Exhaust installation: B&B and Vortex cone inserts (to reduce drone)
Thanks stealthV
Use this as a pictorial reference only; always refer to the official B&B instructions for more detail or clarification.
Installation time: Approximately one hour with one person.
Items/tools needed:
1 set of Rhino ramps
1 set of jack stands (or second set of Rhino ramps)
Hydraulic floor jack
Trouble light
1-pound hammer
Rubber mallet
11/16” wrench
17 mm wrench
16 mm wrench
½” drive ratchet
½” extension
½” drive, 16 mm socket
3/8” ratchet
3/8” extension
3/8" drive, 13 mm socket
3/8" drive, 15 mm socket
3/8" drive, 16 mm socket
Pry bar
Drift punch
12 pack of Dew ;-)
scrap wood 2x4s
Zaino Z6 (or equivalent for clean up prior to engine start)
Microfiber towel
2. Ah...the second set of $29.95 12,000 pound Rhino Ramps. No more jack stands for me!
3. Vortex 3" Inserts, Part Number DTC-72-32520, from SummitRacing.com $128.85 shipped cost for the pair of cones.
4. Center the Rhino Ramps behind the rear tires and align the ramps with the front tires.
5. Back the V up onto the ramps. Apply the parking brake, place the transmission in first gear and shut off the engine.
6. Jack the front of the car up and slide the front ramp under the car. The stiff chassis of the CTS-V will cause the rear wheel to lift off the rear ramp.
7. Repeat step 6 for the other side of the car.
8. 2000+ miles on the B&B system so far...
9. 2000 miles on the 4.5" tips...
10. Lubricate and loosen the front exhaust manifold studs with a 15-mm deep socket.
11. Remove the four bolts/nuts connecting the polished muffler pipes to the x-pipe with an 11/16" wrench and a 5/8" socket.
12. Loosen the two center support bolts and spacers with a 13-mm socket and set aside for reuse.
13. Use the floor jack and a 2x4 to support the resonator. Finish removing the bolts from step 12 and gently lower the resonator.
 
14. Loosen the center camps and gently wiggle the resonator rearward, disconnecting it from the front pipes and roll it out from under the car.
 
15. Note the carbon build up...
16. Comparison of the x-pipe sitting on top of the resonator with the stock exhaust in the back ground.
 
17. Transfer the clamps from the resonator to the x-pipe.
18. Carbon build-up in the front pipes...
19. Install the cones into the front pipes. Leave approximately 3/16" of the cone sticking out for ease of removal with a pliers if necessary.
20. Place the x-pipe on the floor jack and roll it under the car.
21. Line up the x-pipe with the front pipes.
22. Push the x-pipe onto the front pipes until the witness marks on the front pipes are covered.
23. Use the floor jack to raise the x-pipe into position. Install the center support bushings and loosely install the bolts. NOTE: On my car, with the thin bushings on top, the x-pipe was pushing against the center heat shield. To overcome this, opposite to B&B instructions, the large bushing was placed on top with the thin bushing on the bottom.
24. Line up the polished muffler pipes with the x-pipe. Place paper gaskets between the flanges and install the two nuts and bolts in each. Snug each side of the flange up evenly and tighten.
25. Make sure to tighten the four bolts at the muffler/x-pipe joint first. Next, tighten the front four exhaust flange bolts at the front of the car. Next snug up the center support bolts and finish by tightening the clamps at the connection of the x-pipe and front pipes.
 
26. Before starting the engine, wipe down all surfaces of the exhaust – mufflers, tips, pipes to prevent blemishes and fingerprints from being burned in, discoloring the surface of the stainless. For mine, I used a microfiber towel and Zaino Z6.
Test Drive Thoughts: On a scale of 1 to 4, with the open x-pipe being a 4 and a resonator being a 2, I give the x-pipe + cones a rating of 3, splitting the difference between the two different systems. The cones take some of the resonance out of the system without affecting the great WOT sound of the x-pipe and by SOTP, do not appear to affect performance.
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