The 99' was starting to get a bit noisy at 167K miles, so today I got underneath and looked around. At the large three bolt flange ahead of the muffler only one bolt still had a nut on, and had blown the gasket out.
Put a wrench to the remaining nut and broke the bolt off. Guess what - they ain't bolts, they are pressed in studs like a wheel hub stud.
So, jack it up, disconnect the muffler and tail pipe from the car ( all one welded unit), actually came off pretty good, lubed up the rubber bushings (4) and worked them off of the welded supports.
Took a hammer and punch - could not move the broken studs. Heated the flange, no dice, still can't move them.
Took the Dremel and cut the broken studs flush with the flange - can't hacksaw them, they are hardened. Can't drill them out either.
Finally made a stud pusher out of my pitman arm puller. Heated the flange again, put the rattle wrench on the pitman stud pusher, and managed to push those bastards out - 3 hours!
Is back together with a new gasket and new 3/8" stainless bolts, washers. lockwashers, and nuts. Muffler and tail pipe were in amazing condition for being 10 years old and 176K miles. I would like to talk to the brain dead engineer that decided to put those studs in there - -