Exhaust Guru's: Help with my guide.....

[grayman]

Howdy,
Thanks to everyone who has helped me with all the information I have been able to put in my exhaust overview guide.

Rather than answer the same questions over and over it seems like a good idea to me to archive some of the important basics concerning our cars and the many options for aftermarket exhaust and their respective 'how to do it' general information.

I don't plan on including headers. That info can easily be found and most header kits will bolt up to the 'stock cat' as it is oriented on the vehicle so I am more concerned with Cat Back systems and conversions.

I would greatly appreciate it if some of you advanced exhaust guru types would look over my 'overview guide' and point out any errors in it...with corrections when possible. I also would like to detail some more specific info on 'what 3" catbacks do and don't come with a 3" S pipe. I have a section near the bottom of the guide titled "what comes with what." If you read it you will understand what I going for. For example...I have listed the magnaflow #15620 LT1 catback as coming with an S pipe. the 15620 is the only system that i have researched that does come with an S pipe. If anyone wants to help me with this project that would be great. it doesn't seem too hard to list a few more 'cat back' systems and what they do and don't come with in order to help share this knowledge with those who plan on performing an exhaust upgrade.
I think most 3" catbacks DON'T come with an S pipe. Correct me if I am wrong.

thanks for your time. here is a link to my exhaust overview.
http://home.comcast.net/~grayman99/exhaust-overview.htm

[img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

[SilverBirdSeven]

Hate to ask a question here, especially this one but, did we ever come up with a verdict on whether or not the 3" system was too tight of a fit for the v6? Wasn't people having a problem with that?

[grayman]

Originally posted by SilverBirdSeven:
Hate to ask a question here, especially this one but, did we ever come up with a verdict on whether or not the 3" system was too tight of a fit for the v6? Wasn't people having a problem with that?

A viable concern. I (and so many others) can assure you that a 3" pipe will fit 'over the axle' with no noise, no bumping, no nonsense what ever. It takes two days in do a full 3" conversion. the first day is the install and first fitment off all components.
When everything is up and on that car it should be adjusted again and all clamps re-tightend.

then drive it a bunch. On the following day jack the car up again and adjust as needed...regardless...it should all be tighted again. Drive the car. if all is golden...go stop by a muffler shop and have it all welded. (the clamps that come with the kits are great even if just for initial fitment of the system. if you just weld everything without test driving...well...you are asking for squeeks and rubs and rattles.

Part Two: yes...the 3" S pipe is not intended to fit under the stock tunnel brace. The stock horizontal (rubber cushioned) hanger that is on the stock S pipe is easily adapted to the replacement 3" S pipe with a U bolt clamp and a bolt and a piece of steel strapping. The tunnel brace does not actually HOLD or CLAMP to the S pipe. it is there to protect that section of the exhaust as it is CLAMPED (S pipe to Mid pipe connection) at the factory. GM does not want that clamp to come off if you hit a shoe or debrie in the road...and then GM gets sued. The tunnel brace can be shimmed or 're bent' to fit the fatter S pipe. I am living dangerously...my tunnel brace is sitting in the 'firebird' parts bucket in my garage.

the exhaust (see the link) on my car is 3" from cat to tail and fits perfectly. No bumps, no rattles, no squeaks. (i did trim some (a tiny bit) of the stock 'under chassis' floor pan heat shield so that the rear O2 sensor (located in the aftermarket CAT) would fit better without rubbing.)

http://home.comcast.net/~grayman99/M...20-install.htm

[ellik]

no fitment problems with mine either, but like Grayman, my tunnel brace was sitting in an extra parts bucket. I think it has probably gone for scrap by now..... unfortunately I twisted off a bolt when I was taking it off and never drilled it out. I plan on going to a spohn torque arm that bolts into the tunnel brace location soon anyway.

[jessica2112]

I was thinking of goin to a 2 1/2" pipe after the cat. Is this a big loss for my headers? I just don't have the time to do the 3" test drive thing, and I do not trust a muffler shop to get it right.

[grayman]

you cant have a muffler shop replace the cat if your car has less than 80,000 miles on it or is less than 8 years old.

I don't know what you mean by a '3" test drive."

check my site if you want to see what is involved in a full 3" conversion.

2.5" dedicated (built for your year vehicle) catbacks bolt right up...no problems. A muffler shop can do it for about 80 bucks in about an hour.

I am not sure what will happen when you get the headers installed...ie...i don't know if you get a new y pipe with the headers...or what. but one thing is certain...your stock y pipe is welded to the cat...one piece. it is also welded to the S pipe. you are looking at some kind of rigamoro concerning the welded cat/S pipe and the headers.

[99v6cam]

Originally posted by grayman:


I don't know what you mean by a '3" test drive."

It's test pipe and it is what ricers call the pipe that replaces your cat when you !cat

[grayman]

I was realy hopping to gather some data with this thread concerning:
Aftermarket catbacks (3") that come with an S pipe.

Magnaflow 15620 LT1 1994-1997 is one such system.

Are there any others that also come with an S pipe? This is good info for those doing a full conversion.

Do any of the flomaster systems come with an S pipe?

Borla?

[jessica2112]

I'm just going to get a stock z28 exaust off a guy at f-body for 75 dollars and call it good

[derkyboy187]

borla doesnt come with a 3 in S pipe. Also if you have a Y 87 performance package you have to get a special pipe to get over the axle

[v6mOtOrhEAdftOp]

does the loudmouth kit coem with an s-pipe?

[FirebirdGT]

Originally posted by grayman:
I was realy hopping to gather some data with this thread concerning:
Aftermarket catbacks (3") that come with an S pipe.

Magnaflow 15620 LT1 1994-1997 is one such system.

Are there any others that also come with an S pipe? This is good info for those doing a full conversion.

Do any of the flomaster systems come with an S pipe?

Borla?

The 93-94 LT1 is a single Cat and has the S-pipe with a flange. After that the V8's had straight pipes (single and dual Cats). A 93-94 LT1 system can be installed on a 98+ car by changing the body exhaust hangers to the 93-97 type.

[ December 24, 2005, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: FirebirdGT ]

[Chase Walker]

Re: Exhaust Guru's: Help with my guide.....

Would there happen to be a place where i could purchase the magnaflow 2.5" s pipe and intermediate pipe alone? and would it line up right to a flowmaster 80 series with a magnaflow intermediate pipe?

[wademus101]

Re: Exhaust Guru's: Help with my guide.....

getting american thunder exhaust, and also a hi flow cat. What size does the cat need to be to fit????????

[Firebirdkid96]

Re: Exhaust Guru's: Help with my guide.....

the v6 american thunder is 2.5 all the way through, the v8 is a 3" system.