ProDarwin wrote: Woah. How high is the failure rate on the cheapies? Should I try my luck with a $15-20 part before I spend $90 on a single clamp?
I have a fairly cheap one, it was one of those cheaper brands but I don't remember which one now. It takes a frightening amount of tension to keep it from leaking, especially considering the size of the nut that's on it.
rslifkin wrote:GameboyRMH wrote: Also, keep the pipe length from the exit of the last muffler to the exhaust tip low to avoid increasing noise for no gain.That's an interesting one... What's the theory behind it?
I am going to guess that it has to do with the pressure required to shove the ( lazy) cooler silenced gas out the remaining section of tailpipe. The job is done once it is out of the last silencer.
LS400 still has cats but no mufflers, sounds better than my mustang.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/UNltpUi2IAc
Andy Neuman wrote: LS400 no mufflers, sounds better than my mustang. https://www.youtube.com/embed/UNltpUi2IAc
If you'd like to use quality parts, instead of cast-offs, call Vibrant Performance. They make all kinds of high-quality exhaust collectors, tubing and parts:
My buddy has a 1uz swapped Cressida, and his exhaust is just 2.5" from the manifolds to a y-pipe and then 3" straight to a magnaflow straight through. It sounds awesome. I would definitely merge it somehow, true duals sound terrible imo, my 300zx sounded like a WW1 biplane.
In reply to simplecat:
What Gen Cressida? Any picts? A 1UZ swapped MX63 is on my to do list.
Andy Neuman wrote: LS400 still has cats but no mufflers, sounds better than my mustang.
Is that obnoxious as berkeley if you pull out of your driveway and accelerate up to speed?
This is the type of E36 M3 my previous neighbor would do. Rattle every window within 1/4 mile at 11:00 at night when he decided to go for a spin around the block in his straight piped domestic V8 powered [insert truck here].
Racecar? Fine. Even then, make it reasonable. Street car? hell no.
Depends on material, vehicle, and skill of the welder.
My RX-8s aluminum exhaust cost $600
My stainless exhaust for my 911 cost $1,000 (shorter distance but one for each side since flat six)
At these prices I don't know why anyone would ever buy an off-the-shelf exhaust - mine were always lighter than anything you could buy pre-made.
In reply to ProDarwin:
My neighbors basically only know I own a mustang. Quiet exhaust on the mustang.
The only time the other cars make an appearance in the neighborhood is on a trailer.
In reply to hobiercr:
It's an mx73, w58 w/ms3. He posts over on celicasupra as fwdsux
Another question: recommendation for replacement cat of decent quality? Magnaflow?
My main concern with DIY exhaust parts is having them rust out. From the inside. Seems like the 'stainless' options I see still last only a tiny fraction of the time the OE exhaust does.
Andy Neuman wrote: In reply to ProDarwin: My neighbors basically only know I own a mustang. Quiet exhaust on the mustang. The only time the other cars make an appearance in the neighborhood is on a trailer.
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In reply to ProDarwin:
That's all in the quality of parts you use. Aluminized steel rusts. Especially up north. Figure 3 - 5 winters before the lowest points in the system have holes in them.
Stainless holds up a lot better. 409 stainless is fairly cheap, but will still rust. Usually the rust is mostly cosmetic, but it's possible for it to rust through (it just takes a while). 304 stainless is more expensive and much more rust resistant and can be kept nice and shiny looking. And in most cases, it won't rust through if the welds are good (those would usually be the point of concern). 316L stainless would be even more durable and corrosion resistant, but also even more $$$.
Ok, so I think I'm leaning towards build over buy (meaning pay a shop to do it, since no off the shelf solution exists) at the moment for my LS swapped RX7. Plan is for 2.5" true dual, through an x pipe, into a pair of mufflers mounted at the stock locations just ahead of the rear bumper. Trying to keep this low budget. Have a few questions:
-Life expectancy for a mild steel exhaust? Don't really have a good rig for welding stainless, just the $99 HF flux core, and I don't expect the car will see much inclement weather.
-Recommend me a cheap-ish muffler? Loud is OK, but I don't want to be a total public nuisance. Dynomax bullets are looking good right now, any opinion on the sound level and quality?
-What's the preferred method for making cuts in exhaust tubing?
ProDarwin wrote: Another question: recommendation for replacement cat of decent quality? Magnaflow?
Yeah they make some of the best.
In reply to Furious_E:
Bench vise, sharpie, angle grinder with cutoff disks, and hacksaw with a fine tooth lenon blade was what I started with.
If you spray the exhaust with bbq paint you increase the life of mild steel exponentially. With baffled mufflers, you can drill some holes in the bottoms and you won't have to worry about them rusting out if painted. The moisture collects from short stints around town, where the car isn't all the way warmed up ( like if you just turned the car on to make a engine rev video and turned the car off, there is water vapor left behind)
Yeah, a 1/16" hole at the lowest point of a muffler can help its life a lot. If you look closely, a lot of factory mufflers have this.
I know of really good exhaust shops in Coon Rapids, MN and in Marysville, OH. Prices are reasonable at both. Not sure where you are located.
In reply to GameboyRMH:
I had pictures (now in photobucket hell, but they are cached as the first 2 results here ), but I bought a OE replacement midpipe made by Magnaflow once. Complete garbage. Snip from a thread ranting about that:
1) The flange on the new cat is correctly sized, but the holes are ****ing huge obrounds instead of clearance holes for a M8 bolt. You can almost fit the head of an M8 through the hole... it would require enormous fender washers to actually bolt this up.
2A) The hanger is the wrong spot
2B) The hanger is also the wrong diameter (way larger than stock)
2C) The hanger does not have any bent returns to prevent the rubber hangers from falling off
3) The rear flange is just as bad as the front one, only the stock part has studs there instead of clearance holes. Meaning for this not only do you have to deal with the ultra-sloppy fit, you have to purchase new hardware to thru-bolt it as well.
I'm hoping they make quality pieces, but just suck at the fabrication of a system.
In reply to Jere:
Came here to talk BBQ paint. It works!
Furious_E wrote: Ok, so I think I'm leaning towards build over buy (meaning pay a shop to do it, since no off the shelf solution exists) at the moment for my LS swapped RX7. Plan is for 2.5" true dual, through an x pipe, into a pair of mufflers mounted at the stock locations just ahead of the rear bumper. Trying to keep this low budget. Have a few questions: -Life expectancy for a mild steel exhaust? Don't really have a good rig for welding stainless, just the $99 HF flux core, and I don't expect the car will see much inclement weather. -Recommend me a cheap-ish muffler? Loud is OK, but I don't want to be a total public nuisance. Dynomax bullets are looking good right now, any opinion on the sound level and quality? -What's the preferred method for making cuts in exhaust tubing?
A decent rx7 catback would work for the rear of the car and then you only need to figure out from headers to catback.
T hats what we did with our 3400 lowered 2nd gen. I might even be willing to sell the catback.
It is a decent brand name stainless steel exhaust.
In reply to wvumtnbkr:
That's my Plan B at the moment, in which case I basically just need to fab a y pipe. Looks like there are some cheap options for 3" stainless catbacks, though. Going to try and price out my Plan A option and see where that lands, probably more expensive TBH, though I think most of my motivation to go that route is just to say I did it.
In reply to Jere & rslifkin:
Good tip, though most likely I wouldn't be using chambered mufflers due to the size and shape of the space available. Round case would just fit a lot better.
ProDarwin wrote: In reply to GameboyRMH: I had pictures (now in photobucket hell, but they are cached as the first 2 results here ), but I bought a OE replacement midpipe made by Magnaflow once. Complete garbage. Snip from a thread ranting about that: 1) The flange on the new cat is correctly sized, but the holes are ****ing huge obrounds instead of clearance holes for a M8 bolt. You can almost fit the head of an M8 through the hole... it would require enormous fender washers to actually bolt this up. 2A) The hanger is the wrong spot 2B) The hanger is also the wrong diameter (way larger than stock) 2C) The hanger does not have any bent returns to prevent the rubber hangers from falling off 3) The rear flange is just as bad as the front one, only the stock part has studs there instead of clearance holes. Meaning for this not only do you have to deal with the ultra-sloppy fit, you have to purchase new hardware to thru-bolt it as well. I'm hoping they make quality pieces, but just suck at the fabrication of a system.
Huh, haven't heard any complaints about individual components. Even the shop that built my custom exhaust liked their stuff.
rslifkin wrote: Yeah, a 1/16" hole at the lowest point of a muffler can help its life a lot. If you look closely, a lot of factory mufflers have this.
Too small. It will plug in a week.
I've done this every way imaginable, many many times. Best way (IMO) is to start getting quotes right now. Speak to every shop you can find that does exhaust work, and go from there. You can have them do it all, have them make/bend parts and you assemble, or you can have them do the bending while you supply the muffler and cat. It's not always easy to find someone that's fair and reasonable, but bending up and installing a custom system is not hard, doesn't take a long time, and shouldn't be expensive.
Zomby Woof wrote: Too small. It will plug in a week.
Interesting. I've seen drain holes that didn't look any bigger than 1/16" (definitely smaller than 1/8") in 10+ year old factory mufflers that weren't plugged and would still drip water after startup in cold weather.
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