no.....that J-Pipe is water jacketed and leads to the water box. From there a rubber hose comes up and over the tunnel...leading to the resonator. Big black plastic bomb lookin thing on the starboard side...which has a hose leading to the exit beside the pump.
The resonator is what's removed...then a piece of ss or galv exhaust pipe is placed and clamped in it's stead.
Well...it don't have to unless it's leaking...heh. Then just clamp in a piece of ss/aluminum or galv exhaust pipe cut to the length or a bit longer than what you've removed and voila....free-flo exhaust.
Yeah....it ain't for everyone. The drone starting around 3Krpm annoys most.
Personally...I ain't in that rpm range long enough for it to bother me. What I especially like though...is the dubba dub rumble at idle through a no wake zone. Folks along the piers in the marina's will do a double take when you cruise by.
For a real raspy badazz sound...go to a shorty or after market wb with a thru hull exhaust.