Best Easy-Day bolt on exhaust system for my '88 V20?

[BenjaminVA]

Hey gents,
***Noob Warning***


So I Lifted my '88 V20 a couple months ago, & the ~eighth-inch that the driveshaft backed out of the transfer case was enough to finish off the aging tailshaft house seal.. NBD right?

Naturally, I wasn't bright enough to heed the warnings about how easy it is to crack the aluminum on the output shaft housing when pulling the old seal out.

Luckily, I was able to source a replacement np208 tail/output housing on here thanks to 'Willie' aka 'Wheels87k5'

Had a shop press a fresh bearing into it, went to bolt that bad boy up and low and behold the big ole 80s cat converter was stopping me from sliding the old housing off. Considered welding in a straight pipe, but that would be like nailing jello to a wall.

TLDR: Exhaust is starting to rust out anyway, and having trouble finding a pre-bent exhaust kit for my burb. Seems parts websites cater more towards the square body pickups. Anyone know which pickups would have the same fitment? or better yet, any direct recommendations/links on headers & exhaust to bolt up & get this big girl back on the road?

Cost is not an issue, Doesnt need to be fancy either, just functional. I'm Fine with swept-side but dual seems a lot more common. 84k original miles, engine is mighty strong & healthy and I don't plan on any significant engine upgrades so I'm not sure if dual exhaust would be overkill/too little back pressure..

350sbc / 4x4 / 8 Lug


Thanks in advance and try not to burn me too bad aha

 

[JoshHefnerX]

I think most here favor a single exhaust because it's easier to clear some items. I've got a jimmy and the PO put on duals and they work but took a bit of work to clear everything and still melted the speedo cable. There also wasn't provisions on the one side for exhaust hangers so took a bit of melon scratching.

May just want to check into a local exhaust shop. And make sure that you can separate the exhaust such that you can still work on things if needed. dropping tranny/tcase ect.

 

[muddysub]

I built my own exhaust with mandrel bends from summit. It took some time but it's exactly what I want. Definitely not an easy bolt in process. If you don't have the tools/time to do it yourself, I'd take it to an exhaust shop and have them build you a new system.

 

[ZooMad75]

Unless you got some skills fabbing and welding, take it to a good exhaust shop. Tell them what you want. A lot of times they will have some guides or cards that map out the bends to make a stock style system if that was the goal. If you wanted a bit more custom, it's a matter of lifting the truck and showing them what you want to be done.

I lack the time and the skills for this, so that's what I did. With the truck up in the air I was able to tell the guy exactly what I wanted. I did go with duals, wanted an H-pipe and routing all the way back past the shackle hangers with a 90* to dump under the quarter panel. I specifically wanted the system high up for ground clearance but built in such a way that if I needed to remove the t-case and or trans it could be done without dropping the exhaust system. He nailed it. The H-pipe is just past the t-case slip yoke, allowing easy removal (I've already done that twice). The mufflers are just above the bottom of the frame for max clearance without cooking the floor. It was all done out of 2 1/4" pipe to maximize clearance past the transmission and fuel tank areas. I'm really happy with it.

 

[AgDieseler]

Echoing the above, I'm a fan of a build-it-yourself approach with mandrel bends in a box. I'd never built an exhaust until I did my own downpipe and crossover; after that, I felt like I could conquer anything related to pipe routing. If you need quick results, and can't afford too much downtime, take it to a shop as has been suggested.

But, if you have the ability to park the truck for a few days, and if you have access to the tools (chop saw, round files, soft abrasive wheels like 3M scotchbrite, some blue tape, and a MIG), and can take you time with it, this could be a great opportunity to teach yourself a new skill. Even better if you know someone that has some MIG skills and can work along with you. Definitely not "easy day", but just some detail for consideration. There's a lot of knowledge on this forum, and folks are glad to help coach as you go.

Welcome to CK5.

David

 

[dhcomp]

my cat back dual system with muffler and tips was about $600.
In your situation, ask around for recommendations on local shop, listen to sound clips of mufflers online, and have it done at a shop.

I do almost everything on my truck, including an engine swap. Trans and exhaust work gets done professionally. Too much time and specialty equipment/ knowledge to do it right myself.