler for me ?
All the ones I just looked at were basically thin pieces of paper... and I don't see how that would help with the join because of the part that sticks out from the exhaust pipe and the part that is flat but is meant to be indented on the muffler pipe.

Is it thick/thin? Is it shaped something like this one from Stillen?
http://www.greghome.com/images/Maxim...ied_gasket.jpg

Arrrgh. How frustrating....

 

dude...does the flange on the mazdaspeed muffler look just like the one on the stock muffler? if so...just get a gasket from the dealer....

 

Actually, it's a pretty good first project. It only involves the 2 nuts and a couple of press-on fingers that go into rubber hangers. The instructions are pretty good and I didn't even jack up my car to do it - just laid on the ground and reached under.

No way they could void your warranty for doing the install yourself.

Ultimately it's your call, though...

-jim

 

Sir Nuke: uhhh ... no dude it doesn't because there's no inset part on the mazdaspeed muffer so the flange won't line up right.
wtf. I posted that like 12 messages ago.

Thanks for your help so far, but you don't even have that muffler so don't feel like you need keep replying if you're just going to get bitchy about it.

I did get the stock gasket from my dealer but I have my doubts as to whether it will be effective.

 

who's gettin BITCHY? certainly NOT me...I am just trying to HELP YOU....

if you had taken and posted pictures of BOTH flanges it would be so much easier to give you a solution then for US to be guessing what they really look like....

IF both flanges are not just flat surfaces....go to a parts house and get a normal exhaust gasket that fits the flanges and bolt it up. Just make sure that it will cover the flange as close to the hole as possible and cover the flange as much as possible.

geeeez! ya try and help someone and they get all pissy with you just for asking a CLARIFYING question! EXCUSE THE HELL OUT OF ME!

 

OK OK Sorry for calling you bitchy. But you said "dude" .... so condescending. :P

Anyway, I don't have a digicam so no quick pics of the thing.

I have a new stock gasket. Possibly updates later today as I'm going to check again and make sure the original gasket is not still stuck on there.

My my, this is a marathon thread....

 

OK, now I wish I'd taken pictures. This is all from memory, so I can't swear it's accurate, but It was definitely thick (maybe 3/16"-1/4" ?) and metal. Inside and outside diameter-wise it was basically the same as the stock one, so no, it's not shaped like the one in the picture. I've got my old stock one here, and it's more-or-less 2" ID and 2.5" OD, and 3/8" thick, after having been installed.

I'm going to take a long shot here - are you sure the "raised area" on your exhaust side isn't the stock gasket pressed into a recess? Once again, it's from memory, but I thought both the exhaust and the muffler had recesses.

I do remember that the two faces of the MS gasket are different (I only remember because I had to decide which side should face the muffler and which the exhaust.) One is flatter than the other - I'm not sure how much it matters, though.

Sorry not to be of more help.

-jim

 

rjakobs, sorry...didn't know you didn't like the term "dude"...didn't mean anything by it at all. its cool. :{D

jkb and rjakobs, tell ya what I am going to do....I DO have a digital camera....well I will borrow the one from work and take it home.....and TONIGHT i will take pictures of BOTH flanges....do some lableing in photoshop...and post them up with all the information I can....hows that? hopefully that will help not only you guys.....but anyone else needing this information.

:{D

 

It's all good now. The original gasket was there .. stuck on pretty good, actually so I removed it.. Then used the new gasket from the dealership and I'm much more confident that there is a good seal there since it was not pre-squished.

Over the next couple of days I will re-tighten the bolts again to account for any post-install compression of the new gasket.

Thanks Sir-Nuke and jkb.

(I'm still curious what the gasket looks like that actually comes with the MS muffler just because).

Now onto replacing my air filter with the nice blue Mazdaspeed one that just arrived in the mail

 

just to clear up all the confusion the gasket that comes with the mazda speed muffler is the same one that goes with the factory exhaust. we installed a ms muff on a 01 es sedan(sales manager's daughter) roughly 3-4 weeks ago and used that gasket on it and it has yet to leak. the only muffler i have sold that didnt come with a new gasket is the mp3 muffler, both of the ms muff's are supposed to have the gaskets and two new nuts with them. they are in rather small baggy in the box so make sure to check the whole box as they do do a good job of hiding in there. anyways if any of you get shorted the gasket just have the dealer look up the stock gasket that comes on the car and thats what you need. hope that helps

 

now that people have installed the mazdaspeed muffler for the sedan, can anyone post a picture of it PLEASE!?!?!?!?!?

 

I'm right here! Sorry for not seeing this thread sooner. Just missed it! Look here for a detailed pictorial on the exuast before, during, and after installation.

Hope it helps!