Thunderbird Borla Club Members

[MerlotBird04]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I've not noticed any big change in shifting behavior after the Borlas and K&R CAI were installed on my '04 bird (included disconnecting the battery). When I punch it and pull quickly up to speed onto the expressway, I sure notice a difference (and the v8 growl), but nothing significant in shifting difference. I expect that may change though once we compliment the Borlas and CAI with an SCT X3 flash tuner and a few dyno tunes.

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

but nothing significant in shifting difference. I expect that may change though once we compliment the Borlas and CAI with an SCT X3 flash tuner and a few dyno tunes.

The Xcal will definitely fix the shift lag, especially in SST mode. With the Xcal it resets shift pressure and can also raise shift points.

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Question,

I read the Borla PDF and could not determine if you remove the rubber hangers from the TBIRD frame or if you loosen them. Can anyone help. I have an 02 Tbird.

HKS

Ok Julie..sign me up. The little '05 Black Bird now has Borlas! They sound "Purr-fect!!!"

Here's the installation procedures I followed for my 2005 T-Bird with links to pictures. Hope this helps others (especially the '04 and '05 Bird Lovers) to take the "Borla Plunge"


Installing Borla CAT-Back Exhaust on a 2005 Thunderbird


With the help and encouragement of Julie (Ladybird02—Borla Babe) I bought the Borla Performance Cat-Back Exhaust System for my new ’05 Bird. I received the TBN discount and the Borlas showed in two days via UPS.

There was an issue about Borla not recommending them for the ’04-’05 TBirds, however, Jim Dube had successfully installed them on his ’05 Bird and others had done the same on ‘04s. There was one individual who claimed that they would not fit his ’05 Bird, but it was obvious that the muffler shop who attempted the installation had no clue what they were doing.

The following are my key comments about the installation. The associated pictures are available on my website (see links that follow)

So last night I decided to make my first real mod to my three-week old baby Bird.

1. I looked in the 2005 Thunderbird Workshop manual and found the correct jacking points and jacked up just the rear of the car, placing a jack stand just forward of the rear wheels at the specified locations.

2. I downloaded the Borla Installation instructions (PDF) from the Borla website. What was odd was that there were no instructions included with the Borlas—surely an oversight.
http://www.borla.com/media/installations/140081.pdf

3. I then sprayed all the exhaust rubber hangers and the two factory clamps on the stock front mufflers with a penetrating spray lubricant.

4. I then removed the two front muffler clamps. Then I removed the exhaust hangers from the rubber brackets (two on each side). I had my teenage son hold the back part of the exhaust system up in place. Then with a couple of tugs the whole exhaust system came off as one piece. I then stored it in the shed until Spring when I will decide what to do with it.

5. At this point I could see the exhaust shield and the two exhaust pipes
http://www.biblebb.com/borla1.jpg
http://www.biblebb.com/borla2.jpg

(Note: the only place where I found any obstruction with the exhaust shield was on top of the Borla muffler where it was touching the lowest part of the protruding “bump” of the exhaust shield. I bent this “bump” in about a half an inch, which was surrounding the metal bracket for the driveshaft bearing assembly—it had enough clearance for this little bend).

6. I then got my electric drill with a small grinding wheel to grind off the little round tab on the right factory exhaust pipe (looks orange in picture). As you can see in picture #3 it didn’t even line up with the notch in the Borla pipe. But even if it did, Jim Dube already discovered that by removing the tab completely you can slide the Borla muffler further forward, thus having less tailpipe sticking out the back of the car. Some previous installations seem to stick out a bit too far. Picture #4 shows the tab completely removed.
http://www.biblebb.com/borla3.jpg
http://www.biblebb.com/borla4.jpg

7. I then found the Borla clamps and laid them out to find the two smaller ones for the front of the Borla muffler (again a Jim Dube idea).
http://www.biblebb.com/borla5.jpg

8. I then took each of the Borla connecting pipes and connected them together before putting them on the car, ensuring that they would slide together for complete insertion. I then took a marker pen and made a line at the full insertion point, which came in handy later when tightening up the system, to again ensure that I get the exhaust tips as full forward as I could. I measured the stock Ford tips from the resonator hangers to the end of the exhaust tip and the Borlas were approx 3.5 inches longer than the Ford ones, so ensuring all connections are fully inserted together is very important to keep the Borlas from sticking out too far.
http://www.biblebb.com/borla6.jpg

9. Then, as the Borla instructions indicate, I put all the pieces together with the clamps still untightened. Then I began slowly tightening each clamp so they could maintain position, yet still be moved around to ensure I got the right alignment of the tips. I had to keep ensuring the connections maintained full insertion until I gave it the final tightening. I then started at the rear of the car and started to tighten the clamps so the pipes would no longer move. I worked my way forward, and then made sure the muffler was completely as far forward as it could go.
http://www.biblebb.com/borla7.jpg

10. Lastly, I tightened each clamp bolt to the Borla recommended 35 ft pounds. The exhaust tips, although bigger than the stock ones, fit almost in the exact location as the Ford originals.
http://www.biblebb.com/borla8.jpg
http://www.biblebb.com/borla9.jpg

The sound is “perfect”—not too loud and not too soft. In fact, the best way to describe the sound is a “nice purr” similar to a new Mustang GT. And when you give the accelerator a bit of a push during takeoff the sound changes from a “purr” to a very nice “growl” sound.

[ThunderBubba]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

HKS --

If the rubber hangers you are talking about were the ones that held the old exhaust in place towards the rear of the car then yes you do leave them. You need them to hang the Borlas on.

[THHNDR]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Ditto on what Thunderbubba said, the system is made to easily replace the OEM exhaust.

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

ThunderBubba,

Thanks for the reply.

In other words, you just pull the exhaust system (muflers) sideways to pull the metal rods out of the rubber bracket without loosening the hanger bracket bold on the frome. Is that right?

I am trying to determine if I should do it myself. If I use ramps, do I back up into the ramps?

HKS

HKS --
If the rubber hangers you are talking about were the ones that held the old exhaust in place towards the rear of the car then yes you do leave them. You need them to hang the Borlas on.

[mdbluebrd]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I did mine on jack stands, but had I used ramps, I'd have probably backed up on them. If you put a few drops of liquid soap on the rubber bushings you'll have an easier time getting the metal hangers off and on again.

[RQTBIRD]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

HKS,

I backed up on the ramps but I first had to drive both rear wheels on a short 2X6 board in order to get my ramps under the rear fenders. Soap thing works great.

[steelblue5505]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

If the ramps start to scoot away from the tires as you back up on them there is an old trick:
Take a piece of rope and tie it to the forward edge of the ramp and then lay it out toward the tire, as the tire goes onto the rope and starts up the ramp the weight of the car on the rope keeps the ramp from moving away from the tire.

Coming down off the ramps be certain to come down slowly, very slowly so that the ramps don't hit the underside of the rear bumper.

[Chuck]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Hey - I just noticed, I'm not on the list - Chuck - 2003 Desert Sky Blue, was one of the 1st 2003s with them - beat the heck out of Borla for months

[Leroy]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I purchased my T-Bird about 13 months ago from a Mrecedes Benz dealer in Lancaster, Pa. It was a one owner 04 with 7400 miles on it and still under warranty. I had found the car on Ebay and was the high bidder. We drove my truck to Lancaster to get the car. Before I paid for it I gave it a good once over and it was immaculate, but as soon as I started it I knew something wasn't right. It was louder than any T-Bird I had ever driven. I looked under the car and the resinators were gone. A piece of pipe in their places with the original tips. When I confronted the salesman he told me he had no idea there had been a modification. I went ahead and paid for the car and drove it home back to Indiana. About a month later I recieved a box shipped by Fed-Ex from Lancaster Mercedes Benz with both of the original resinators. The salesman had contacted the owner and got the parts from him and shipped them to me. I still haven't put them on. The more I drive it the way it is , the more I like it. And so do all my freinds. And it runs and shifts fine and last week it paced the state emissions test. I might be Borlaless, but it sure doen't sound like it.
Leroy

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

OK I did it. I have 2002 the Borla system on order from www.PerformanceCenter.com.

Cost was $783.67 with free shipping but there was an oversize charge of $22.50 from Fedex making it $806.17.


Should I hang on to the original exhaust system?

By the way, I have some ramps with low level extensions on them, so that should work OK. I am assuming that the front of the car does not need to be raised up??

More later + pictures of tbird and ramps.
I had to think about this for six years. I never did like the wimpy exhaust.

HKS

[Gobird]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

HKS, It's up to you if you feel you need to save the old system. I stuck mine up in the second floor of my garage when we were living up in PA. but then the time came to move to FL. I decided to throw it in the dumpster while cleaning up the garage.

[deryl]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I installed my Borlas 2years ago on my black 03 and like the sound and performance with CAI.

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Will these ramps do the job for Borla instalation. Backing onto these ramps should work.


HKS