Today I Purchased a new Gibson Exhaust for my 2003 Nissan Xterra (Part#12203). Online it says that part number will fit my year but on the box it says 99-02 When i tried to install it the falange was behind where the left side of the engine connects has anyone else had this problem? How do I install it?

Well, the part number according to Gibson is correct. Maybe they shipped the wrong exhaust! You should give them a call.

But you should note that the exhaust is for a 4x4 and 4x2 but I see you're driving a 2x4!

First off welcome to XOC!

Second, this probably should of been posted in the Performance section.

Third, are you saying that the exhaust that you have in the box has a flange on it that needs to bolt up to the stock exhaust?

And you can't get this one to match up?

If the above is true, your 03 is like my 04 and there is no flange to bolt up to and you have the wrong exhaust. I believe there was a design change/difference between 00-02 and the 03-04 models. I know that my exhaust didn't have a flange and I had to remove the old exhaust by removing a clamp and getting the muffler slid off of the headpipe.

Check out this Gibson On!

Does the last picture that I posted look like your setup?

Hope this helps.

Rob

Hey Sinagua
Thanks for the help. Yours seems very simalar to mine but at the front of your muffler you have a support which the 03 doesnt seem to have. Here are some photos of what my problem is. If anyone has some sugestions on how to keep the front of the muffler suspended that would be awsome. :p Click here for photos

XterraDude, do you think you got the wrong exhaust? If so why try and make it work? Why not just call Gibson and get the correct one?

I figured it out :p the gibson 99-03 (12203) wont work with the v6 3.3, only the I-4, all though it never says that. For an 03 V6 you need part #12214 03-05. So tommarow i will go back to the place i got it and exchange it for the correct one. Thanks guys

Well, at least you can go and exchange it without waiting a couple of weeks to ship it back and [forth] somewhere!

Welcome to XOC!

XterraDude,

Your exhaust is the same as mine and my advice to remove the old exhaust is to get out a [img]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:gG5A5ObYjugJ:www.trinity.edu/tfrancis/Class/[/img] and cut behind and in front the muffler to make the system three pieces. Remove that clamp to the headpipe and hopefully it comes off easy. Mine did not and I had to take a and cut away to remove it. That was the worst part of the install for me.

Get the right kit and have fun!

You'll enjoy the results.

Rob

When I bought my Borla exhaust, it did not have the flange. Good thing, because the 03 and 04 have a slip coupling instead of the flange at the end of the crossover pipe. The old exhaust only had 700 miles on it so it came off without any problems. I have it in my garage just incase I need to reinstall the stock exhaust.

Nice work Sinagua!