Muffler Cushion - 80 Series
Author: Steve Heim Mar 25, 2012
I did what every 80 series cruiser head wanabe does, look underneath and start wiggling and jiggling every part until you hear the noise. I did not find a noise but my exhaust did seem a little loose. Upon further inspection I noticed the muffler cushions ( I looked them up in the factory service manual section EG 106) were broken. Not just one but all three.
So who does one call when wanting to buy replacement muffler cushions but your friendly neighborhood Camelback Toyota club member who says "You need to buy replacement muffler bearings?" I kid you not. As I choked back a little laugh and thought how many times has he used this line on unsuspecting Toyota noobs, I promptly blurted out the part numbers and page number from my trusty 96 Service Manual. The silence was deafening. The service person (their name has been removed to protect him from the teasing and ridicule he will surely get for ordering muffler bearings), asked that I send the information to the crack team at work and assured me the parts would arrive next day, and they did. Three brand spanking new muffler cushions. Thanks Camelback Toyota.
The rest of the story ended in the garage, a friend who also never heard of muffler cushions had to stop over and see this very rare and under reported part. I actually called this club member because his hands were smaller than my big fat mits which would not fit in the space, thanks again Jackson for all your help.
Well guess what, no more squeeks. And now all of you know the rest of the story behind this humble but often neglected part.
Everyone should check their muffler cushions, I know there is going to be a run on this rare part but I am very happy with the results and I already got mine.
Operators are standing by at Camelback Toyota, waiting to take your order.
Kevin Patterson's Comment
Is that a dent in the heater line? If so, it is typical, when the muffler, cats, etc, land on rock, the "cushions" can't stretch that far and break. My heater line is pinched in half in that area, put several sets of new "cushions" in, before giving up and going aftermarket. They allow for more "travel", but have had to replace them, just less often.
