BEFORE YOU start installation go buy this tool, it will save you a lot of cussing! The exhaust hanger remover wrench shown here is available many places like Home Depot and AMAZON for under $20 and makes the job of getting the exhaust hangers off so much easier that it is well worth the investment.
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DUAL EXHAUST INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.
Very simple install, have your 14mm and 11mm deep sockets ready. You can also use a small 12v (or less driver) for the exhaust clamps, but exercise some mechanical common sense and understand that if you grab the same big 18v or 20v impact gun that you use for lug nuts you may break an exhaust clamp. If you don't have a lift like we do here at that shop you do not need to jack up your Ridgeline. Even with my own Ridgeline lowered two inches I can do this install in my home driveway without jacking up the vehicle. Make sure your Ridgeline is in park with parking brake set. Having a jack or jackstand is handy for support of the factory exhaust system, which is one 10 ft long ONE PIECE item. If you have a shop install, BE SMART AND PRINT THEM THESE INSTRUCTIONS, don't leave them to guess if you want it done right.
Step 1
Lube up the exhaust hangers. You can use WD40, or we usually use just a spray bottle with a mix of water and dish soap.
Step 2
Find where the factory exhaust connects to factory catalytic converter which is under the front half of the Ridgeline and looks like this:
. Spray the three 14mm nuts that hold factory exhaust to the factory converter with PB Blaster or similar penetrant. Use a jack or jackstand to support the long factory one piece exhaust system and then unbolt those three 14mm nuts that hold the factory exhaust to the converter. Use your new exhaust hanger removal tool to remove the factory exhaust from the rubber exhaust hangers and lower it to the ground (note you need to rotate it a bit and move it forward to get the tip and factory hanger from out of rear suspension).
Step 3
Hang the NEW front main muffler with helmholtz chamber. We are using a transmission jack for support in the picture here. Finger tighten the nuts that attach this front section to the converter. Leave these just finger tight for now while you hang the rest of the system. AFTER the full system is hung, come back to these nuts and make these tight to 25 ft/lbs with a torque wrench (go buy one if you don't have it already, Harbor freight has one that is good enough for about $20 most days).
Step 4
Add the secondary muffler (short ~12" long section). Notice it is directional, there is a slight lip inside main muffler outlet which nests in inlet of the secondary muffler and straight pipe section. And the secondary muffler repeats that lip which nests in rear section of the system. Looking here at lip at rear of secondary muffler.
Side-note:
Our Ridgeline exhaust comes with two options for this secondary muffler section; a muffler, or a straight pipe. We suggest most folks do break in miles with the secondary muffler installed. There's lots of reflective naked metal in the exhaust when new and it takes a good three months of driving to coat the insides and the muffler fibers with a layer of carbon which will really mellow the sound results. After that, have fun experimenting with whether or not the straight pipe works for you.
Step 5
Add the V-Band clamps to hold the secondary muffler in place. You need to open the clamps entirely to get them around the pipe. This is the one bit of hardware you must use hand tools on. Do NOT use power tools on the 11mm nuts that hold the V Clamps; you will melt and ruin the nylon lock washer that is built into each one.
Step 6
Add the "Y" section as shown here. Slip a clamp over the tube and leave the clamp hanging - do not tighten it yet (you will tighten this in step 10).
Notice in the photo that we put a healthy smear of anti-seize on the end of the tube that slips inside of the other tube. We do this on all of the slip-together junctions.
Step 7
You have two hangers to add to your Ridgeline, both hangers are for the Driver's side rear section of pipe and tip. Both hangers use existing factory threaded connections! First hanger goes as shown under bracket that holds cable for rear parking brake to the chassis. Notice this hanger has two holes and from this picture you can see the orientation under the factory bracket that holds that same E-brake line. The second hanger bolts as shown to factory bolt just about two inches forward of last bolt for factory bumper.
FIRST hanger goes under where the Ebrake cable coming from Driver's rear wheel reaches and is secured to chassis.
Now add the rubber hanger.
SECOND hanger goes just a few inches forward of first bolt that holds rear bumper assembly, find the factory 10mm bolt as shown and use it again. Note you need to get rubber hanger on before you can swing this bracket into place and tighten it with vertical orientation as shown.
Step 8
Now hang connecting pipe from Y section to driver's side rear suspension cross over point and again, use ANTI-SEIZE on slip joint. Slip two clamps over this tube and leave them hanging - do not tighten them yet (you will tighten these in step 10).
Step 9
Before you hang rear tip sections hold the tip up to the plastic cutout under bumper on each side and notice the orientation of the pipe (this will make it clear which side is driver's side and which is passenger side). You can then connect each rear tip section (again have Anti-Seize liberally applied to slip joints both sides first)
STEP 10
Tip alignment. IMPORTANT to notice your 2017 to 2020 bumper has a little cut out on the underside that we use to align tip sections, notice the RED arrow we added here to make it more obvious that there is the cutout and we align tips with those cutouts. You will need one person to hold the tip while you tighten the multiple clamps between the Y and the rear tips. Before you tighten the clams that hold rear sections with tips put a wooden yardstick vertically against tips and push or pull that section in and out until you get the yardstick to touch where the plastic curves under (BLUE ARROW). If you can't see that BLUE arrow here please click picture to make picture BIGGER. Use your cordless driver or SMALL impact wrench to torque the clamps while a helper holds tips aligned with the cutouts as shown. There's no easy way to do this final task solo. You may be pulling or pushing those rear tip pipe sections in or out as needed to get them aligned with bumper per above.