Question: Is there a way to bend an exhaust/muffler without removing the whole thing from the car? I'd like the muffler tip moved ~ 1 inch towards the passenger side. I tried heating with a handheld propane torch and using my breaker-bar with no success. I suppose the right answer is to either hack off the hangars and try to fully reposition the exhaust again or go back to the muffler shop. I really only need a little more clearance, so if there's a way to bend the exhaust just a little...I'm interested in your thoughts.
Details: The Exhaust on my M42 powered E30 Challenge car was hacked up by the prior owner (straight-pipe, aftermarket muffler). I found an OEM cat & mid-pipe (free w/my replacement engine!) and had a local muffler shop weld on the good muffler and hang the whole exhaust for $40 (~9 months ago). Unfortunately, the OEM hangar post had been removed so they set it up with custom hangars. I had to ask the tech to tuck the whole thing closer to the body during the install once, but they insisted it couldn't get tucked in any closer without rubbing. It was still way too low and I couldn't drive over a basic speed bump without rubbing. I cut off the hangars and moved the whole thing closer to the car not perfect but "good enough." It has required some sort of fix or adjustment every other month or so. The rubber in one of the brackets had disintegrated and it started rubbing the valence so I re-did the whole thing ~two months ago. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts the thing shifted to the point it was rubbing the rear valence shortly after.
The passenger-side of the muffler opening on the valence had already been trimmed by the PO. I trimmed it a few millimeters from the driver-side of the opening a few weeks ago, which solved the problem temporarily. Unfortunately, the exhaust tip has shifted back and just started hitting the valence again. The way the exhaust hangers are situated, I don't see a way to easily move the entire exhaust position by an inch or 1/2 inch.
